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Unit of study_
ELEC3506: Communications Networks
2025 unit information
The unit will cover the following specific material: 1) communication reference models (TCP/IP and OSI), 2) circuit-switched and packet-switched communication, 3) network node functions and building blocks, 4) LAN, MAN, WAN, and WLAN technologies, 5) data transfer and routing algorithms and protocols between networks, 6) wireless networks (4G, WiFi, 5G and Bluetooth), 7) TCP/IP core protocols (IP, ICMP, ARP, TCP, UDP etc. ), 8) applications and protocols (FTP, Telnet, SMTP, HTTP, DHCP, DNS etc. ), and 9) network management and security.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Engineering
| Study level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | School of Electrical and Computer Engineering |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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Students should be familiar with fundamental digital technologies and representations (e.g., bit complement and internal word representation), have a basic understanding of the physical properties of communication channels, techniques and limitations, and be able to apply fundamental mathematical skills. |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. write reports to communicate complex and technical material clearly and concisely, addressing a specific target audience
- LO2. work in a team by drawing on the abilities and knowledge of others, emphasising and fulfilling clear responsibilities, and leading in the development of a consensus to the specific engineering problem at hand
- LO3. solve ill-defined network problems by employing techniques and principles of protocol design, implementation, and analysis
- LO4. demonstrate an understanding of concepts in data communications and networking, and the advantages and disadvantages of alternative protocols, algorithms, and designs
- LO5. demonstrate proficiency in assessing and troubleshooting different networks using specific network tools, such as packet sniffer to the extent presented in the course
- LO6. apply principles and concepts of communication and networking protocols, algorithms, and designs to specific engineering problems and situations to the extent of the material presented
- LO7. demonstrate an understanding of network protocols and algorithms using fundamental mathematical derivations.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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