Course Description
This graduate-level course examines the design, architecture, and strategic planning of computer networks across Local Area Networks (LAN), Wide Area Networks (WAN), and global Internet infrastructures. The course emphasizes practical network architecture design, scalability, resilience, and security integration in modern enterprise and cloud environments.
Students will analyze real-world network architectures, evaluate emerging technologies, and progressively develop a research-based network architecture proposal throughout the semester.
Course Learning Outcomes
- Analyze architectural models for LAN, WAN, and global networks.
- Evaluate network design trade-offs including performance, cost, security, and resilience.
- Design scalable enterprise network architectures.
- Assess modern technologies such as SDN, SD-WAN, and cloud networking.
- Produce a research-based network architecture proposal supported by diagrams and technical justification.
Course Structure
The course follows a three-part learning cycle: (1) Professor lecture session covering core design concepts, (2) Student technical presentations on assigned technologies or case studies, (3) Research milestone workshop where students progressively build their network architecture research paper.
Module 1: Introduction to Network Design – Instructor Slides | Student PDF File
Module 2: LAN Architecture – Instructor Slides | Student PDF File