University of Technology Sydney

41903 Internet Science

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Engineering: Electrical and Data Engineering
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): (41092 Network Fundamentals OR 31270 Networking Essentials OR 48720 Network Fundamentals) AND (96 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Degree owned by FEIT OR 96 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Honours Embedded owned by FEIT OR 96 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Combined Degree owned by FEIT OR 96 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Combined Honours owned by FEIT OR 96 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Combined Degree co-owned by FEIT OR 96 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Combined Honours co-owned by FEIT)
Anti-requisite(s): 48740 Communications Networks

Description

This subject exposes students to the latest developments in networking, with a particular focus on the Internet and its measurement, using the research literature as a vehicle. Rather than learning the building blocks of networking in isolation as one would in a traditional networking course, students learn through working to understand, reproduce, and even extend, existing research work, assembling whatever knowledge and skills are needed along the way. Students work directly with research papers, and associated Internet-derived data sets, in diverse ways following a master-apprentice style model of training in face-to-face tutorial and laboratory sessions. Tutorial content combines mathematical and practical tool-kit building. Assessment covers both individual and team work and takes the form of reports, an oral exam, write-ups of experimental findings in the laboratory, including code, and an exam style online Quiz.

This is a challenging course that makes extensive use of Matlab for data analysis, as well as CLI tools in Unix. Students should either have a strong grasp of Matlab, or have a strong programming background, enabling them to pick it up quickly. Internet measurement was one of the founding areas of `Big Data', and many of its practices have spread to other areas, and have strongly influenced the rise of `Data Science’. In this course you'll be learning about an Internet flavoured Data Science.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. Clearly describe and explain, both orally and in writing, the significance of contemporary areas of network science, demonstrating understanding of the principles and practice. (E.1)
2. Access publically available datasets and understand how to explore them with available mathematical and software tools. (D.1)
3. Critically evaluate research papers, including by checking results themselves when feasible. (D.1)
4. Demonstrate the mathematical and practical skills, and mindset, of the Internet researcher. (C.1)

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

  • Design Oriented: FEIT graduates apply problem solving, design and decision-making methodologies to develop components, systems and processes to meet specified requirements. (C.1)
  • Technically Proficient: FEIT graduates apply abstraction, mathematics and discipline fundamentals, software, tools and techniques to evaluate, implement and operate systems. (D.1)
  • Collaborative and Communicative: FEIT graduates work as an effective member or leader of diverse teams, communicating effectively and operating within cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural contexts in the workplace. (E.1)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies

This subject contributes to the development of the following Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies:

  • 1.3. In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline.
  • 1.4. Discernment of knowledge development and research directions within the engineering discipline.
  • 2.1. Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving.
  • 2.2. Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources.
  • 3.2. Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains.

Teaching and learning strategies

The central focus of this subject is to learn about the latest in networking through a strong focus on the research literature. Accordingly, the subject is not structured in a traditional way. There are no lectures teaching a set body of content, only tutorials and laboratory sessions. The tutorial content (with the exception of one Quiz) is not directly tested, and there is no written exam. Instead, the tutorials will provide a combination of concept-focussed formal content (mini-lectures in a sense), tutorial style reinforcement of the material, and practical illustrations and instruction via Matlab to connect the theory to data and a research modelling mindset. The content will have a mathematical focus. The intent is to provide keys and tools needed to navigate the research papers you will be reading, which will assume knowledge from a wide variety of areas and can be challenging to understand, and to learn how to manipulate data with sophistication.

The Laboratory sessions will be your chance to be hands-on with data, taking advantage of the available analysis and visualization tools such as Wireshark, Matlab, and the Unix CLI. Working in small teams, you will download publically available research data sets, perform your own analyses on them, compare with published work, and write up your findings.

Three of the four assessment components: the Research Review, Laboratory Report, and Oral Exam, revolve around research papers and/or data, though in different ways and with differing emphasis, as described in detail below. The Quiz is the exception, it tests the health of your research `toolkit', including the material covered in the tutorials. The final tutorial will include preparation for the Oral Exam, where the lecturer will give a presentation, with you the students evaluating it, with the assessments shared in real-time.

As a student in this subject you are expected to attend and participate in each tutorial and laboratory session, complete all assessments by their due date, and participate fully in group work. The subject is challenging, to do well will require effort in coding, mathematics, presentation skills, report writing, and efficient scientific methodology. The subject will be delivered using Canvas, which should be accessed regularly to locate resources and subject information.

Content (topics)

Mathematical, methodological and practical tools for the understanding of contemporary Internet Science.

Slices of the state of the art in Internet Science and networking.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Research Review

Intent:

To provide students with the opportunity to observe and learn about the great variety of contemporary Internet research activity, and to have to freedom to follow their interests within broad parameters.
Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

1, 3 and 4

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

C.1, D.1 and E.1

Type: Report
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 30%

Assessment task 2: Laboratory Report

Intent:

To assemble the weekly lab activities in one place (Part I) and then in Part II, to report on the investigations selected and undertaken by your laboratory team on the chosen Data Set.
Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

1, 2, 3 and 4

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

C.1, D.1 and E.1

Type: Report
Groupwork: Group, group and individually assessed
Weight: 30%
Criteria:

Part 1 (In-lab activities): accuracy, correctness, completeness.
Part 2 (chosen Data Set): accuracy, correctness, completeness, clarity, ambition, novelty.

Assessment task 3: Oral Exam

Intent:

To test student’s ability to understand research papers, and to transmit that understanding effectively to a technical audience.

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

1 and 3

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

D.1 and E.1

Type: Examination
Groupwork: Group, group and individually assessed
Weight: 25%
Length:

20 minutes, and 10 minutes for questions. Subject Coordinator and 1 co-marker will assess.

Assessment task 4: Quiz

Intent:

To test familiarity with the material covered in tutorials.

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

3

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

D.1

Type: Quiz/test
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 15%

Minimum requirements

In order to pass the subject, a student must achieve an overall mark of 50% or more.

Required texts

None

References

There are many thousands of books on the subject of Communications Networks, plus many good Internet resources. Wikipedia often has very good items. The following is a list of books that may be helpful.

  • Kurose, Ross: Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach, Addison-Wesley
  • Cover and Thomas: Elements of Information Theory, 3rd Edition
  • Papoulis: Probability, random variables and stochastic processes
  • Kleinrock: Queueing System, Volume I: Theory
  • Kleinrock: Queueing System, Volume I: Computer Applications
  • William Stallings: Data & Computer Communications
  • Chris Sanders: Practical Packet Analysis: Using Wireshark to Solve Real World Network Problems
  • Joe Casad, "Sams Teach Yourself TCP/IP in 24 hours", Sams 2009
  • Carne, E, B (1999) “Telecommunications Primer” Prentice Hall, 2nd Ed.
  • D.E Comer “Internetworking with TCP/IP." Volume 1, Principles, protocols, and architecture”
  • Forouzan, “TCP/IP Protocol Suite”, McGraw Hill
  • J.E. Goldman and P.T.Rawles, “Applied Data Communications” 3rd Ed Wiley
  • L.Garcia and Widjaja, “Communication Networks”, McGraw Hill
  • J. D. Gibson, “The Communications Handbook”, ed. IEEE Press
  • Halsall, “Data communications, computer networks, and open systems”, Addison-Wesley
  • Rappoport, “Wireless Communication: Principles and Practice”, Prentice Hall
  • W.R Stevens, “TCP/IP Illustrated”, Addison Wesley
  • J.Schiller, “Mobile Communications”, Addison Wesley
  • S. Tanenbaum, “Computer networks”, Third Edition, Prentice Hall

Other resources

Students must have a valid login to Canvas and be registered for 41903 Internet Science on Canvas. If you do not have a valid login to Canvas you have to contact ITD helpdesk on 9514 2222.

Canvas will be used as the major means of communication between subject coordinator and students. Any changes in schedules, due dates or other change will be updated in Canvas, and it is the responsibility of the student to keep abreast of these. Canvas will also be used to provide grades, reference web sites and to provide information.

The laboratory sessions makes extensive use of Wireshark. This is available in the lab. Matlab is available via a browser interface for UTS students.