Welcome

Welcome to the official Lab Manual for the 2025 edition of the Computer Networks course at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam!

The lab manual is in a provisional state as of April 11th, 2025. Keep a close eye on the lab manual material for potential changes and additions.

Update 11/04: Extra assignments A3 & A4 have been released. The rest of the extra assignments will be slowly pushed in the upcoming 24 to 48 hours. The technical setup guide has been updated.

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This manual will be your guide through the Lab component of the course. Please note that this component is mandatory to pass and will require a significant time investment in the mandatory assignments. This manual will introduce the mandatory assignments and extra assignments, guide you through the procedure of attending the Lab, and serve as an introductory guide to socket programming.

The programming language of choice for our lab assignments is Python. Our primary focus is learning the basics of socket programming, so we chose a simple environment to facilitate the students' learning process. Do not be misled by the simplicity of the programming language - socket programming is a complex subfield of software engineering that requires a good understanding of the underlying low-level concepts. Therefore, you will work closely with the network, transport, and application layers via the socket abstraction to achieve basic inter-device communication.

The information provided in this manual has been prepared with careful consideration and based on diligent research; however, it is important to note that the accuracy and applicability of the content may vary and should be independently verified for specific circumstances.