Subjects -> Computer Networks -> Lectures -> Lecture #01

Lecture 1: Computer Networks Overview


Computer Networks Overview

These issues relate to the subject schedule, which you should receive as a handout in the first lecture.

The lecturer (and tutor)
Phil Scott. I will normally be in my office during working hours. My office phone number is 5444 7277. See also, electronic mail. We will probably have the assistance of a tutor for some of the classes, see later.

Textbooks and references
In particular, how come there's no text book? What should we do in relation to buying a book? Are there other sources of information for this subject?

Assessment
Comes in two parts:


Subject Offering

This subject is offered in conventional classroom mode at the Bendigo campus of La Trobe University, and this lecture concentrates on this offering. It is also offered at Nilai College in Malaysia, and may be offered in 2002 using La Trobe's new "Web-delivered" mode. For the past three years it's also been offered in our departments's unique "Internet-assisted" (Saturday class) mode, but this is discontinued in 2002.

When is the lecture?
Monday at 5pm. This is a 2-hour session.

Can the lecture time be changed?
No.

What happens with tutes?
For Graduate Diploma of Computing students (and some others), a single tutorial will follow the lecture, at 7pm Monday. For all other students, tutorials are held in two groups: the Tuesday group and the Wednesday/Thursday group. You must register for the tutorials of your choice using our On-line Tute Registration System. Please use this facility, and report any problems which you may have with it. You need to know your LTU, Bendigo Unix/Windoze login name and your student number for authentication using this system, but NOT your StudentOnLine ID and password.


Support Services


The Subject Area -- What's It About?

Computer Networks are the biggest Big New Thing for decades. They are now of central importance to all of Information Technology. With the recent explosive growth of the Internet, they are rapidly becoming of crucial importance to all of modern society. It is absolutely certain that you will need to know about networks and network technology to survive in the IT workplace.

This subject aims to give a solid overview of the technologies and philosophies that are needed to understand how computer networks are built, and can be used. It also examines, in part, why some apparently illogical things are the way they are, and how human foibles can affect technology.

One crucial aspect of the subject is that it will not shy away from discussion of the "P" word (politics) where this is necessary to understand the technology.


There is no tutorial for this lecture.
La Trobe Uni Logo [Previous Lecture] [Lecture Index] [Next Lecture]
Copyright © 2002 by Philip Scott, La Trobe University.
Valid HTML 3.2!