CIS 484 Communication
Systems
• Dr N Ganesan
• Room SFT 615/ SHC 346
• Ext. 3-2928
CIS 484 Course syllabus
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Overview
Course Contents (Lecture Notes)
Project Information
Project Groups
Examination Information
Tutorial
Workshop
References
Summary
Overview
By Nanda Ganesan, Ph.D.
© N. Ganesan, All Rights
Reserved
Major Thrust
• Information communication
• Computer networks (LANs)
• Internet and WAN
Major Components
Communication Systems
Theory
Communication
Theory
Networking
Theory
Internet Theory
and Features
Peer-to-Peer/
Wireless
Networking
Internet
Security
Practice
Hardware &
Software
Topics
• Communication Theory
• TCP/IP and Other Major Communication
Protocols
• Communication Hardware
• Communication Software
• Network Theory
• Network Hardware
• Network Application: Peer-to-Peer
Networking and Wireless Networking
• Internet/WWW Infrastructure
• Network Security
Coverage
• Theory will mostly be covered during
the first half of the quarter that would
include coverage on TCP/IP
• The second half of the quarter will
partly focus on hands-on exercises
Students’ Perspective
• Learn the basic theory of computer
communications
• Become familiar with communication and
networking technologies such as, for instance,
packet switching and circuit switching
• Obtain a good understanding of TCP/IP, the
primary transport and internetworking
protocol of the Internet
Students’ Perspective
• Become aware of communication software
such as FTP and Hyper Terminal
• Acquire some experience in multimedia
streaming over the Internet
• Have a good understanding of the functional
network architectures such as the peer-topeer, client-server and thin-client network
architectures
• Have a grasp of the physical network
architectures such as the bus, ring and star
architectures
Students’ Perspective
• Become aware of the basic hardware
and software used in building networks
• Be exposed to a number of topics
covered under different sections of the
Microsoft certification examination
• Be able to set up a peer-to-peer network
and understand the concept of sharing
resources on the network
Students’ Perspective
• Have acquired the knowledge to set up a
simple network and connect the network to
the Internet using a broadband
connection such as DSL
• Have a good working knowledge of the
Internet infrastructure from a communication
point of view
• Be introduced to issues related to network
security and possible security safeguards that
may be pursued
Delivery of Instruction
• Based on Technology Mediate Learning
(TML)
• TML Components
– Website
– Multimedia CD-ROM
– A probable Cyber-lab accessible from any
computer on the Internet
Website Addresses
• Address for internal/external access:
– www.calstatela.edu/faculty/nganesa
• Address for internal access:
– ganesan.calstatela.edu
Multimedia Modules
• Students may be required to listen to
multimedia modules during regular lecture
hours
• Students are therefore required to bring their
own set of headphones for each class
• Leaving the headphones at home is
equivalent to being absent from part of a
lecture
TML Advantage
• The in-class meeting may be reduced by
a certain percentage of time thus
enabling the students to take full
advantage of Technology Mediated
Learning (TML)
– As permitted by university guidelines
Attendance
• Regular attendance at this stage is
emphasized
• Course material
– Reflect new developments
• Missed class meetings
– Copy the notes from a friend
References
• Website listed
• Course slides stored under Lecture
Notes on the web
• Stored references
– A collection of web references stored in
PDF format
– A listing of relevant web links
Textbook
• Refer to the web
The End
Course Contents
By Nanda Ganesan, Ph.D.
© All Rights Reserved
Course Contents
• Section 1: Communication Theory
• Section 2: TCP/IP and Other Major
Communication Protocols
• Section 3: Communication Hardware
• Section 4: Communication Software
• Section 5: Network Theory
• Section 6: Network Hardware
• Section 7: Network Application: Peer-to-Peer
Networking and Wireless Networking
• Section 8: Internet/WWW Infrastructure
• Section 9: Network Security
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Section 1: Communication
Theory
Communication trends
Digital and analog communications
Electronic and optical transmission
Formatting of information for transmission
Packet and circuit switching
Asynch and Synch transmission
Serial and parallel transmission
Modulation
Frequency spectrum and bandwidth
Multiplexing
Error causes and detection
Section 2: TCP/IP and Other
Major Communication Protocols
• ISO/OSI seven layer model
• Overview of TCP/IP
• IP addressing explored
• Subnets IP routing
• Hostname resolution
• TCP/IP in the Windows environment
• Common communication protocols
Section 3: Communication
Hardware
• Communication media
• Micro as a communication device
• Modems
• Mainframe and Mini computer
equipment
Section 4: Communication
Software
• Windows HyperTerminal
• FTP
• ProComm Plus
• Remote execution software: VNC
• Streaming
– Audio and video streaming
– Audio and video streaming process
Section 5: Network Theory
• LAN definition
• Functional architectures
• Physical architectures
• Topology
• IEEE and LAN protocols
• LAN reliability
Section 6: Network Hardware
• Basic networking hardware
• Internetworking hardware
• Other LAN hardware
Section 7: Network Application
(Peer-to-Peer Networking)
• Client configuration overview
• Network client configuration
• Testing and troubleshooting client
connections
• Overview of exploring the network
• Exploring the network in Windows 2000
• Fundamentals of soft resource sharing
• Soft resource sharing in Windows 2000
• Fundamentals of hard resource sharing
• Installation and sharing of printers
• Defining the properties of a shared printer
Section 7: Network Application
(Wireless Networking)
• Overview of wireless communications
• Bluetooth
• Enterprise wireless LANs
• Wireless LAN practical implementation
Section 8: Internet/WWW
Infrastructure
• Digital lines and services
• Internet infrastructure
• DSL case study
Section 9: Network Security
• Internet client security concerns
• Software and hardware firewall
• Encryption
The End
Examination and Grading
By Nanda Ganesan, Ph.D.
© All Rights Reserved
Overview
• There will be three examinations
conducted consisting of the following:
– Midterm 1
– Midterm 2
– Final
Examination Schedule
Examination
Schedule
Focus
Midterm 1
4th Week
Weeks 1-3
Midterm 2
7th Week
Weeks 4-6
Final
11th Week
Weeks 7-10
More on Examination Schedule
• For the night class, the midterm examinations
will begin at 8:00 p.m. and continue till 9:30
p.m.
• For the day classes, the midterm
examinations will be conducted during the
second class meeting of the week
• The final examination will be conducted on
the 11th week at the time and date indicated
in the class schedule
Examination Format
• Multiple-choice questions are slated for
all the examinations
• The number of questions in the two
midterms will be in the range of 75-100
• The final examination may contain
more than 100 questions requiring the
students to bring along two Scantrons
Material Allowed in the
Examination
• All examinations are closed-book
examinations
• One cheat-sheet is allowed for each
examination
• Simple calculators calculators are
allowed in the examination
• Programmable calculators are not
allowed in the examination
Examination Coverage
• Midterm 1
– Weeks 1-3
• Midterm 2
– Weeks 4-6
• Final
– Weeks 7-10
• None of the examinations are comprehensive
although knowledge of previously covered
material is often required to answer questions
in the later examinations
Make-up Examinations
• No make-up examinations are offered
• Exception
– Critical situation pertaining to self or a
family member in which case appropriate
document will be required
• Unacceptable
– Any other reason
Grade Composition
• Midterm 1
15%
• Midterm 2
15%
• Group Project
25%
• Final examination
45%
• Total
=
100%
The above figures are provided only as a
guideline
Assignment of Letter Grade
The assignment of a letter grade is based on a curve.
60%
15%
A
B
25%
?%
C
D
End
Project Information
By Nanda Ganesan, Ph.D.
© All Rights Reserved
Project Groups
• One group project is required
• Each group would be composed of 4
members
• The end result would be a project
presentation and a project report
Project Task
• Projects can be exploratory in nature or they
could deal with an actual implementation of
hardware and/or software relating to
communications
• Projects that explore the actual
implementation of hardware and software
will be graded favorably
• Selection of topics that are purely theoretical
in nature and those that deal mostly with
management issues are discouraged
• Sample topics will be discussed later
Project Topic
• Must be application oriented
• Two choices for possible project topics
– Review an actual implementation
– Give a hands-on demonstration of the
features of a hardware/software system
relating to communications
Anchor Areas for Project Topics
• Internet communications
• Web related communications
– Audio and video streaming
• Internet security
– Encryption, VPN etc.
• Emerging platforms
– .Net
– J2EE
• Other contemporary and emerging areas of
communications
Experience Related Topics
• With the approval of the instructor, a student
may embark on an individual project in lieu
of the group project
• Students having extensive experience in
communications or those who are involved in
communication related projects are
candidates for individual projects
• Anyone fulfilling the above requirements
may consult with the instructor for discussion
and approval of a project topic
Job Related Topics
• A student may also be allowed to present
current job related information as an
individual project provided the current job
relates to either communications or
networking
• Again, anyone wishing to pursue a job
related project topic may consult with the
instructor for discussion and approval of a
the topic
A Note of Caution
• Do not present the material covered or
that is slated for coverage in the class as
part of the project presentation
Project Methodology
• Step 1: Survey the literature on the chosen
topic
• Step 2a: For the exploratory projects, describe
the actual implementation of a system or
describe a specific feature of a software in the
area of communications
• Step 2b: For the hands-on projects, give a
demonstration of chosen hardware and/or
software chosen for the project
Project Presentation
• Presentation slides must be created
using PowerPoint
• For each group, the total duration of the
presentation should not exceed 30
minutes
• Each member of the group is required
to present his or her portion of the
project work
Presentation Schedule
• The first half of project groups will present
during the 9th week of the Quarter
• The second half of project groups will present
during the 10th week of the Quarter
• The presentation slot for the Morning classes
will be during the second meeting of the
week
• The presentations for the evening classes will
commence after the mid-class 30 minute
break
Presentation Format
• Number of slides to be produced by
each group member is left to the
discretion of the member concerned
• For consistency, the slides style and
format used in the course lectures are to
be followed
Presentation Contents
Organization
• A title slide with the name of the group
members
• A slide showing the contents of the entire
presentation
• Main body of the presentation divided into
smaller modules
• A summary of the project
• A Glossary of key terms relating to the project
topic
Project Report
• A group report must be submitted consisting
entirely of PowerPoint slides
• The submission must be in electronic form
– The collection of slides may be submitted stored
either on a floppy disk or on a CD or on a Zip disk
• Hardcopy submissions will not be accepted
• Disk containing the report must be submitted
immediately following the project
presentation
End
MODULE VI
Project References
Module Objective
• Magazines
• Off-line electronic reference
– Magazine articles on CD-ROMs
• On-line electronic reference
– Available on campus
• Technical book stores
Examples of a Few Magazines
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PC Magazine
PC World
Windows Magazine
Windows NT Magazine
BYTE
LAN Magazine
Network Computing
Internet
Leading General Microcomputer
Magazines
• PC Magazine
– Premier publication
– Mostly commercial but equally technical in
describing the features
– Covers mostly Intel based machines
• PC World
– Similar to PC Magazine
– Carries concise articles and provides tips on the
usage of software
– Covers all micros, but mostly Intel-based micros
Leading Windows Magazines
• Windows
– Covers mostly desktop usage of all Window
programs
– Publishes application oriented articles and
information on windows related hardware and
software
• Windows NT
– A premier magazine dedicated to NT computing
both at the server and workstation level
– Carries both feature and technical articles
Leading Technology Magazines
in Microcomputing
• BYTE
– Excellent technical magazine
– Contemporary and future technologies are
discussed in this magazine
– Because of the proliferation of
microcomputer in business, the enterprise
level technologies are also discussed in the
magazine
Leading LAN Magazines
• LAN Magazine
– Premier LAN magazine
– Technical details and real-world applications are
discussed
• Network Computing
– Product review
– Mostly commercial applications are discussed
– Covers enterprise level LAN architectures and
applications
Other Area Specific Magazines
• Telecommunications
• Client Server
• etc.
Offline Electronic Reference:
Articles and Seminar Material
• Textbook related material including the
presentation slides can now be downloaded
from the publisher for off-line reference
• Magazine CD-ROMS
– PC Magazine
– BYTE
• Information presented on seminars and
conferences are now available on CD-ROMs
Software Demonstrations and
Sample Applications
• A variety of demonstration CD-ROMs
on software is available from software
developers
• Promotional CD-ROMs from vendors
such as Microsoft carry sample
applications in areas such as Intranet
Availability of Offline Reference
• Publishers of magazines such as the PCMagazine CD-ROM
• Software vendors
• Conference and seminar organizers
• Companies specializing in computerbased training
Online Electronic Reference to
Articles
• Magazine articles
– Computer Select
– Datapro
• Indexes to articles and general articles
– Carl
– Melvyl
• Lexis-Nexis
– Articles from a variety of computer magazines
and journals can be accessed through this
thoroughbred online service
World Wide Web
• The WWW is a wealth of information
providing access to a number of entities
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Published articles
Software and drivers for downloading
Answers to frequently asked questions
Case studies of implementation etc.
• An example would be to access the PacBell
web site to obtain information on ISDN
• The WWW is more than simply an online
reference
Availability of On-line Electronic
Reference
• Almost all the references listed are available
on campus from any networked computer
• A user account that could be obtained from
the ATS is required to access the resources
• Contact the CIS laboratory or the Advanced
Technology Laboratory located in the Salazar
Hall to obtain a student computer account
– An account must be obtained during the first
week
Technical Book Store
• OPAM
– This is perhaps the premier technical bookstore in
Los Angeles
– It is located on Sycamore Street off Santa Monica
Blvd. In Hollywood
• On-line bookstores
– Perhaps the largest bookstore is amazon.com
– Many bookstores such as Barnes and Nobles in
Pasadena now has online catalogs and ordering
service
Other Bookstores
• Crown
• Barnes and Nobles
• Fry’s Electronics Books Section
END OF MODULE VI
MODULE VII
Course Material
Module Objective
• Text Book
• Student Guide
• Link to Microsoft Certification
Examination
• Other Recommended Books
• Electronic Reference
• Software
Text Book
• Business Data Communications by Raymond
R Panko
• The strength of the book lies in its application
oriented treatment of the subject
• To a large extent, the book covers the subject
from a networking and an Internet point of
view thus enhancing its usefulness
Overview of the Textbook
• Many of the topics and information covered
in this course are also covered in the book
• The book is recommended for those who find
the subject covered in the student guide
difficult to follow
• The application portion of the course such as
the peer-to-peer networking etc. are,
however, not covered in the course
The Role of the Text Book
• Because of the fact that the multimedia
modules of the course are based on the
student guide, the text book plays a
complimentary role
• Therefore, the text book is discussed
form this vantage point
Text Book Coverage
• A good source for backup information on
theoretical topics
• Computer networking is better covered in the
student guide
• Internet topics are covered more extensively
in the text book
• The author also maintains a web address for
supporting course material such as display
slides etc.
Text Book Usefulness
• Students with minimal exposure to the topics
to be covered and those who have difficulty
following the concepts are most likely to
benefit from the book
• Others may opt to use the book as a reference
• In essence, the book is best used as a
reference, in particular, for Internet related
topics
Overview of the Student Guide
• A student guide containing the slides to
be presented in the class is required
• It can be purchased from the instructor
at a cost of $25.00.
• Please enlist your name for the
purchase of the student guide
immediately after the end of the first
class meeting
Student Guide Contents
• The student guide will be the primary
course material
• The guide is divided into four parts
– Communication Theory
– Communication Hardware, Software and
Services
– Local Area Networks
– The Internet
The Role of the Student Guide
• Because the course will be taught
electronically for most part, the student
guide is required as the base material
for the multimedia modules
• Most of the slides that are displayed can
be found in the student guide except, of
course, the software demonstrations
Other Recommended Books for
Further Study
• FrontPage 98, Paperback Edition
• Networking Essentials, published by
Microsoft Press
• Windows 95 and Networking Essentials
by Casad, published by New Riders
• Contact Microsoft at its web site
www.microsoft.com for further details
on available FrontPage 98 books
Summary of Hardcopy Reference
• Required text
– Ganesan, Nanda, Local Area Networks, 1997
– Business Data Communications, Raynond R.
Panko
• Additional reference
– Person, Using Windows 95 Special Edition, Que
Corporation, 1995
– FrontPage 98, Paperback edition.
Electronic Reference
• All the electronic references discussed earlier
in relation to the class project apply equally
well to the entire course as reference material
• In particular, the online reference named
Datapro can be specially useful in
understanding the concepts
• Datapro is essentially an encyclopedia of
computer terminology and technology
Software
• Hands-on experience with Windows95
is required
• Knowledge of FrontPage 98 will be
acquired during the course
END
Summary of Key Concerns
By Nanda Ganesan
© All rights reserved.
Summary of Key Examination
Concerns
• Midterm examination is on the fifth
week of the quarter
• Final examination will be conducted as
printed in the class schedule
• A cheat-sheet is allowed in both
examinations
• A make-up examination is not
conducted
Summary of Project Concerns
• A group project is to be completed
• Group presentations are scheduled for
the tenth week of the quarter
• Deadline for the project report is on the
day of the final examination
• Photocopies of all reference material
must be attached to the project report
Summary of Grading and
Homework Concerns
• Grading
– Letter grades assigned based on a grade
distribution curve
• Home work
– Very helpful in preparing for the
examination
– Answer the questions in the tutorial in time
for the examination
End
First Day’s Tasks
By Nanda Ganesan, Ph.D.
© All rights reserved.
First Day’s Tasks
• Add/Drop Procedure
• Group Formation
• Course Content Overview
Add/Drop Procedure
Group Formation
Course Contents
The End