Rochester Institute of Technology
Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences
Department of Information Technology
REMINDER: The information in this syllabus is subject to expansion, change, flexibility and evolution!
Instructors:
Charles Border

475 – 7946
 cborder@it.rit.edu
George Barido
 475 – 4644
 glb@it.rit.edu
Sharon Mason
 475 – 6989
 spm@it.rit.edu
Nirmala Shenoy
Office: Bldg. 70-2155

475 – 4887

ns@it.rit.edu
Bill Stackpole

475 – 5351

wrs@it.rit.edu
Office Hours:
See web page for hours
or schedule outside office door.
See web page for hours
or schedule outside office door.
See web page for hours
or schedule outside office door.
See web page for hours
or schedule outside office door.
See web page for hours
or schedule outside office door.
Class Hours
Section: 90
Section: 01
TR 10:00
Bldg. 01-3287
Section: 02
Section: 03
MW 4:00 – 5:50
Bldg. 09-1139
Section: 04
Forouzan,B Introduction to Data Communications and Networking 2 nd ed. , McGraw-Hill
Handouts & Online Readings as assigned
This course provides an introduction to data communications hardware and software, and use of these components in computer networks. Topics include but are not limited to communication system components, communications software, packet switching, common carrier issues, wide area networks vs. local area networks, and performance considerations.
Through instruction in data communications and computer network definitions and concepts students will be given the opportunity to:

Rochester Institute of Technology
Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences
Department of Information Technology

Learn the definition of data communications and telecommunications, and the impact/issues they have in common business applications and management.

Learn the definitions, concepts, and principles, related to the conversion of voice, data, video and image to digital form.

Learn the data communications and telecommunications models, topologies, protocols, standards and architectures in use today.

Learn the concepts a nd the “building blocks” of today’s data communication networks such as bridges, routers, and cabling.

Learn the basic physics concepts as they apply to the data communications area.

Learn the basic concepts and terminology of local area and wide area networking.
VKSF-208 / VKSF-215 or permission of the instructor
Every student must have an IT First Class Account. If you do not have one go to the IT lab in Building 10 or 70 and an IT Lab Assistant will establish one for you. This is the vehicle that will be used to send you information regarding the course. If you normally receive your mail somewhere else, make sure you forward your First Class mail to your usual mailbox. Drop boxes will also be used for the submission of certain material throughout the quarter. The instructor will tell you which assignment must be submitted to the drop box. Some assignments may also be posted in the conference for you to download another copy.
This course will use the main web page of http://www.it.rit.edu/~netsyslb/vksf341/ for all postings, announcements, references, readings, and assignments for this course. This page will be kept up-to-date as the course progresses and should be checked often for new material and changes that your instructor may make.
E-mail will be used for individual communication. E-mail may also be used occasionally to broadcast messages to the entire class. It is your responsibility to read your electronic mail frequently. Should you communicate to your instructor something in electronic mail that should be shared with the class (e.g., you discover an error on a web page or in an e-mail message), it may be posted to the entire class. Instructors try to check their mail several times a day. See the table above for your instructor’s email address.

Rochester Institute of Technology
Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences
Department of Information Technology
Information Technology's policy is students have one academic quarter to challenge their course grade (Final letter grade). Quiz and other grades must be challenged within a one-week period of receiving them from the instructor.
Written examinations/quizzes are designed to test your mastery of terms, concepts, and the successful application of those terms and concepts. Short answer, multiple-choice, and fill in the blank test the first of these; short answer questions and problems test the second. Other questions are designed to test your ability to apply a specific skill, e.g., to create or label a diagram. All exams will be analyzed after they have been administered; the instructor will look for —and eliminate—invalid or poorly formed questions.
All examinations/quizzes are closed book and calculators are not allowed during any examination. You must prepare a hand-written onesided 8 ½ by 11 inch “study guide” for each examination and quiz you take and bring it to your examination. These study guides must have your name in the upper left-hand corner. These sheets will be turned in and will be checked by your instructor. If you don't turn in a crib sheet with your exam there is a 10-point penalty. The examinations/quizzes will be given during regularly scheduled class time. The final exam will be on week 11 with NO exceptions.
Homework assignments will be distributed one week prior to the quiz and should be submitted the weekday prior to the quiz day. This is an individual assignment designed to test your mastery of topics covered up to that week.
A three- to five-page paper related to the concepts of data communications will be assigned. This will be an individual assignment and will be due week 5. The paper will have to submitted to turnitin.com. Details of this will be given in the class.
There will be a programming project due on the 6 th week. This project will involve writing a program to use one or more of the concepts learned during the quarter. The specifics of the project will be given out with the assignment handout. The handout should be available during the 2 nd week of the quarter. Any language may be used for the project.
The grade will be based on functionality, coding style, clean code, comments, accomplishment of requirements, and imagination (doing more than the minimum requirements).
Attendance in lecture is not checked or documented. It is assumed, however, that you will attend the lectures. Your actions in the classroom should reflect the standards of behavior set in the commercial environment: you should be respectful of your

Rochester Institute of Technology
Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences
Department of Information Technology classmates, the professor, and the course support personnel (the note-takers and interpreters) and you should willingly participate when asked to do so.
Three exercises will be given during the quarter. These exercises will help you in the quizzes.
The exercises have to be completed during the class hours. You can take help of your friends or the instructor, work in groups and submit at the end of the class. These exercises will be marked. If you get above 90% in the three exercises you will be given 5 bonus points, if you get between 80% and 90% you will be given 4 bonus points. If you get between 70% to 80% you will be given 3 bonus points. These bonus points will be added to your final total out of 100 points. Hence it would be beneficial to you, to be present for these exercises and submit them.
Any announcements on the deadlines and other material related to my lecture session will be put up on my website ww.it.rit.edu/~ns. Check this website regularly.
Week of Topics
Assigned Book
Reading
Activities
Week 1
Week 2
Intro, Protocols, Topology, OSI
Model, & Standards
Basic Electricity and Magnetism
Chapters 1-3
Handouts
Week 3 Signals Chapter 4 HW 1 due
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Encoding & Modulation
Data Transmission Interfaces
Transmission Media
Error Detection & Correction
Data Link Control, Data Link
Protocols
Multiplexing, Packet Switching &
Circuit Switching
/ Catch-up
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 9
Chapters 10-11
Chapters 8 & 14
Quiz 1
Paper Assm’t due
HW 2 due,
Quiz 2
Programming
Assignment due
HW 3 due
Quiz 3
Finals Week
Depending on class-comfort pace, the topics may not be exactly covered on the date specified. Accordingly the topics for the Quiz will be adjusted. Unless otherwise noted, all activity deadlines are the end of class on the days specified.

Rochester Institute of Technology
Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences
Department of Information Technology

Last day of add/drop is December 10, 2002
 Last day to withdraw with a grade of “W” is January 24, 2003

The deadline for withdrawing from a course with a W grade is the end of the 6 th week of the quarter. Forms may be obtained from your department office and need instructor signature.
Plagiarism, and other academic actions contrary to RIT’s code of conduct and the IT Academic Honesty policy will be addressed in accordance with these policies. See attached copy.
1
The following statement is the Policy on Academic Dishonesty for the Department of Information
Technology:
The Department of Information Technology does not condone any form of academic dishonesty.
Any act of improperly representing another person's work as one's own (or allowing someone else to represent your work as their own) is construed as an act of academic dishonesty. These acts include, but are not limited to, plagiarism in any form or use of information and materials not authorized by the instructor during an examination or for any assignment.
If a faculty member judges a student to be guilty of any form of academic dishonesty, the student will receive a failing grade for the course . Academic dishonesty involving the abuse of RIT computing facilities may result in the pursuit of more severe action.
If the student believes the action by the instructor to be incorrect or the penalty too severe, the faculty member will arrange to meet jointly with the student and with the faculty member's immediate supervisor. If the matter cannot be resolved at this level, an appeal may be made to the Academic
Conduct Committee of the college in which the course is offered.
If the faculty member or the faculty member's immediate supervisor feels that the alleged misconduct warrants more severe action than failure in the course, the case may be referred to the
Academic Conduct Committee. The Academic Conduct Committee can recommend further action to the dean of the college including academic suspension or dismissal from the Institute.
The following definitions will be used to clarify and explain unacceptable conduct. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of specific actions but a reasonable description to guide one's actions.
CHEATING includes knowingly using, buying, stealing, transporting or soliciting in whole or part the contents of an administered/unadministered test, test key, homework solution, paper, project,
1
http://webster.commnet.edu/mla/plagiarism.htm http://www.hamilton.edu/academic/Resource/WC/AvoidingPlagiarism.html http://www.rhodes.edu/kamhi/center/plagiarism.html http://dir.yahoo.com/Social_Science/Communications/Writing/Plagiarism/

Rochester Institute of Technology
Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences
Department of Information Technology software project or computer program, or any other assignment. It also includes using, accessing, altering, or gaining entry to information held in a computer account or disk owned by another.
COLLUSION means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work or computer work (including electronic media) offered for credit. Final work submitted by a student must be substantially the work of that student. Collaboration on an assignment is expressly forbidden unless it is explicitly designated as a group project. When there is any doubt, a student should consult the instructor (NOT ANOTHER STUDENT) as to whether some action is considered collusion.
Whenever there is any question as to whether a particular action is considered academic dishonesty, the instructor should be consulted.