Communications Engineering II: Course Assesment

Course Information

The course covers many aspects of Internet communications. Part 1 will explore the interconnection of computers using a Local Area Network and Part 2 will provide an overview of the Internet and IP communications. This will consider the operation of the protocols and the performance of particular configurations. A full syllabus is provided online.

The course will consist of:

Lower Layer Modules (Copies of lecture slides are available on-line)
Upper Layer Modules (Copies of lecture slides are available on-line)
A list of Books for Personal Reading
The course documents area.

The course assesment is described in the relevant course handbook. This format varies from year to year.

The assement will include questions covering the topics presented in the syllabus. The students are expected to learn through the course modules, tutorials, and through reading material on the web pages and found in recommended text books.

The material in the modules will be supported by tutorials.

Students should read these pages on the web, which will be an examinable part of the syllabus. Most material will be presented in the modules delivered as video or presentations, but students are expected to spend time in private study, attending tutorials, and in using the additional material made available via these web pages.

Students should note that the information provided on these pages is a

REQUIRED

part of the course. As a part of the additional 4 hours allocated each week to private study for the course, each student is expected to have read the information which is provided and to have conducted the exercises described on the pages which follow. These on-line pages form an assessed part of the course.

Course Assessment 2020

The assesment in 2020 includes three elemenst:

Decoding and understanding Packets
- Since 2019, the continuous assessment will include an exercise to decode Ethernet frames and understanding of DNS, Ping and Traceroute. There is a simple self-test (with a worked solution) and also a sample copy of the class test (with 2 sample packets of the form that will be used in that class assessment). These utilise the packet header format sheet.These elements form one part of the assessement.
Understanding operation of Ethernet operation and trends
- A short paper that requires both course understanding and research on a specific topic related to use of Ethernet technology. A new topic linked to the couse material is introduced each year.
On-Line Assessment of course contents
- The on-line assessment takes the form of 3 remotely submitted answers to questions, each equivalent in level to previous in person examinations.
- An example assessment paper is provided with worked solutions.

Old Course Assessment pre 2020

The course assesment is described in the relevant course handbook.

An Exam (Sample Paper ) (Sample Paper Solution).
An Exam (Papers from previous years*).

* N.B. The syllabus for this course has changed significantly over the years, before attempting old exam questionsm please do check the course still covers the topic. These questions are provided on a best effort service - some of the solutions do contain small mistakes which are not corrected in these electronics copies.