MIS 483: Networks and Data Communications
Spring 2015
San Diego State University
College of Business Administration
Department of Management Information Systems (MIS)
COURSE INFORMATION
Class Days:
Class Times:
Class Location:
Monday
7:00 PM – 9:40 PM
GMCS-325
https://sunspot.sdsu.edu/map/
Office Hours Times: Mon or Wed 6:00 PM, By Appt Only
Office Hours Location:
SSE 2428
Units:
3
Course Overview
Purpose and Scope of this Course:
Fundamental data communications concepts, including voice communications and carrier service offerings,
communications hardware, and network design. Global, enterprise, workgroup, and local area networks. Protocols and
network operating systems. Network security and control.
Source: Description from the Official Course Catalog http://arweb.sdsu.edu/es/catalog/quickref.html
Student Learning Outcomes:
BSBA students will graduate being:

Effective Communicators

Critical Thinkers

Able to Analyze Ethical Problems

Global in their Perspective

Knowledgeable about the Essentials of Business
MIS 483 contributes to these goals through its student learning outcomes:
1. Explain general networking terminologies.
2. Describe software and hardware elements necessary to implement a network.
3. Explain internetworking, transmission media, and network protocols.
4. Discuss and compare major network standards for LAN and WAN and their technical differences.
5. Develop preliminary competence to design, analyze, and implement small-scale networks.
6. Articulate general approaches available to implement security measures on a computer network.
7. Discuss standard architectures, layers, and key protocols of each layer.
8. Explain the Internet architecture.
Source: MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS COURSES, Student Learning Outcomes
http://cbaweb.sdsu.edu/assets/files/assessment/slo/MIS.pdf
Enrollment Information
Information about enrollment for the course includes the following:

Prerequisites:
Management Information Systems 180

Adding/Dropping Procedures:
Registration (including Adding, Dropping, or Withdrawing) for this course will be in accordance with the policies defined by
the Office of the Registrar. Source: How to Register http://arweb.sdsu.edu/es/registrar/howto.html
If a student wants to obtain an Add Code for this class, they should attend the first class session (note that seating is
reserved for registered students first), and then e-mail the instructor after class if they still want an Add Code. The request
should indicate that they have satisfied all of the Prerequisites and should include any additional information necessary to
convince the instructor that the student will successfully complete this class.
Course Materials
Information about the materials for the course includes the following:

Required Materials:
Textbook : “A Practical Introduction to Computer Networking and Cybersecurity”, by Dr. Bongsik Shin, Montezuma
Publishing, Copyright 2014. ISBN-10: 0-7442-9627-7 ISBN-13: 978-0-7442-9627-3
o

Note that options for limited Access to Course Materials may include SDSU Library Circulation/Course
Reserves.
Recommended Materials:
o PC or Macintosh to access Blackboard
o PC (or Macintosh with PC emulator) to run Network Simulation software
o PC or Macintosh with Microsoft PowerPoint software (or similar) to create a presentation

Recommended References:
There are many useful Internet-based information sources for Networking and Data Communications. The following is
partial list of recommended sources of information:
o YouTube http://www.youtube.com
o Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/
o Techencyclopedia http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/
o Whatis.com http://whatis.techtarget.com/
o Howstuffworks.com http://www.howstuffworks.com/
o Webopedia http://www.webopedia.com/
o Protocols.com http://www.protocols.com/
o CBTNuggets http://www.cbtnuggets.com/
o Pluralsight http://www.pluralsight.com/
Course Structure and Conduct
Information about the structure of the course:

Style of the Course (e.g., Traditional Lecture, Lecture-Discussion, Distance Education (fully on-line), Hybrid, Activity,
Seminar, etc.):
The style of this course is Hybrid (Lecture-Discussion and Online).

Course Design:
To effectively realize the learning outcomes, this course relies on various pedagogical approaches: reading assignments
and chapter reviews, classroom lectures and discussions, hands-on assignments and a course project (i.e., “See It”, “Hear
It”, “Do It” and “Explain It”)
The reading assignment (and the concept-reinforcing Chapter Review) is a critical self-learning tool course component and
must be completed before each lecture.
The classroom lecture is designed to supplement the reading assignment by clarifying and elaborating challenging
concepts. This is an introduction course on networking and therefore during the lecture, it will be assuming that students
do not have much background in networking.
Students with that do not have a background in computers, networking and data communication are strongly encouraged
to augment the reading, lecture and other assignments with Audio, Video or Kinetic (AVK) sources as identified in the
Recommended Resources above.
Students with significant experience in computer networking are encouraged to consult the instructor for possible course
substitution.

Course Environment:
Although this is primarily an in-class Lecture-Discussion course, some access to Blackboard will be necessary to complete
Chapter Reviews and other Course Activities.

Expectations for student conduct, being prepared for class, etc.:
o Safety First! Please be punctual, but not at the risk of being involved in an accident on the way to class.
Arrive early or on-time in order be ready to learn. Being late in a full classroom will be a disturbance – and it
will negatively impact your attendance grade.
o Students are expected to have read the chapter scheduled to be covered prior to attending class. Chapter
Reviews are expected to be completed in accordance with instructions provided by the instructor.
o Attendance and constructive participation (i.e., when appropriate) is a significant part of course grading.
Classroom attendance is important to earning a high grade. Computer networking is a difficult subject and
students should make a significant effort to meet the challenges.
o Course information including the Syllabus, Hands-on assignments, and Exam / Chapter Review scores will be
updated on Blackboard. Students are required to check Blackboard on a regular basis to be informed of
updates, especially test and assignment scores. Students should ensure that Blackboard has their preferred
current e-mail address so that students receive any announcements sent via e-mail.
o All students should turn off their cell phones and laptop computers during the class. Anyone using a laptop
or a cell phone during the class without the instructor’s permission will be asked to leave the class.
o Student conduct is expected to be in accordance with all Policies and Procedures identified in the SDSU
Course Catalog, the highest ethical standards, as well as all local, state and federal laws.

Individual and Group Activities Required:
This course includes Individual and Group Activities as defined in Blackboard. For individual assignments, only when
authorized by the instructor, students can study together to resolve challenging issues. However, collaboration must not
extend to the preparation of the final product. See the Academic Honesty section below.

Technology Utilized in the Course:
Technology used in the course includes Blackboard, Microsoft PowerPoint, and a PC-based Network Simulator.
Students with Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact
Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact
Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations
based upon disability cannot be provided until you have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student
Disability Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Academic Honesty
The University adheres to a strict policy regarding cheating and plagiarism as defined at:
http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr/conduct1.html
These activities will not be tolerated in this class. Become familiar with the policy to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.
Students caught giving or receiving assistance to/from another student(s) during an Exam will be asked to leave and will receive
an F for the course, PERIOD. Every case will be reported to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities for a possible
disciplinary action. Visit http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr/index.html for more information on academic dishonesty.
For individual assignments, only when authorized by the instructor, students can study together to resolve challenging issues.
However, collaboration must not extend to the preparation of the final product. Excessive similarity in writing (or other
products) will be regarded as evidence of excessive collaboration and be dealt with according to the University rules of
academic dishonesty. Copying somebody else’s work is never acceptable. Visit http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr/index.html for more
information on academic dishonesty.
Any cheating or plagiarism will result in any disciplinary action the instructor feels is appropriate for the severity of the
situation. Examples include, but are not limited to – no credit for the Assignment, an assignment of an “F” grade with a note on
the student’s transcript, and a disciplinary review by Student Affairs.
Examples of Plagiarism include but are not limited to:

Using sources verbatim or paraphrasing without giving proper attribution (this can include phrases, sentences,
paragraphs and/or pages of work)

Copying and pasting work from an online or offline source directly and calling it your own

Using information you find from an online or offline source without giving the author credit

Replacing words or phrases from another source and inserting your own words or phrases

Submitting a piece of work you did for one class to another class
If you have questions on what is considered plagiarism, please consult the policy and this helpful guide from the Library at
http://library.sdsu.edu/guides/tutorial.php?id=28
Turnitin
Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to
Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com
reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. You may submit your papers in such a way
that no identifying information about you is included. Another option is that you may request, in writing, that your papers not
be submitted to Turnitin.com. However, if you choose this option you will be required to provide documentation to
substantiate that the papers are your original work and do not include any plagiarized material.
Assessments and Grading
Course grades will be assigned in accordance with San Diego State University policy (see General Catalog, pp. 468-470).
Undergraduate grades shall be:





A (outstanding achievement, available only for the highest accomplishment),
B (praiseworthy performance, definitely above average),
C (average, awarded for satisfactory performance, the most common undergraduate grade),
D (minimally passing, less than the typical undergraduate achievement),
F (failing).
Table1. Your Course grade will be based on the following weighted course components:
Course Component
Weight
Points
1.
Reading / Chapter Reviews (“See It”)
10%
100
2.
Attendance / Participation (“Hear It”)
20%
200
3.
Homework / Hands-On Assignments
(“Do It”)
20%
200
4.
Exams (“Do It”)
40%
400
5.
Course Project (“Explain It”)
10%
100
Total
100%
1,000
The components of your Course Grade are explained below:
1.
Reading / Chapter Reviews (“See It”):
At the beginning of a class, there will be a quiz to decide class preparedness (see the class schedule below). There are numerous
technical concepts in the networking field, but simply not enough time to cover them all in the class. To make up the gap,
students should read assigned sections in advance and digest them to prepare for class discussions. In preparing for the quiz:



The assigned portion of the textbook should be read meticulously. Reading it once will NOT be enough to grasp the
content.
Each quiz has 3-5 multiple-choice questions.
Quiz scores will be continuously updated on Blackboard and you are responsible to report any discrepancies
immediately.


Quiz questions are designed to assess a student’s readiness to participate in the class.
We will use for Blackboard for Chapter Reviews.
2.
Attendance / Participation (“Hear It”):
Attendance and constructive participation (i.e., when appropriate) is a significant part of course grading. Attendance is
important to earn a high grade. Students must use good judgment as to the amount and quality of their classroom
participation. Excessive or low-quality classroom participation will lower the student’s grade. It is understood that large
classroom sizes often make it difficult or impossible for every student to make a comment at the appropriate time. It is the
same in business and exercising good judgment in the classroom will prepare students for the participating appropriately in the
workplace.
3.
Homework / Hands-On Assignments (“Do It”):
This course includes Homework. Details for the Homework Assignments, including Deadlines for submissions are listed in
Blackboard.
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




4.
This course includes Homework. Details for the Homework Assignments, including Deadlines for submissions are
listed in Blackboard.
Multiple hands-on assignments are planned throughout the semester and some will rely on a networking simulation
program, which will be posted on Blackboard for downloading.
Students should start working on each assignment early rather than waiting until the last moment because there will
be unexpected problems. Sending a frantic SOS email seeking help at the last moment is not appreciated.
Late submission of an assignment costs 50% penalty per day.
All assignments that need a written report should be submitted at the beginning of a class. (Some assignments will be
submitted online via Blackboard.)
All written reports should be done with professional quality. Unstapled reports are not accepted. (Some assignments
will be submitted online via Blackboard.)
Exams and Exam Policies (“Do It”):
[Insert description of exams and policies (e.g., makeups, formula sheets, permissible calculators, use of mobile phones during
exams, retention of exams]


There are three exams. All exams must be taken at their scheduled time and at the course venue. No early or late
examinations will be allowed unless a student experiences an emergency situation.
Test questions are based on the assigned textbook chapters and lectures.
Exams are not cumulative.
Test questions will be multiple-choices and students are required to bring a Scantron (Form 882-E).
Each test is 100 points. Warning: Test questions are NOT easy. You should invest enough time and effort to
thoroughly review covered chapters to receive good scores. Based on the past experience, the class average is around
65.
Individual extra-credit opportunities will NOT be provided.
5.
Course Project (“Explain It”):




This course includes the development of a Course Project. Details for the Course Project, including Deadlines for submissions
are listed in Blackboard.
Final Grading
Final Grades will be “curved” according to the following approximate distribution:
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+, D, D-
5%
7%
8%
11%
13%
15%
19%
13%
9%



There will be no official letter grading for mid-term tests. The letter grade for the course, will be decided only once after the final exam - and will be based on the combined scores of tests, assignments, and chapter reviews. That
means every scoring opportunity is equally important!
Students will be notified of the posting of final Course Grades on the university system via the e-mail address in
Blackboard. Appeal for grading should be done within a week of the posted date.
The final grade will be based on the Course Components. Their weights are shown below (assignment scores are
approximation). The weights slightly may vary depending on the number of hands-on assignments and quizzes.
Grade of Incomplete:
A grade of Incomplete (I) indicates that a portion of required coursework has not been completed and evaluated in the
prescribed time period due to unforeseen, but fully justified, reasons and that there is still a possibility of earning credit. It is
your responsibility to bring pertinent information to the instructor and to reach agreement on the means by which the
remaining course requirements will be satisfied. The conditions for removal of the Incomplete shall be reduced to writing by
the instructor and given to you with a copy placed on file with the department chair until the Incomplete is removed or the
time limit for removal has passed. A final grade is assigned when the work agreed upon has been completed and evaluated. An
Incomplete shall not be assigned when the only way you could make up the work would be to attend a major portion of the
class when it is next offered. Contract forms for Incomplete grades are available at the Office of the Registrar website
Tentative Course Schedule
Table 2. The course schedule, including topics and class activities listed by week, is presented in the following table
Session
1
Date
Topics
Activities
January 26, 2015
Introduction to the Course
Course Syllabus Review / Test
Demonstration: Packet Tracer
2
February 2, 2105
Chapter 1: Fundamental Elements
3
February 9, 2015
Chapter 2: Architectures and
Standards
Exclude: 2.6.2 Perform Supervisory
Functions
4
February 16, 2015
Chapter 3: Intermediary Devices
5
February 23, 2015
Chapter 4: Elements of Data
Transmission
6
March 2, 2015
Mid-term Test 1
7
March 9, 2015
Chapter 5: IP Address
Mid-term Test 1
Exclude: 5.4 Classfull IP - Legacy
8
March 16, 2015
Chapter 6: Packet Routing
9
March 23, 2015
Chapter 7: Ethernet (IEEE 802.3)
Exclude: 7.11.2 Sub-interfaces
--
March 30 – Friday April 3, 2015
Spring Break
--
--
March 31, 2015
Cesar Chavez Day (Campus Closed)
--
10
April 6, 2015
Chapter 8: Wireless LAN
Exclude: 8.8 WiFi Mesh Network
11
April 13, 2015
Mid-term Test 2
Mid-term Test 2
12
April 20, 2015
Chapter 9: Wide Area Network
Course Project Presentations
Exclude: 9.11 ATM
Exclude: 9.12 Metro-Ethernet
13
April 27, 2015
Chapter 10: Internet
Course Project Presentations
Exclude: 10.6 Server Virtualization
14
15
May 4, 2015
Course Project Presentations
May 7, 2015
Last Day of Classes
May 8 – May 14, 2015
Final Examinations
May 11, 2105
Final Exam (1900 to 2100)
Course Project Presentations
Final Exam
Source: Some dates are from the SDSU Academic Calendar http://arweb.sdsu.edu/es/registrar/academiccalendar.html and
http://arweb.sdsu.edu/es/registrar/finalexams/15_spring.html#MW
The weekly progress may vary and certain topics may be started before or after the scheduled date. The date of each Reading
Assignment / Chapter Review can be changed accordingly. All scheduled Exams, however, will be held on the date specified.
Changes to this course schedule, if any, will be announced in class, on Blackboard, and / or via e-mail notification.