computer networks

Lecture details: https://informatik.rub.de/studium/lehrveranstaltungen/cn/

With more than 400 students per year, I am responsible for one of the biggest lecture of the faculty of computer science at RUB.

The lecture provides an introduction to the basic protocols and applications of computer networks. The focus of the lecture is on standard protocols and algorithms that modern computer networks use.

Using a layer model, the most important fundamentals are presented and analyzed according to the top-down approach. We use the top-down approach for this purpose. On the top-most layer, the application layer, we investigate, for example, DNS and HTTPS. We then dive deeper with TCP and UDP in the transport layer, IPv4/IPv6 and routing algorithms in the network layer, and MAC and ARP in the lowest link layer. In addition to the pure functionality of these standards, security aspects are considered at all layers.

In addition to the lecture, exercises will be given via the eLearning platform Moodle and discussed in the exercise session. Furthermore, a tool of the week will be presented in each exercise. This is a special software that you should know as a networker (e.g. traceroute, nmap etc.). All discussed tools are freely available and are provided to the students as a learning platform (virtual machine).

Different network-related computer analysis tools are presented and discussed on a weekly basis.