COMP20320
Level 2

Computer Networking

Computer ScienceProfessor John Murphy5 creditsAutumnOn campus

This module introduces the OSI stack to students, and goes through the various layers in detail. The topics covered include: Network Types, functions, topologies, transmissions, switching, routing, management, reference models, architectures, protocols and standards; network user applications; flow and congestion control strategies; design and implementation considerations; use in Internet systems. There will be a few hot topics included each year.

3.0

Mixed · out of 5

3 reviews · latest Autumn 2025/26

How students rated it

Interest3.3 Mixed

How engaging was the material itself?

Workload and difficulty

Difficulty4.7 Very hard
Very easyVery hard

How hard was it for the level it's pitched at?

Who teaches it

Named by students in their reviews. These ratings cover this module only, and don't count towards its overall score.

  • John Murphy
    Module coordinator

    3.0Mixed teaching2 ratings · Autumn 2025/26

    Clear explanations
    Well organised
    Responsive to questions

Reviews(3)

Write a review
A

Anonymous Student

Aug 26, 2026

Would recommend
Worth it:Very worth itInterest:Engaging
Hours:7–9 h/wkDifficulty:HardPace:Fast
John MurphyTeaching:Excellent
Clear explanations
Well organised
Responsive to questions

In practice

Very hard and fast moving module, but incredibly insightful and rewarding. John teaches it very well and demonstrates the methods required to solve problems directly on the whiteboard.

Advice

Start preparing early for the final open book exam. You need to have all of the methods down, there are strict time contstraints your notes won't be much use.

Autumn 2025/26
No textbook needed
A

Anonymous Student

Jun 19, 2026

Interest:Fascinating
Difficulty:Very hard
John MurphyTeaching:Very poor

Time constraints on the tests was crazy, but open book was nice and created a good environment for challenge a d practical coding

A

Anonymous Student

Apr 30, 2026

Interest:Very boring
Difficulty:Very hard

difficult