This page gives general background on the course CIS 656 at NJIT:
The Internet and Higher Layer Protocols.
Starting in 2004, CS PhD students can decide to be examined, in the
CS Qualifying Exam, on material from CIS 656.
In addition, CIS 652 no longer is a prerequisite for CIS 656.
CIS 656 has a project (emulate a router) that requires good programming skills.
Students who need or want a strong background in computer communication
are still recommended to take CIS 656 as well as CIS 652, and also
CIS 604.

Students who want to do a MSc project in Computer Networking are advised to
take CIS 656 in their first semester, so they can write a proposal in their second
semester (or in the summer following their first semester) and do the project in
their third semester.

There is a separate web page for CIS 656 for every semester in which
Dr Ott teaches it. (Hit Back to find these pages).
Students are encouraged to look at pages for previous Semesters.
Information about CIS 656 that is expected to remain unchanged in the
next few years can be found in CIS 656 content.

A list of books relevant to CIS 656 can be found in Networking Books.

A list of IETF RFCs that occasionally are referred to in CIS 656 or
related courses can be found in RFCs .

Students taking CIS 656 are assumed to be suffiently ``computer literate''
that they can quickly learn how to access NJIT computers from home, etc.
Some information on this topic is given in computer access at NJIT.
I recommend that all students read that file and do those excercises that
are not ``old hat'' to them.

A list of ``typical exam questions'' for CIS 656 can be found in Standard Exam Questions.

Below is a list of web pages I used in various semesters, that may be of more general interest.
Students do not need to immediately read the files below.