The objective of the course consists in providing to the students some analytical and general tools that may be used for studying the typical functionalities of a telecommunication network. Besides, the student will be able to understand the operating mechanisms of the main algorithms and protocols adopted for implementing such functionalities, with the aim of becoming able to estimate the performance of a telecommunication network.
D1 - Knowledge and understanding.
The student, at the end of the course, will have to know the basic functional principles of a telecommunication network and of the fundamental elements there implemented on the basis of the operating scenario. This knowledge will represent the foundations for the acquisition understanding abilities and analytical comprehension skills, with an inclination towards the mathematical modeling of the problems.
D2 - Applying knowledge and understanding.
The student will have to acquire the capability of classifying a telecommunication network and of studying the performance of its main components by probabilistic models. To this aim, the theoretical training is carried out together with exercises and applications that stimulate the active participation, the proactive approach, and the capability to autonomously elaborate and communicate the results deriving from the performed work.
D3 - Making judgments.
The student will have to understand the motivations that have lead to the choice of a given technology for a determined communication scenario, accounting for the possible extensions and evolutions. Moreover, the student will have to acquire the capability of conducting analytical investigations, by the mean of models and experimental evaluations, subsequently developing critical considerations on the obtained data and then inferring proper conclusions.
D4 - Communication.
The student will have to acquire the capability of describing the functionalities that must be implemented in a telecommunication network with a correct use of language. The attention on the communication aspects is stimulated by the presence of different tests, containing theoretical questions and exercises. These tests have the objective of preparing the student to develop an organic and clear text and to take care of the quality of the presentation.
D5 - Lifelong learning skills.
The student will have to become able to identify the impact of different elements, such as error control techniques, multiplexing and multiple access schemes, channel codes, routing algorithms, and protocol architectures, on the network performance. Being an affine subject, the course of telecommunication networks has the objective of concurring to improve the learning abilities of the student, thanks to its more specific and applicative content.

Knowledge of the fundamentals of probability theory and stochastic processes.

Introduction to telecommunication networks.
Basics of traffic engineering and queuing systems.
Telephone network circuit-switching.
Radio-mobile network.
Data link layer.
Error control techniques.
Multiple access techniques.
Network layer and routing algorithms.
Packet switching networks.
Internet and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM).

Notes of the course and developed exercises, available at the website http://moodle2.units.it/course/view.php?id=850
J. F. Kurose, K.W. Ross “Reti di calcolatori e Internet,” Pearson Italia, Milano-Torino, 2022.
G. Mazzini, "Reti di telecomunicazioni", Pitagora Editrice Bologna, 2002.
A. Pattavina, "Reti di telecomunicazioni", McGraw-Hill, 2007.
A. Pattavina, "Internet e reti", Pearson Italia, Milano-Torino, 2022.

Introduction to telecommunication networks. Standard bodies. Communication protocols and service classification. Network topology. Layered communication architecture. OSI reference model. Network classification: local and geographical networks. Resource sharing: multiplexing. Circuit switching. Packet switching. Connection oriented e connectionless data transfer.
Queuing systems. Birth-death processes. Poisson process. Little formulas. M/M/N/N+K queues. Erlang-B, Erlang-C. M/G/1 queue. Pollaczek-Khintchine. Priority systems (preemptive, non- preemptive).
Telephone network-circuit switching. Switching networks, Plesiochronous (PDH) and Synchronous (SDH) hierarchy. Data transmission on circuit swiching telephone network: modem, xDSL standard.
Mobile communication. Cellular networks. Reuse factor. GSM system: architecture, logical channels, intelligent network, mobility management (roaming, handover), frequency hopping, time advance, security (authentication, ciphering). UMTS ed LTE (outline).
Data link layer. Framing, flow and error control, multiple access.
Error control techniques. Parity check, CRC. Automatic Repetition techniques (ARQ: stop and wait, go-back-N, selective repeat).
Multiple access techniques. Random access (Aloha, CSMA, CSMA/CD, CSMA/CA). Local Area Networks (LANs). Spanning-tree algorithm. IEEE 802 project: Token passing, Ethernet, WiFi,WiMAX, Bluetooth, ZigBee.
Network layer. Routing algorithms: classification, Dijkstra and Bellmann-Ford algorithms, poisoned riverse.
Packet Switching. ATM, Adaptation Layer, Connection Admission Control. Flow control. Usage Parameter Control. Traffic Shaping.
Internet. IP, TCP, UDP protocols. Congestion control. Classless network. Autonomous systems. Evolutions of telecommunications: issues addressed in the Master's and Ph.D. Degrees.

Lessons and exercitations (prevailing), completed by experimental trials. The lectures are carried out to stimulate the curiosity of the students, to whom are illustrated the functional mechanisms of technologies of everyday use (cellular networks, Internet, Ethernet, WiFi, ...). The theoretical arguments, in which the reasons of the design choices for standards and protocols are specified, is flanked by exercises, whose development is accomplished with the participation of the students, who can so, already during the lecture, become familiar with the problems they have to deal with during the tests.
Possible changes in the here described methods, which would be necessary to guarantee the application of the safety protocols relative to COVID19 emergency, will be provided at the Department website of the Course and of the teaching.

Two options having the objective of verifying the knowledge of the arguments of the course. All the exercises and questions will have a level of complexity not higher to level of the exercises and questions analyzed during the course.
1) Complete exam: five exercises and three theoretical questions. The final vote is determined for all the eight questions.
2) Two tests performed during the course (in each test: three exercises and a theoretical part consisting of six questions with compact response). The final vote is determined by the average between the two tests. This second option is optional. Those who do not pass the exam by this second option have to sustain the complete exam. The detailed guidelines for the exam are reported at the website:
http://moodle2.units.it/course/view.php?id=850
Possible changes in the here described methods, which would be necessary to guarantee the application of the safety protocols relative to COVID19 emergency, will be provided at the Department website of the Course and of the teaching.