Computer-based laboratory for data communications and computer networking

Abstract

Data communications and computer networking (DCCN) has established itself as an essential part of most computer science and engineering curricula, usually in the form of courses and/or laboratories. For reliable training in this area, this study presents a series of 10 experiments that serve as a complete laboratory course in DCCN. The prominent benefit of this laboratory set is that it uses available UNIX workstations where networking is simulated using software; this overcomes the obstacle of unavailable or expensive hardware and communication resources. The experiments presented here cover all layers, except the physical layer, of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model. In addition to introducing the student to this wide‐ranging subject matter, the laboratory set enhances his/her programming skills. This is accomplished by introducing the UNIX programming environment and using it to carry out the experiments, starting with editing and compiling simple programs, and ending with implementing advanced client‐server applications. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 12: 84–97, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20002