Single-Course Engelsk 5 ECTS

Access networks and home networks

Overall Course Objectives

The course provides a broad overview of methods and techniques used to connect different types of terminals, for example, private household appliances, entertainment electronics, telemedicine measuring equipment, sensors (and similar M2M devices) to a communications network. The course will focus on wired networks and wireless networks using non-licensed frequency bands but also (to a lesser degree) mobile communication networks using licensed frequency bands. The course will cover both the physical transmission parts focusing on the different methods for multiplexing and capacity sharing generally used to achieve high bandwidth efficiency for media with varying characteristics as well as protocol aspects that ensure integration of different applications with very different quality needs and requirements for network performance.

See course description in Danish

Explain the fundamental principles of connecting heterogeneous terminals (e.g., household appliances, entertainment devices, and IoT-devices) to modern communication networks.
Compare wired and wireless access technologies, including solutions using both unlicensed and licensed frequency bands, and describe their typical use cases.
Describe and analyse physical-layer transmission techniques, including multiplexing methods and capacity‑sharing mechanisms.
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of various access technologies such as xDSL, Powerline or PONs, including how they reuse or require new infrastructure.
Compare major in‑home networking technologies (e.g., Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wi‑Fi, Ethernet) in terms of performance, architecture, and suitability for different types of devices.
Assess how communication technologies enable integration of home devices.
Describe general aspects of Internet and global network access, including typical architectural models and standards.
Analyse how different media characteristics influence the choice of transmission methods, including constraints such as noise, range, bandwidth, and cost.

The course will describe general aspects of access to the Internet and other global communication networks and use concrete standards to exemplify basic trends and differences. Solutions in the public part of the network that reuse the existing infrastructure (e.g. xDSL and Powerline) or require new optical fibre cables (e.g., PONs) will be discussed with a focus on understanding the basic principles and comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the different solution models. For in-home networks, focus will be on describing and comparing the various prevailing technologies and techniques (such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, etc.) and focusing on how home equipment can be integrated using communication technologies.

34311/34313/34322/34210

Lectures and project work