CS 51 — An Introduction to Computer Networking for Non-Engineers
Spring
Thursdays
7:00—8:50 pm
Date(s)
Mar 31—May 12
7 weeks
Drop By
Apr 13
1 Units
Fees
$320
Format
On-campus course
Limit 30
Open
In about twenty years, the Internet has evolved
from a utility whose purpose was to facilitate
academic, military, and industrial data exchange to
a pervasive technology, infiltrating widening aspects
of society including domestic, industrial, military,
political, economic, and entertainment areas—and
beyond. Understanding such a system might seem
overwhelming. In fact, the Internet is built on the
application of a limited set of small, comprehensible
technologies that when applied together, produces the
network functionality we are familiar with today.
The purpose of this course is to develop an understanding of the Internet’s basic components and to construct a picture of how they interoperate. The course aims to achieve this goal by relying not on advanced technical knowledge but rather on the deft application of a number of readily understandable concepts. We will cover a brief history of the Internet and networking, including how the Internet architecture evolved, and discuss foundational aspects of networks, WANs (wide area networks), LANs (local area networks), TCP/IP, servers, routers, and practical applications of computer networks. By the end of the course, students will have a solid grasp of computer networking and enough practical knowledge to set up, install, and troubleshoot issues related to computer networking.
The purpose of this course is to develop an understanding of the Internet’s basic components and to construct a picture of how they interoperate. The course aims to achieve this goal by relying not on advanced technical knowledge but rather on the deft application of a number of readily understandable concepts. We will cover a brief history of the Internet and networking, including how the Internet architecture evolved, and discuss foundational aspects of networks, WANs (wide area networks), LANs (local area networks), TCP/IP, servers, routers, and practical applications of computer networks. By the end of the course, students will have a solid grasp of computer networking and enough practical knowledge to set up, install, and troubleshoot issues related to computer networking.
Students must be familiar with computer basics and have access to the Internet. Students are required to bring a laptop computer to class.
David Millsom, Network and Software Engineer
David Millsom has been both a consumer and a producer of network technology. As a consumer, he has contributed to network software in control systems for managing energy supply and was the network architect at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. As a producer, he has contributed to the systems responsible for creating the Internet’s infrastructure.Textbooks for this course:
No required textbooks