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

Lecture 1: INT20CN Computer Networks Overview

INT20CN: 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:

The Exam -- 3 hours, 60%
Three assignments, 5%, 15% and 20% (in Nilai, these are replaced by a series of class tests). In particular, watch for the first assignment, which happens pretty early in the semester.

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 2001 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 2001.

When are the lectures?: Wednesday at 9am and Friday at 11am.
Can the lecture times be changed?: No.
What happens with tutes?: You have to choose one tute to follow the Wednesday lecture (Group A tutes), and one for the Friday lecture (Group B tutes). Tutes always follow the lecture. This is a bit weird in practice, because it means that the four tutes on Tuesday cover the material in the preceding Friday lecture. 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/Novell login name and your student number for authentication using this system, but NOT your StudentOnLine ID and password.

Support Services

Electronic mail. This should be your preferred method of contacting your lecturer, whose email address is: P.Scott@latrobe.edu.au. Although La Trobe University provides all students with an email account, the tutorial booking system allows you to specify an alternative email address if you have one you'd rather use.
Email Protocol: Note that you should always (ALWAYS!) use a subject line of the form:
```
Subject: [INT20CN] rest of subject line
```
if you want to ensure that I read your mail.
Note: later in the semester I will be distributing a guide to electronic submission of assignments. The email address for assignment submission is different from your lecturer's normal email address. Do not attempt to send ordinary email to the assignment submission address.
The World Wide Web (WWW). This is the important one. All students should already know how to use Netscape, Internet Explorer, Opera, iCab (an excellent Mac-only browser), lynx or whatever other browser you might prefer to access the BITCNE home page. The subject home page may found at:

http://ironbark.bendigo.latrobe.edu.au/subjects/bitcne/
Newsgroup: latrobe.bendigo.comp.dcom -- not much used anymore.

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.
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