Module: Network Performance

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Network Performance
Module Code	EEN1058 (ITS: EE500)
Faculty	Electronic Engineering	School	Engineering & Computing
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	7.5

Description

The aim of the module is to introduce the students to advanced network performance concepts. The students will be reminded of the OSI and the TCP/IP models and basic network-related protocol aspects. They will be introduced to Quality of Service and Network Performance metrics as well as to Quality of Experience and Quality of Perception as metrics to assess the quality of data delivery. Various novel and existing network protocols at network and transport network layers will be introduced and their performance-related characteristics will be discussed. These protocols will be classified based on the layers of the OSI stack they operate at and include: IPv4, IPv6, TCP, SCTP, DCCP, RTP, RTCP, etc. At application layer, multimedia and gaming applications will be discussed in details in the context of real-time content delivery, but other application types will also be presented. Adaptive and non-adaptive content delivery solutions will be presented along with significant issues such as end-user perceived quality. Modeling and simulation with the goal of assessing network performance will be introduced with focus on the application layer. Java development with focus on performance of transport and application layer network protocols will be performed. Novel performance-related issues in the context of mobility, power consumption and security will be discussed.

Learning Outcomes

1. demonstrate advanced knowledge of networking in general and network performance in particular
2. define, compare and analyse network performance metrics, quality of service and quality of experience
3. present and comparatively assess different performance-aware communications solutions at network, transport and application network layers
4. analyse, contrast and compare solutions for power saving, mobility and security as well as for future network design and development
5. design and analyse solutions based on knowledge of modeling, simulations and prototyping

Total Workload: 0

Section Breakdown
CRN	11039	Part of Term	Semester 1
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Gabriel Muntean	Module Teacher	Jennifer Bruton, Lynn Walsh

Section Breakdown
CRN	11826	Part of Term	Semester 1
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator		Module Teacher

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Assignment	Application layer modeling/simulation/prototyping	25%	n/a
Formal Examination	n/a	75%	End-of-Semester

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

1) Introduction
Review of Layered Network Architectures; Introduction to Data Network Performance; Quality of Service (QoS), Quality of Experience (QoE) and Network Performance Metrics – definitions, relationship and mapping between them.

2) Quality of Service Metrics
Availability, Delivery, Latency, Bandwidth, MTBF (Mean TimeBetween Failure), MTRS (Mean Time to Restore Service), Power consumption, Mobility, Quality of Service - Cause and Effect; Solutions for Improving Quality of Service levels.

3) Network Performance Metrics
Availability (Connectivity, Functionality), Loss (One way loss, round trip loss), Delay (One way delay, Round trip time, Delay variance), and Utilization (Capacity, bandwidth, Throughput), Power consumption (Power per Mbps).

4) Network Modeling and Simulations
Introduction to using NS-3; Measuring performance metrics – focus on performance at the application layer.

5) User Perceived Quality
Type of services (Multimedia delivery, Real-time and interactive applications, Web applications, e-commerce, gaming) Quality of Experience and Quality of Perception.

6-7) Performance-aware Java Network Development
Sockets; TCP and UDP Client-Server; Multi-threaded communication; Protocol Implementation: ICMP, SMTP, POP3, FTP and HTTP

8) Performance at Application Layer
Multimedia delivery, Web applications, gaming, etc. Quality of Experience and Quality of Perception; Quality-aware application solutions: QOAS, LDA+, DOAS, iPAS

9) Performance at Network and Transport Layers
Protocols: IPv4, IPv6, RTP, RTCP, SCTP, DCCP, MPTCP, TCP-SNOOP, Indirect-TCP, TCP-W

10) Mobility Aspects
Mobility Management, network selection, handover, protocols to support mobility: Mobile IP, mDCCP, mSCTP, IEEE 802.21

11) Power Management and Network Security Issues
Network power consumption; Energy savings solutions (e.g. IEEE 802.11 PSM); Authentication and authorisation, Cryptography, Security solutions (e.g. 802.11i)

12) Next Generation Networks
Future networks design and development performance-related issues

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Andrew S. Tanenbaum and David J. Wetherall: 2013, Computer Networks, 5, Pearson, 816, 978-129202422
Douglas E. Comer: 2014, Computer Networks and Internets, 6, Pearson, 672, 978-013358793
Douglas E. Comer: 2013, Internetworking with TCP/IP, 2013, Pearson, 744, 978-013608530
Afif Osseiran, Jose F. Monserrat and Patrick Marsch: 2016, 5G Mobile and Wireless Communications Technology, Cambridge University Press, 978-110713009
Erik Dahlman, Stefan Parkvall and Johan Skold: 2016, 4G, LTE-Advanced Pro and The Road to 5G, 3, Academic Press, 616, 978-012804575

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None