Believe it or not, we've reached the final week of the term!
This week, we'll complete our discussion of the Link Layer , cover Wireless Networks , recap the course, and discuss the final exam format before concluding the lecture series.
Final Exam Highlights
Please also complete your myExperience survey if you haven't already. Your feedback is extremely valuable in helping us improve the course. Written comments are particularly appreciated.
Thanks for a great term, and see you in the lecture tomorrow!
This week, we continue our journey down the protocol stack and arrive at the Data Link Layer . We will explore how data is exchanged between devices connected through wired or wireless links, or via non-routing devices within the same subnet. Topics include framing, error detection, multiple access protocols, and the practical challenges of communication in local-area networks.
Guest Industry Lecture (Thursday)
As part of this week's lecture, we are pleased to welcome Ali Sadr, Principal Network Security Architect at TPG Telecom, for a guest lecture from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.
Title : How Traffic Really Moves: Proxies, Load Balancers & WAFs in Practice
Drawing on nearly 20 years of industry experience, Ali will provide practical insights into how proxies, load balancers, and web application firewalls are used in real-world environments. This session offers an excellent opportunity to see how the networking concepts covered in COMP3331/COMP9331 are applied in industry at scale.
Lab 5
Lab 5 has now been released. Please review the specification carefully and start working on it as early as possible. We encourage you to make steady progress each week rather than leaving the work until close to the deadline.
Programming Assignment Reminder
Programming Assignment is due on Friday, 31 July 2026 at 5:00 PM .
Please ensure your submission is uploaded before the deadline. Late submissions will be handled according to the course policies outlined in the assignment specification.
Programming Assignment Viva Information
Information regarding the assignment viva process, expectations, and frequently asked questions can be found here . Your tutor will contact you with further details regarding viva arrangements.
Programming Assignment Consultation Sessions
Consultation sessions are running this week to help you with Programming Assignment. We may add additional sessions closer to the deadline depending on demand. Please check the current schedule for the latest information.
MyExperience Survey
The UNSW MyExperience Survey is now open. Your feedback helps us improve the course and learning experience for current and future students. We strongly encourage all students to take a few minutes to complete the survey.
We look forward to seeing you in lectures, labs, and the guest lecture this week.
You can view your results through the Inspera dashboard, along with feedback explaining any mark deductions, where applicable.
The sample answers are available here .
Below are the overall exam statistics. Congratulations to everyone on an excellent performance!
This term we have incoporated AI to help prepare course materials and encouraged its responsible use in labs and assignments. We would appreciate your feedback on how this has affected your learning experience.
The survey is anonymous and takes only a few minutes to complete.
Survey: Complete the survey
Your feedback will help us improve future offerings of the course.
Thank you for participating!
This week, we will continue our discussion of the Network Layer and complete our coverage of the network control plane , focusing on routing and how routers learn paths through the Internet.
Mid-term exam marking is currently underway. We expect to release marks around the middle of the week and will post a separate announcement once they become available.
We also encourage you to keep making steady progress on the assignment as the deadline approaches. Assignment consultation sessions schedule can be found here , and we may add additional sessions depending on demand. Please check the schedule before attending.
In Lab 4 , you will gain further hands-on experience with TCP connection management. Lab 4 is particularly interesting because it is based on your own Wireshark packet captures, giving you an opportunity to analyse real network traffic and see TCP concepts in action.
We hope you enjoy the lab and have a productive Week 8!
Please note that the midterm exam will commence at 9:05am tomorrow (Monday, 13 July) .
The practice test will remain available until 12:00pm (noon) today . If you have not yet completed it, we strongly encourage you to do so before it closes.
Please also note that there will be no lecture tomorrow .
Week 7 Programming Tutorial
Assignment Consultations (Weeks 7–9)
Your 75-minute midterm exam will start at 09:05 (9:05 am) on Monday ,13 July (Week 7). Please mark your calendars. This exam is open book, uninvigilated, and can be taken remotely.
All important information about the midterm exam including a practice midterm test is available here .
As
Week 6 is Flexibility Week
, there will be
no lectures
. We encourage you to take some time to rest and recharge, while also using this opportunity to review the course material and prepare for the midterm exam.
We are actively monitoring the forum throughout the Flexibility Week. I will run an online consultation session via Zoom from 11 am to 12 noon on Thursday 9 July if you have further questions. Meeting link is available here .
This week, we continue our exploration of the Transport Layer , with an emphasis on how TCP implements reliable data transfer. Topics covered include sequence numbers, acknowledgements, retransmissions, flow control, connection management, and TCP congestion control..
Please note that lab sessions this week will be replaced with tutorials to help you prepare for the midterm.
Further details regarding the midterm exam and practice materials will be released later this week.
Assignment specifications and all relevant information are now available. Please check the details .
Consultation times will be announced shortly.
Please note the deadline:
Due before 5:00pm (Sydney local time), Friday, 31 July 2026 (Week 9).
I was informed that there was no audio during the live streaming of the lecture. I attempted to fix the issue during the session, but unfortunately it was not successful.
However, after checking the recording, I can confirm that the audio is available. If you missed the lecture due to this issue, please watch the recording on Echo360.
If you have any further questions, feel free to post them on the Discourse forum.
Thanks for your understanding.
Congratulations on completing three weeks!
In Week 4, we move to the Transport Layer, covering key concepts such as UDP, TCP, multiplexing/demultiplexing, checksums, and the basics of reliable data transfer.
We will discuss Lab 3 (DNS & Socket Programming) this week . This lab builds on the Week 3 content and focuses on DNS behaviour and socket programming. Please review the prerequisites and start early.
We also plan to release the Programming Assignment specification later this week, so make sure you keep up with lectures and lab work.
Congratulations on completing two weeks!
You should have attended your first lab in Week 2—remember to submit your lab report on time (Tuesday 16th, 5:00 pm), as marks are awarded only upon submission.
In Week 3, we will cover the remaining Application Layer topics (DNS, P2P, CDN). A recording of the Week 2 replacement lecture (for the 8 June public holiday) is available here if you missed it.
We will also run an optional online session on socket programming (Python, C, and Java), covering key concepts and APIs. The specifications and starter code are now available, and the session will include a hands-on client–server activity.
Although not assessed, this session is highly recommended, as it will help you prepare for the Programming Assignment and Lab 2 and 3 exercises. All sessions will be held online, with recordings available afterwards. Session times and details are available here .