UNIVERSITY OF GHANA
COLLEGE OF BASIC AND APPLIED SCIENCES
SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
COURSE OUTLINE
Course Code
CSCD 218
Course Title
DATA COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKING 1
Lecturer
DR FERDINAND KASTRIKU
Credit Hours
3
Course Format
Lecture/Lab
Hours/Week
Course Description
This course introduces the student to the concepts and terminology of data communications
and networking. It includes topics on communication models, network protocols, standards,
LANs, WANS, the Internet, intranet and networking applications. The emphasis will be to
develop an understanding of the underlying principles of data communications and networking.
Course Objective
To expose the students to the basic principles of the technology of data communications and
networking. Upon completion of this course, the students should have a good working
knowledge of communication technology (network components, transmission links, link
control, protocols, network topologies, error detection and correction), network management
and security, privacy, legal and ethical issues, and local area networks.
Learning Outcome
Upon successful completion of this course, the students will be able to:
- Describe the hardware and software commonly used in data communications and
networking.
- Define the functions of the seven layers of the OSI reference model.
- Compare and contrast WAN and LAN protocols and topologies.
- Describe the major WAN and LAN applications.
- Explain the functions of the major components in a network.
- Explain the ways of network interconnections.
- Identify the security requirements of a network.
Course Material:
· Behrouz A. Forouzan, Data communication and networking, 4th edition.
· Andrews. Tanenbaum, Computer Networks, 4th edition . Prentice-Hall PTR 2003.
· William Stallings, Data and Computer Communication, 8th edition.
Course Content
WEEK
1
TOPIC
Introduction
and Basic
Concepts
2

3
4
Transmission
Media and
Transmission
Technologies
5
6
DETAIL
 Data Communication
 Network Interconnections
 LAN-to-LAN
 Peer-to-Peer
 Client/Server
Local Area
Networks
(LANs)

Circuit Switching, Packet
Switching and Frame Relay
Network Architectures
 Network Topologies:
Bus,Ring,Star,Tree etc









Network Components/Devices
Network Types
Networking Importance
The Internet
Twisted Pair
Coaxial Cable
Fibre-Optic Cable
Radio Waves
Microwaves


Wireless Media
Baseband and Broadband
transmission
LAN
Technologies:Ethernet,Token
Rings.
Multiple-Access
schemes:CSMA/CD,CSMA/CA
and Token-passing


7
Mid-Sem
READING/HOMEWORK
Lab
Assignment One
Mid-Sem
8



9

10
11
12
13
High Speed
LANs
Wireless LANs
and MANs
The OSI Model
& TCP/IP
Protocol
Data Security
and Integrity:
Error Detection
and Correction
14
Revision
Switch vs Shared ETHERNETs
LAN types and topologies
Interconnecting devices: Hubs,
Switches etc
IEEE 802 MAC layer
standards:802.3,802.11





Ethernet
Fibre Channel
Main Concepts
Wan Topologies
The layers and their functions





Types of errors
Redundancy
Detection vs Correction
Error Detection
Error Correction
 Hamming Code
 Cyclic Redundancy Check
Revision
Evaluation
Assignments:
10%
Mid-Semester/IA:
20%
Final Exam:
70%
Assignment Two
Exams