Introduction do Data Networks

C programming language.

Theoretical lessons: presentation, discussion, and demonstration of topics related to the proposed syllabus.

Practical lessons: presentation of Winsock related topics, mainly through the use of examples, and programming assignments.

This curricular unit aims at giving the students the ability to understand and explain the main characteristics and issues of data networks. It covers a wide range of subjects, such as data transmission media, local area network technologies, and the main communication protocols on which the Internet is based (i.e., the TCP/IP protocol stack). This curricular unit also aims at enabling the students to be able to plan and develop distributed applications/application protocols based on the Sockets paradigm.

Theoretical Component

• Introduction to data communication networks
• Standards
  • Introduction
  • OSI reference model
  • TCP / IP protocol stack
• Wired local area networks
  • Topologies
  • Transmission media
  • Structured cabling systems
  • Medium access control (MAC) protocols
• Ethernet technologies
  • MAC addresses
  • Frame structure
  • CSMA / CD Protocol
  • Physical layer
    • Bus, hub, bridge, and switch
    • Collision and broadcast domains
    • 10 Mbps (legacy), 100 Mbit/s, 1 Gbit/s, and 10 Gbit/s
• Wireless local area networks
• TCP / IP protocol stack
• IPv4 Protocol
• Direct and indirect IP routing
• ARP and RARP protocols
• Static and dynamic IP address configuration
• IP addressing and subnetting
• UDP Protocol
• Error control and flow control approaches
• TCP Protocol
• Application-level protocols

Laboratory component

• Implementation of distributed applications based on Microsoft Windows Sockets (Winsock)

NAO

• Main Bibliography
• Study material prepared and collected by the teachers and made available on the InforEstudante platform.

• Complementary Bibliography
• BOAVIDA, F. & BERNARDES, M. (2012). TCP/IP – Teórica e Prática. FCA (available from the ISEC library: 1A-6-214, 1A-6-217, and 1A-6-218).
• KUROSE, J. & ROSS, K. (2013). Computer Network: a Top-Down Approach Featuring the Internet (6th edition). Pearson/Addison Wesley.
• COMER, D. E. (2019). The Internet book : everything you need to know about computer networking and how the Internet works (5th edition). Boca Raton, FL (available from the ISEC library: 1A-6-220).