The course aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to networking and distributed computing technologies. Unlike traditional course, it pursues a top-down approach to the topic, starting with the application layer and then describing the transport and network layers, finally covering the physical layer. The course works its way from the application layer down toward the physical layer, motivating readers by exposing them to important concepts early in their study of networking. Focusing on the Internet and the fundamentally important issues of networking, this course provides an excellent foundation for students interested in computer science and electrical engineering, without requiring extensive knowledge of programming or mathematics. |