Handbook

Communications and Information Systems is a 6UOC course that introduces essential principles of data communication and computer networks. The data communication part focuses on the fundamentals of communication and provides basic definitions and encoding schemes. This part also introduces the Physical and Data-link layers of the network stack, specifically addressing the representation/encoding of transmitted information, hardware addresses, as well as media access control and reliable communication at the bit-stream level.

The computer network part delves into the Network and Transport layers of the network stack, that form the foundation of modern communication, including the Internet. This part covers package routing at the Network layer, reliable communication at the Transport layer, and discuss potential network attacks. Finally, the Application layer, the top layer of the network stack, is introduced, with HTTP presented as an example of the Application layer protocol.

The course is accompanied by practical exercises aimed at acquiring the basics of using computers to solve problems and introducing implementation of some of the core communication algorithms. This practical component seeks to bridge the gap between the theory covered in lectures and the practical skills required to solve real-world problems. Furthermore, the programming skills acquired during the course provide the means to expand beyond the covered material.