Module 7 - CST 311

This week we began our exploration of both the link layer as well as network security. It was very interesting to look into the operation of the link layer, which lies partly in software and partly in hardware. It was quite interesting to listen through the lecture on network security, and the chapter 8 assignment was a little tricky but very informative. The lab this week focused on Ethernet and ARP which were quite interesting to see in action. I am looking forward to the final week and will continue to prepare for the final this weekend.

Module 6 - CST 311

This week was quite interesting as we continued our foray into the networking layer. I really enjoyed the lab this week where we worked with ICMP messages to check targets on the other side of the world. I repeatedly was unable to reach the provided University in Hong Kong and so used a University centered in Tokyo instead for the first half of the lab. It was quite interesting to learn about the Algorithms used in routing and to practice using them on a very small scale in the assignment. There was one things I found confusing in the quiz this week with the fragmentation of the IPv6 addresses as I thought fragmentation was possible as long as it was done in the ends of the system, I will continue to research this in my spare time this week. I look forward to the last few weeks and the final exam.

CST 311 - Module 5

This week we began our foray into the Network layer. It was very interesting to cover the difference between routing and forwarding and seeing how a router accomplishes its forwarding process. I found Longest Prefix matching to be quite interesting and it was fun to work in binary for a few of the questions this week. I found it somewhat surprising that it only took 20 jumps with the traceroute to reach the school in India. The lab this week was also quite fun and it was interesting to see the DHCP process in action.

Module 3 - CST 311

This week we covered a variety of topics including multiplexing and demultiplexing, UDP, reliable data transfer, and congestion control. While I was expecting to learn about how a connection would be established with TCP, the three-way handshake we studied seemed like a surprisingly simple yet elegant way to complete the task. I found that it was very interesting to learn about congestion control and how TCP handles this issue. I enjoyed going through the lab this week, especially working on a linux machine and seeing the resulting IP and Port addresses from schools across the world. Before I head out of town I am beginning to look through the study guides for the midterm and am planning on taking the practice exam soon.

Module 2 - CST 311

This week we covered quite a few topics. We covered HTTP and FTP, learning what these protocols are and how they function. I was not expecting to learn about cookies, but it was interesting to see how they can work to enhance a users browsing experience. It was particularly interesting to work through the wireshark lab. Going through them I begin to feel that I am understanding the information we receive through wireshark.

Module 1 - CST 311

This week we covered a variety of topics including a network overview, delays in transmission and propagation and even some aspects of security. While I did expect to get an overview of networking, there was a lot more interesting aspects that were covered in this weeks lesson. For instance, I was not expecting to learn anything about security so early but I am excited to begin covering this topic. It was interesting to see the goals of CIA and learn about some of the basic concepts of what security is attempting to protect. I found the layout of the videos and video quizzes quite helpful, and the early opening for the week's work very helpful.

Module 8 - CST 363

Overall, I really enjoyed this course. Going into it I was not entirely sure how I felt about SQL and databases from my brief exposure in our prior course. However, this course was really quite fun and very informative. Our professor and TA were both helpful and clear, the textbook was easy to read and understand, and the assignments were straightforward and interesting. I feel fairly confident in my SQL skills now and see how they it can be used as a very useful tool. I look forward to my next course beginning soon, and am glad that I was able to take part in this one. Thanks again.