Fall 2008 NAD710 Weekly Schedule

The tentative weekly schedule shown here is subject to change.

Week 1 (Sept 1) - Intro to Networking / IP Network Basics

Lecture

• Program Introduction - by Prof. John Selmys
• Course Introduction - by Prof. Raymond Chan
  • Lectures and Labs
• Introduction to Networking
  • Network Types
  • Network Models
    • OSI Reference Model
    • TCP/IP Network Model
• IP Networking Basics
  • The Client-Server Model
  • Request for Comment
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
  • The Internet, TCP/IP, and other protocol stacks

Lab 1

Discover Linux system information and network settings

Week 2 (Sept 8) - Manual network configuration

Lecture

• Network drivers and loadable kernel modules
• Identify the network device name - ifconfig/ip
• IP Address, Broadcast Address and Network Mask
• IP Address Class
• Private IP address space
• Network Communication by Name - /etc/hosts, /etc/resolv.conf
• Configure Network Name services - nsswitch.conf (Name Service Switch configuration)
• Connect to hosts on your local network
• Connect to hosts on different networks with specific routes/gateways
• Connect to the Internet - Default Gateway
• Using DNS servers: how and why
• Display the kernel's address resolution table
• Check the network connectivity to other machines
• Show active sockets, interfaces, and routing information
• Display kernel routing table

Lab 2

Lab 2107 Settings

Manual Network configuration and Network Traffic Monitoring

Week 3 (Sept 15) - Sysconfig network configuration

Reading

Ethernet Hub

A network hub or repeater hub is a device for connecting multiple twisted pair or fiber optic Ethernet devices together, making them act as a single network segment. Hubs work at the physical layer (layer 1) of the OSI model. The device is thus a form of multiport repeater. Repeater hubs also participate in collision detection, forwarding a jam signal to all ports if it detects a collision.

Hubs also often come with a BNC and/or AUI connector to allow connection to legacy 10BASE2 or 10BASE5 network segments. The availability of low-priced network switches has largely rendered hubs obsolete but they are still seen in older installations and more specialized applications. More on MediaWiki...

Network Switch

A network switch is a broad and imprecise marketing term for a computer networking device that connects network segments.

The term commonly refers to a Network bridge that processes and routes data at the Data link layer (layer 2) of the OSI model. Switches that additionally process data at the Network layer (layer 3) (and above) are often referred to as Layer 3 switches or Multilayer switches.

The term Network switch does not generally encompass unintelligent or passive network devices such as hubs and repeaters.

The first Ethernet switch was introduced by Kalpana in 1989. More on MediaWiki ...

Network Router

A router (pronounced /'rautər/ in the USA, pronounced /'ru:tər/ in the UK, or either pronunciation in Australia) is a computer whose software and hardware are usually tailored to the tasks of routing and forwarding information. More on MediaWiki ...

Lecture

• Network drivers and loadable kernel modules
• Network Communication by Name - /etc/hosts, /etc/resolv.conf
• Configure Network Name services - nsswitch.conf (Name Service Switch configuration)
• Using DNS servers: how and why
• Check the network connectivity to other machines
• Show active sockets, interfaces, and routing information
• Connect to the Internet - Default Gateway

Lab 3

Monitor and Analyse Network Activities

Week 8 (Oct 27) - Midterm Test and Samba I

Midterm Test: October 28, 2008

• All material covered from week 1 to week 7
• Lab 1 to Lab 7
• Close Book