Requirements to Pass this Unit

To pass this unit you must:

•  Achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50%.

There are no hurdles in this unit.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty

The standard late submission policy is listed below.  However, see below for class-specific procedures.

Late Submission Policy

• 5% penalty per day: If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days.
  • Example 1 (out of 100): If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.
  • Example 2 (out of 30): If you score 27/30 but submit 1 day late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.
• After 7 days: Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.
• Extensions:
  • Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date.
  • Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration.

Need help? Review the Special Consideration page HERE

For this class, we will not allow any late submissions unless a Special Consideration application has been submitted, hence the 5% penalty does not apply and automatic short extensions do not apply.  For any late submission of exams, assignments and projects, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.  

Release Dates

• Quiz: To be released no later than Week 10 in practicals, beginning 11 May.
• Assignment 1: To be released no later than Week 1 Monday, 2 March.
• Assignment 2: To be released no later than Week 3 Friday, 13 March.

The use of AI in assessments is not allowed.  The description of Assignment 1 was incorrectly entered in the software system, and should state: Observed, not AI Assisted; also No Short Extension for Assignment 1; also the due date is Week 13 in your registered practicals, not June 1.  This will be fixed in the unit guide next year.

Lectures

A 2 hour Lecture would be delivered each week on campus. Students are highly encouraged to ask questions from the Lecturer(s) in a bid to clarify anything they might not be sure of. Students are also encouraged to engage in active discussion via the General Discussion Forum on iLearn.

Lecture Notes (Slide Decks) would be made available, however, they are not a substitute of the recommended Readings. Please note that Digital Recordings of the Lectures would be available via the Macquarie University's Echo360 Active Learning Platform. 

Workshops

The workshops aim to soliidify the concepts  discussed in the lectures by engaging students in hands-on and problem solving exercises.Students have the opportunity to practice their networking skills under the guidance of a demonstrator. There will be one 2-hour workshop session each week, starting in week 2. These sessions are conducted in a specially-equipped networking laboratory. There is no opportunity to conduct workshops outside of the assigned sessions.  Weeks 11, 12 and 13 are catchup weeks and provide an opportunity to do any workshop exercise(s) that were missed over the course of the semester (weeks 2-10). Each week, students receive exercises to work on. Keeping up with these exercises is crucial, as it aids in understanding the unit's content and prepares students for assignments. 

Note: Please note that catch-up classes are intended for students who have missed a few labs due to genuine reasons.

It's important to note that while workshops are structured in alignment with lecture content, there may not always be direct one-to-one correspondence. This is due to the necessity for workshops allowing students to familiarize themselves with new tools and devices. As a result, there are limitations on available time slots for experimenting with technologies discussed in certain lectures.

Note: Workshops commence in Week 2. 

Assignments

Assignments would be made available on iLearn and would submitted online via Turnitin.

Assignment 1-Problem Solving: The problem-solving assignment serves the purpose of familiarizing students with addressing real-world problems or issues. Its design is intended to guide students in analyzing specific problems and identifying optimal solutions. This assignment aims to enhance the students' ability to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios. Certain questions may necessitate thorough research, and arriving at an acceptable and reasonable answer will be a step-by-step process.

Assignment 2-Group based Assignment: In this assignment, students are expected to apply their understanding of netwotking to conduct in-depth research and perform a critical analysis of pertinent literature within this field. They are then required to present their findings and conclusions. Furthermore, this assessment provides a valuable context for students to apply project management principles and tools, ensuring effective coordination, planning, and execution of their group project. This experience offers an opportunity for students to enhance their collaborative skills, professional communication, and the practical application of project management concepts.  The assessment may include technical questions about each group's project.

Although this assignment is a group effort, it's important to emphasize that individual accountability remains a crucial aspect. Each team member is responsible for their own contributions and work within the group context.

Quiz

The quiz will be conducted online via iLearn during your workshop session, with the questions provided at the start of the session. 

Recommended Text

It should be noted that no single Textbook addresses all Topics of this Unit. Accordingly, a large proportion of the Lecture Notes are drawn from the Research Papers, White Papers, and Standards' Documents. Students are, therefore, encouraged to read the recommended Reading List to gain a solid understanding of the Topics. Nevertheless, some suggested Books include:

Computer Networks and Internets, Global Edition, Sixth Edition (Author : Douglas E. Comer)

Computer Networking : A Top-Down Approach, Global Edition, Eight Edition (Authors : James F. Kurose and Keith W. Ross)

Internetworking with TCP / IP : Principles, Protocols, and Architecture – Volume 1, Sixth Edition (Author : Douglas E. Comer)

Methods of Communication

We will communicate with you via your Macquarie University's Email or through Announcements on iLearn. Technical questions should be sent first to the TA, then lecturer and finally convenor.  These can be placed on the iLearn Discussion Board, or emailed.  If emailed, they should be prefaced with "COMP 8250: ", otherwise the email may be lost.  Non-technical questions such as on the overall grading policy can be sent to the convenor.  

The following is a tentative guide to topics and timelines covered in this class.  Consult iLearn for more details.

The class has been reduced to three assessments.  Quiz 1 and Workshops were removed.  The remaining 3 assessments were increased by 10% each.  The lone Quiz has a due date of Week 10.  Assignment 1 now includes a lab component and a later due date.  Assignment 2 incorporates technical questions relevant to each group project's assessment.