Computer Networks · Reading course
Connect hosts.
Move data reliably.
All 90 source items across the seven phases, from network foundations and switching through routing, TCP, and application protocols.
90 reading items · 7 phases · Worked examples & practice
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Complete an item when you’re ready. Your place is saved in this browser.Your path through Computer Networks
Lessons, chapter reviews, and checkpoints—in reading order.
01Phase 0Foundations0 / 9 complete
0.1.1Why networks exist: hosts, links and sending dataLesson0.1.2Nodes, links, topologies, LAN/WAN and the boxes in the middleLessonL0.1What a network isChapter review0.2.1Bits, bytes and prefixes: powers of 10 for rates, powers of 2 for sizesLesson0.2.2Binary, decimal and hex; powers of 2Lesson0.2.3XOR, 1's complement addition and modulo-2 divisionLesson0.2.4Exponents, logarithms and basic probabilityLessonL0.2Math and units toolkitChapter reviewCP0FoundationsCheckpoint
02Phase 1Layering, Switching & Performance0 / 14 complete
1.1.1Why layer: protocol, service, interface, peersLesson1.1.2The OSI 7 layers and the TCP/IP modelLesson1.1.3Encapsulation, headers, PDU names, addresses and devices per layerLessonL1.1Principles of layeringChapter review1.2.1Circuit switching: setup, reserved resources, teardownLesson1.2.2Packet switching: store-and-forward, datagrams, statistical multiplexingLesson1.2.3Virtual circuits and the full comparisonLessonL1.2SwitchingChapter review1.3.1Bandwidth, data rate, throughput and transmission delayLesson1.3.2Propagation, queuing and processing delay; multi-hop pipeliningLesson1.3.3RTT, bandwidth-delay product, utilisation and a = Tp/TtLesson1.3.4Circuit vs packet switching: delay numericalsLessonL1.3Performance metricsChapter reviewCP1Layering, switching and performanceCheckpoint
03Phase 2Data Link Layer0 / 17 complete
2.1Role of the data link layer: hop-to-hop delivery and MAC addressesLessonL2.1Role of the data link layerChapter review2.2.1Single-bit vs burst errors; redundancy; 1-D and 2-D parityLesson2.2.2Hamming distance: detect d − 1, correct ⌊(d − 1)/2⌋Lesson2.2.3The Internet checksum: compute and verifyLesson2.2.4CRC: generator polynomial, modulo-2 division, what CRC catchesLessonL2.2Error detectionChapter review2.3.1The multiple access problem; collisions; channel partitioningLesson2.3.2Pure and slotted ALOHA: vulnerable time, throughput, maximum efficiencyLesson2.3.3CSMA and its persistence variants; CSMA/CD; minimum frame size = 2·Tp·BLesson2.3.4Binary exponential backoff; probability of winningLesson2.3.5Controlled access: polling, token passing and its efficiencyLessonL2.3Medium Access ControlChapter review2.4.1Ethernet frame format, MAC address types, minimum and maximum frame sizesLesson2.4.2Ethernet efficiency; switched vs shared EthernetLessonL2.4EthernetChapter reviewCP2Data link layerCheckpoint
04Phase 3Network Layer0 / 19 complete
3.1.1IPv4 address structure, dotted decimal, net-id vs host-idLesson3.1.2Classful addressing (A–E) and special IPv4 addressesLesson3.1.3Subnet masks, subnetting, network/broadcast & usable hostsLesson3.1.4CIDR notation (/n), block size, alignment & route aggregationLesson3.1.5Forwarding tables & Longest Prefix Match (LPM)Lesson3.1.6Variable-Length Subnet Masking (VLSM) & block allocationLessonL3.1IPv4 addressing, subnetting, CIDR, LPM & VLSMChapter review3.2.1IPv4 header fields: HLEN, Total Length, TTL, Protocol & ChecksumLesson3.2.2IPv4 fragmentation, offsets, MF bit & multi-hop re-fragmentationLessonL3.2The IPv4 datagram & fragmentationChapter review3.3Network Address Translation (NAT): private ranges, NAPT & trade-offsLessonL3.3Network Address Translation (NAT & NAPT)Chapter review3.4.1Routing vs forwarding, weighted-graph model & shortest pathsLesson3.4.2Distance Vector routing & the Bellman-Ford equationLesson3.4.3Count-to-infinity, Split Horizon & Poison ReverseLesson3.4.4Link State routing: LSP flooding & Dijkstra’s algorithmLesson3.4.5Distance Vector vs Link State: full comparison, RIP & OSPFLessonL3.4Network-layer routing (DV, Count-to-Infinity & Link State)Chapter reviewCP3Network Layer (IPv4, CIDR, Fragmentation, NAT & Routing)Checkpoint
05Phase 4Transport Layer (TCP)0 / 16 complete
4.1Transport basics: process-to-process delivery, ports, sockets & multiplexingLessonL4.1Transport layer basics, ports & demultiplexingChapter review4.2.1Stop-and-Wait ARQ, 1-bit sequence numbers & link utilisationLesson4.2.2Sliding window protocols, pipelining & k-bit sequence numbersLesson4.2.3Go-Back-N (GBN): Ws ≤ 2ᵏ−1, cumulative ACKs & retransmission countingLesson4.2.4Selective Repeat (SR): Ws = Wr ≤ 2ᵏ⁻¹ & minimum sequence bitsLessonL4.2Stop-and-Wait, Sliding Windows, Go-Back-N & Selective RepeatChapter review4.3.1TCP segment header, byte-stream numbering & cumulative ACKsLesson4.3.2TCP 3-way handshake, connection termination & state machineLesson4.3.3TCP flow control (rwnd), sequence wrap-around time & window scalingLesson4.3.4TCP timeout estimation: EWMA, Jacobson’s algorithm & Karn’s ruleLesson4.3.5TCP congestion control: cwnd, Slow Start, AIMD, Tahoe vs RenoLessonL4.3TCP mechanics, flow & congestion controlChapter review4.4The Socket API: system calls, client-server order & blocking callsLessonL4.4Socket APIChapter reviewCP4Transport Layer (TCP)Checkpoint
06Phase 5Application Layer0 / 9 complete
5.1The client-server model and application protocolsLessonL5.1Client-server modelChapter review5.2DNS: hierarchy, recursive vs iterative resolution, caching, recordsLessonL5.2DNSChapter review5.3HTTP: messages, methods, status codes, cookies, persistent connections and RTT countingLessonL5.3HTTPChapter review5.4Integration: what happens when you type a URL and press EnterLessonL5.4Integration storyChapter reviewCP5Application layerCheckpoint
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