COMP 390 – Data Communications
Course Information Winter 2024
Professor: David Wang, Ph.D.
Lecture: Thursday 11:30 am– 14:20 pm
When in person, at classroom: ABD242
When online, via Zoom (see blackboard)
Office Hour: After class or by appointment
E-mail: David.Wang@ufv.ca
Objective:
This course explores the development and design of data communication networks
and protocols, and gives students the foundation to analytically derive the
performance of such systems. Most of the assignments will be homework questions
and some may be from the web.
Topics:
 Review from previous networking courses - Basic principles and
architecture, OSI reference model and TCP/IP model.
 Physical Layer: bandwidth, transmission media, and impairments.
 Data Link Layer: framing, error detection and correction, and flow
control.
 Media Access Control Sublayer: contention-based, limited contention, and
contention-free protocols, IEEE 802 local area network standards and
examples.
 Network Layer: connection-oriented vs. connectionless networks, routing,
congestion control, internetworking.
 Transport Layer: end-to-end flow control, connection management.
 Application Layer: DNS, email, WWW, etc. (if time permits)
Prerequisite:
Math 125, Stat 106 or Stat 270, AND one of CIS 291, CIS 292 and Comp 251.
(Note that a D grade does not meet prerequisite requirement for any course at UFV.)
It is the CIS department's policy that if the prerequisite is not satisfied, you cannot take the course.
Please, make sure that you meet all the prerequisite for this course.
Note: Stat 104 cannot be used to substitute Stat 106.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS:
● Computer Networks, Andrew Tanenbaum, 5th Edition, Prentice Hall, Inc.
● A SIMPLE scientific calculator is required for the homework, quizzes and exams.
Note: A simple scientific calculator should not cost more than $10. The instructor brought his for $1.255.99. If your calculator is programmable, graphical and/or worth more than $20 today, it is NOT
allowed in the exams. If there is any doubt, please bring your calculator to the instructor to check at least
one week prior to the exams.
Optional References:
(Note that Reference 1 to 3 are available in our Library under Comp 390 Reserve)
1) Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach, James F. Kurose & Keith W. Ross, Addison Wesley.
2) Computer Networking Study Companion, James F. Kurose & Keith Ross, Pearson Ed.
3) Computer networks [electronic resource] : a systems approach, 4th ed., Peterson, Larry L., Morgan
Kaufmann Pub., 2007 (Call Number TK5105.5 .P479 2007 eb (Online))
4) Data and Computer Communications, William Stallings, Prentice Hall, Inc.
5) Communication Networks, Alberto Leon-Garcia and Indra Widjaja, McGraw-Hill.
6) Communications and Computer Networks: A Business User's Approach, Curt White, Course Tech.
Grading Scheme:
Component
Quizzes & Assignments
Midterm (Closed book and Tentatively on Feb. 26th Week 8)
Final Exam (Comprehensive & Closed book)
Total
Percentage
20%
30%
50%
100%
*** Important: You must pass the Final Exam to pass the course, regardless of your overall marks. ***
Note1: Final Exams will be scheduled in the 2nd month of a semester by Office of
Admissions and Records.
All students must write the Final Exam on the scheduled
date, neither earlier nor later date. A student that misses the Final Exam will get
zero marks. Therefore, ensure that your exam weeks are kept available until the
exam schedule is announced.
Note2: The Final Exam will be submitted by you, not a group, and is a closed
book exam. In addition, there is a "NO BREAK" policy for exams. If you leave the examination room
for any reason, your paper MUST first be submitted.
Note 3: A student is expected to spend between 6-9 hours a week on reading,
practicing and studying materials as well as working on assignments.
Makeup Exams, Quizzes, Labs and Assignments:
Note: There are no makeup exams, quizzes, labs or assignments.
There are no makeup exams, quizzes, labs or assignments. Most of the quizzes and exams are held in the
beginning of the lecture, so please don’t be late. If you miss an exam, quiz, lab or assignment, you will
receive zero marks. Exceptions will ONLY be made for documented medical reasons or extenuating
family circumstances, and with the instructor’s approval, the marks of the missed part will be moved to the
Final Exam. Students are responsible for presenting the document to the instructor the week after your
absence.
Unless an exam or a quiz is assigned to be done at home, all exams and quizzes must be performed under
the instructor’s supervision and will not be counted otherwise. Remember that it is the student’s
responsibility to show up for exams, quizzes and labs and hand in assignments on time. “Too busy at
work” is not an acceptable reason for missing any lectures, exams, quizzes, labs or assignments.
Exams and Quizzes: The comprehensive Final Exam is closed book and covers everything from the 1st to
the last lecture. A student is required to pass the Final Exam in order to pass the course. Before coming
to the class, a student should always review materials from the previous lecture since a quiz may be held
every week in the beginning of the class.
Exam, Quiz and Assignment Grading: The grading scale can be found on
https://www.ufv.ca/calendar/current/General/GradingAndAcademicStanding.htm. For written questions,
marks will be based on clarity of rationale, spelling & grammar, correctness, and completeness.
*Tentative* Schedule:
Week
1
2
3
4
5
Materials (Not all sections are covered)
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
1
1
2
3
3
–
&
–
–
&
Introduction + notes
2 The Physical Layer + notes
The Physical Layer + notes
The Data Link Layer + notes
4 – The MAC Sublayer + notes
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Chapter 4 – The MAC Sublayer + notes
Reading Break
*Tentative Midterm*
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
permits
5 – The Network Layer + notes
5
5 & 6 The Transport Layer + notes
6
6
6 & “A day in the life of a web page request” if time
14-16
* The schedule is tentative and is subject to changes. Any changes will be announced in class or through emails.
Late Assignment Policy:
CIS department has decided on a “no late assignment policy”. As systems (servers, ISPs, computers,
printers, etc.) crash, and workloads can fluctuate, you should try to get your work finished well ahead of
the deadlines. This allows you time to ask questions and do further study if you get stuck. (It is especially
true for assignments requiring access of the Internet. Unless the required Internet web sites have been
down for an extended period of time, you're responsible for accessing the information on time.)
Doing Your Own Work: Group discussion of course material and studying together for assignments and
exams is highly encouraged. However, examinations must reflect the knowledge of the individual, not of
a group. Any portion of exams copied from another will automatically get a mark of 0, and the students
(copier and copiee) involved may be expelled from the CIS program.
Homework:
You will be assigned additional problems to work on at home. They don’t need to be handed in but it is
very important that you try to work on the problems prior to our discussion of the solution in class.
Course Notes: They will be available to students in the Blackboard.
Contact the instructor:
You are welcome to communicate with the instructor through emails or drop by in the office during office
hours. Since there are so many spams around the email system, please make sure that you put your
course number in the subject heading (eg. COMP 390 AB1) and send emails from the UFV email system.
Otherwise, your email may be accidentally filtered/deleted. If the instructor doesn’t respond in two days,
please re-send the email or talk to the instructor directly after class or during the office hours. If you pass
by my office and see my door open, then I am happy to chat with you.
Students with Centre for Accessibility Services (CAS):
Students with disability should contact me within the first two weeks of the semester so the instructor can
provide appropriate help or assistance to the needs of the students. Any special accommodation should be
requested at least two weeks before a quiz/exam. Otherwise, students may have to write a quiz/exam with
the rest of the class without accommodations.
Email Guidelines:
 Please ensure the subject line includes the course number (i.e, COMP 390 AB1) and a relevant
subject indication.
 Do not send attachments since they will not be opened.
 Use text only with no “stationary” formats.
 Where possible, ensure your question/query is as specific as possible, i.e. refer to a specific page of the
textbook/curriculum
 Avoid questions where lengthy explanations may be required since those questions are better
answered through face-to-face discussion.

Please note that I will usually reply to the entire class if your email is a question that is based on
course content or guidelines.
Other Class Rules:
 Questions are always welcome. Thus, chatting is not allowed in the classroom since it disturbs other
students who try to learn. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask the instructor.
Chatters may be asked to leave the classroom.
 Internet browsing is NOT allowed during the lecture time unless it is a part of the lecture and it has
been told by the instructor.
 There is no typing including any use of e-mail program allowed during the lecture unless the
Instructor specifically asks it.
 If you are found doing any of the above stated, the instructor has complete right to switch off your
computer.

No unauthorized audio or video recording of lectures is permitted. Therefore, please avoid pointing your smart
phone to the whiteboard.
Computer Lab Facilities:
You are required to obtain a UFV student account in order to use a computer in one of the labs in
Abbotsford. For more information, please see ITS department or http://www.ufv.ca/its/student-techguide/.
Plagiarism: From our calendar:
“•Plagiarism occurs when a student presents work or data as original when part, or whole, was written or
composed by someone other than the student.
• Plagiarism occurs when paragraphs, phrases, sentences, or ideas within the work are taken from
another source without referencing or citing the author.”
All cases of plagiarism or cheating are taken very seriously and will be reported to the Dean and to
Student Services. If you find something interesting in the Internet, quote the detailed web site location,
but NEVER just “cut and paste” the materials. https://www.ufv.ca/asc/academic-integrity-matters/
The University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) is committed to the fundamental values of preserving academic
integrity as defined in UFV policies. Use of Turnitin contributes to student success by enabling students
to have their papers evaluated for plagiarism by Turnitin before the work is assessed by an instructor.
Students agree that by taking this course, assignments may be required to be submitted to Turnitin.com or
that the instructor may submit questionable text on behalf of a student. Students will be required to
create an account with Turnitin and to submit their work via that account, on the terms stipulated in the
agreement between the student and Turnitin. This agreement includes the retention of your submitted work as
part of the Turnitin database. Students should be aware that Turnitin servers reside in the United States.
Accordingly, students may use an anonymous identity in their interactions with Turnitin. Students who have
concerns about the Turnitin tool should consult with their instructor in advance of any submission
deadline.