Class Schedule

 

WEEK 1 (APR 04, 2008):

Handout: This year’s syllabus (what you happen to be reading right now)

Operating System Comparison detailing the Windows 95/98/98SE/ME vs. Windows NT/XP lineage and relevance to computer networking.

 

Introduction

What are networks good for, anyway?

Networks are a medium for communication. Networks allow for the sharing of information with less duplication.

2 common network scenarios: peer-to-peer and client-server.

2 common types of networks: LAN and WAN

 

Another big advantage of networking: sharing your broadband internet connection between many computers.

How many of you have broadband internet?

How many of you share files, music, games, etc?

How many of you store files in your “home directory” in IC labs?

 

Take class pictures

Gather some initial questions

Lecture 1: Operating Systems Comparison

 

WEEK 2 (APR 11):

The 7 layer networking model

An introduction to industry terms

Lecture 2: Networking is a Piece of Cake

 

WEEK 3 (APR 18):

The physical layer of the network:

Telephones and computers. How is everything physically wired together?

Demonstration: 110 and 66 block punchdown. Probing connections.

Lecture 3: The Physical Layer of the Network

 

WEEK 4 (APR 25):

The (infamous) cable-building lab. Build your own Ethernet cable for 1/25^th of the price you’re paying at the Baytree.

Lecture 4: Building Ethernet Cables

 

WEEK 5 (MAY 02):

A little sidestep away from networking—what’s inside your computer, anyway?

Let’s tear apart some computers! Let’s look inside.

Lecture 5: Computer Hardware

 

WEEK 6 (MAY 09):

Back to networking. Utilizing a Local Area Network.

Now that we’ve built cables to physically hook connect the network the network together, let’s plug two computers in and try to take advantage of the network by having them share files back and fourth. We’ll also go over sharing printers.

Lecture 6: Windows Networking

 

WEEK 7 (MAY 16)

The Internet and Broadband Networking: Adding in the internet: Introducing some sort of outside connection into your local area network, and connecting you to the outside world.

Lecture 7: The Internet

 

WEEK 8 (MAY 23):

Clarify material on broadband from website. Possible demonstration.

Lecture on Best Practices. Very Important!

Lecture 8: Best Practices

 

WEEK 9 (MAY 30):

Wrap-up and Final Thoughts

Lecture 9: Wrap-up and Final Throughts