605.771.81 - Wired and Wireless Local and Metropolitan Area Networks

Course Structure

A list of reading assignments from the class lecture notes, web references, and IEEE standards are posted each week in the Blackboard Course Contents area. In addition, there are recorded lectures. A schedule of the weekly assignments and their due dates is provided to ensure that you progress through the materials in a timely fashion. You are responsible for keeping up with the class reading assignments. You will use Blackboard for course communications and submission of assignments. A drop box in the assignment area will be used for submitting your homework assignments, exams, and term paper. Assignments must be submitted on time. You will be penalized for handing in assignments after the due date. Please keep up with your readings and visit the Blackboard course interface regularly!

Participation in class discussions is a mandatory part of the course. You will be graded on your participation in the class discussion. Discussions will be held every other week for a period of 5 days. You are expected to take part in the discussion and make substantial contributions to the discussion on a minimum of three of the five days in which the discussion takes place.

Course Topics

• Data Communications Concepts
• LAN Fundamentals
• Basic Bus Standards
• Basic Ring Standards
• LAN Internetworking
• LAN/WAN Internetworking
• High Speed Wired LANs
• Ethernet MANs
• Optical Fiber MANs
• Wireless LANs
• Wireless PANs
• Wireless MANs

Course Goals

The objective of this course is to allow students to gain an in-depth understanding of the technology for the design of wired and wireless local area networks (LANs) and Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) and the methods for implementing LAN and MAN-based enterprise internetworks; to analyze the architecture of the IEEE 802 LAN and MAN standards and its relationship to the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model; to analyze the basic IEEE wired LAN standards: the IEEE 802.2 logical link control protocol and the MAC protocols for the Ethernet (802.3), token bus (802.4) and token ring (802.5) networks; to examine the construction of LAN-based enterprise internetworks through a detailed analysis of bridging, routing, and switching techniques; to analyze the MAC protocols for high speed wired LANs including the 802.12 100VG AnyLAN standard and the 802.3u Fast Ethernet and 802.3z Gigabit Ethernet standards; and to examine high speed wired MANs including the 802.3ae 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard, the 802.3ba 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet standard, and the ring-based IEEE 802.6 DQDB and 802.17 Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) standards; to examine wireless LANs including the 802.11 a/b/g standards for WiFi, the 802.11 n/ac/ax standards for high-speed WiFi; the wireless standards for PANs including the 802.11.15.1 Bluetooth and 802.11.15.4 ZigBee standards; and the wireless 802.16 WiMAX MAN standard.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

• By the end of this course you will be able to: Analyze the technologies used for the design of wired and wireless local and metropolitan area networks 

• Evaluate the methods used for implementing LAN and MAN-based enterprise internetworks
• Construct LAN-based enterprise internetworks through a detailed analysis of bridging, routing, and switching techniques 

• Apply the VLANs and frame priority techniques to provide QoS in Ethernet LANs
• Distinguish the technologies used to implement high-speed Wi-Fi networks 

• Compare the wireless Bluetooth and ZigBee standards used for implementing personal area networks 


Textbooks

There is no assigned textbook for this course

Student Coursework Requirements

Your final grade will be based on a set of assignments, class discussions, a midterm exam, and a term paper. Due dates are final - late assignments will be penalized. The percentage value for each of the items is as follows:

It is assumed that graduate students are adept at writing English and no points will normally be subtracted for English errors; in cases of exceptionally poor English points will be deducted. All external sources of information used to support must be appropriately referenced.

Grading Policy

The final grade for the course will be determined as follows:

Plus and minus grades will not be used.

Course Policies

All assignments must be handed in on time. There is a one-time, one-day, grace period for a late assignment. You are allowed to use the one-day grace period one time without penalty. A 10% penalty will be assessed for subsequent late assignments. No assignment will be accepted outside the one-day grace period. You will receive a failing grade for that assignment.

Academic Policies

Deadlines for Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may add a course up to one week after the start of the term for that particular course. Students may drop courses according to the drop deadlines outlined in the EP academic calendar (https://ep.jhu.edu/student-services/academic-calendar/). Between the 6th week of the class and prior to the final withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and withdrew from the course.

Academic Misconduct Policy

All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) / Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Procedures for Handling Allegations of Misconduct by Full-Time and Part-Time Graduate Students.

This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following: cheating or facilitating cheating; plagiarism; reuse of assignments; unauthorized collaboration; alteration of graded assignments; and unfair competition. Course materials (old assignments, texts, or examinations, etc.) should not be shared unless authorized by the course instructor. Any questions related to this policy should be directed to EP’s academic integrity officer at ep-academic-integrity@jhu.edu.

Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility

Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. Students with disabilities (including those with psychological conditions, medical conditions and temporary disabilities) can request accommodations for this course by providing an Accommodation Letter issued by Student Disability Services (SDS). Please request accommodations for this course as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.

For further information or to start the process of requesting accommodations, please contact Student Disability Services at Engineering for Professionals, ep-disability-svcs@jhu.edu.

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the JHU regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically. 

For a full description of the code please visit the following website: https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/policies-guidelines/student-code/

Classroom Climate

JHU is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Fostering an inclusive climate is important. Research and experience show that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. At no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity. 
 
If you have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you seek accommodations or resources, please reach out to the course instructor directly. Reporting will never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with your program chair, the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, or the Office of Institutional Equity. In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).

Course Auditing

When a student enrolls in an EP course with “audit” status, the student must reach an understanding with the instructor as to what is required to earn the “audit.” If the student does not meet those expectations, the instructor must notify the EP Registration Team [EP-Registration@exchange.johnshopkins.edu] in order for the student to be retroactively dropped or withdrawn from the course (depending on when the "audit" was requested and in accordance with EP registration deadlines). All lecture content will remain accessible to auditing students, but access to all other course material is left to the discretion of the instructor.