Communication Networks - Interactive curriculae of TU Ilmenau

Bachelorabschluss

Telecommunication is an integral part of today's life. People are used to communicate with any person they would like to by phone, e-mail, chat, or skype at any time at any place. Students in this lecture will learn the basic characteristics of different communication networks. In a bottom-up approach, starting from the physical medium going up to the application, they are introduced into the functionality of different communication layers and protocols and understand how these cooperate to achieve a communication service. Hence, they know different aspects of quality of service the users can expect from different protocols, and are able to specify protocols on their own based on the according protocol mechanisms. As the lecture deals with different networks (telephone network, Internet, mobile communication networks, broadband access networks), the students can characterize these networks and explain the differences.

1. Introduction: communication systems and networks
2. Fundamentals: communication service, communication protocol, quality of service, reference models
3. Protocol specification: finite state machine, message sequence chart
4. Tranmission technique: physical signals, analog and digital signals, codes, multiplexing
5. Switching Technology: circuit switching (space division, time division), store and forward (message switching, packet switching [virtual connection, datagram])
6. Interconnection of networks: repeater, hub, bridge, switch, router, gateway
7. Digital Voice Communication [Integrated Services Digital Network ISDN]: reference model, signaling, protcols, subscriber installation, subscriber line, plesiochronous digital hierarchy, synchronous digital hierarchy
8. Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)/ General Packet Radio Service (GPRS): reference model, channels at the air interface, signaling, circuit switching vs. packet switching, security
9. Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS): reference model, code division multiple access, migration to LTE
10. Connection-oriented Public Data Networks: reference models, X.25, Frame Relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode, virtual circuits and quality of service
11. The Internet: reference model, Internet Protocol (IP) in different versions, auxiliary protocols in network layer, routing in the Internet, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Voice over IP (VoIP), Internet applications

• Powerpoint slides (also available online)
• Writings on the board
• Exercises (presented by both students and lecturer)
• Intermediate bonus exams

Moodle-Link

• —Flood, J.E. (1995). Telecommunications Switching, Traffic and Networks. New York; London; Toronto; Sydney; Tokyo; Singapore, Prentice Hall.
• Griffiths, J.M.; P. F. Adams (1998): ISDN Explained: Worldwide Network and Applications Technology. San Francisco: Wiley & Sons.
• —Halsall, F. (1996). Data Communications, Computer Networks, and Open Systems. Harlow, England; Reading, Massachusetts; Menlo Park, California, Addison-Wesley.
• Kasera, S. (2006): ATM Networks: Concepts and Protocols. New York: Irwin/Mcgraw Hill.
• —Kurose, J. F. and K. W. Ross (2008). Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA, Pearson Education. —
• Perlman, R. (1999): Interconnections: Bridges and Routers. Boston; San Francisco; New York: Addison Wesley, 2nd edition.
• Peterson, L. L. and B. S. Davie (2007). Computer Networks: A Systems Approach. San Francisco, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. —
• Schiller, J. (2003): Mobile Communications, Harlow, England; Reading, Massachusetts; Menlo Park, California, Addison-Wesley, 2nd edition.
• Stallings, W. (2006). Data and Computer Communications. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA, Prentice Hall.
• —Tanenbaum, A. S. (2002). Computer Networks. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Pearson Education.