Advanced Topics in
Communication Networks Fall 2025

Networked Systems Group

This course covers advanced topics and technologies in computer networks, both theoretically and practically.

The goal for this course is to provide students with a deeper understanding of existing and upcoming Internet routing and forwarding technologies used in large-scale computer networks such as Internet Service Providers (e.g., Swisscom or Deutsche Telekom), Content Delivery Networks (e.g., Netflix) and Data Centers (e.g., Google).

Besides covering the fundamentals, the course will be “hands-on” and will enable students to play with the technologies in emulated network environments, and even implement some of them on their own during labs.

News

Sept 1 The website for the Fall 2025 edition goes live with a tentative schedule.

Contact

Professor Laurent Vanbever

Coordinator Romain Jacob
Mail

Assistants

Research group Networked Systems

Live sessions

Lectures
Wednesdays, 2:15 pm–4 pm
ETZ E 8

Exercises
Tuesdays, 4:15 pm–6 pm
ML E 12

Recordings

ETH Video Portal

Content

The course will cover advanced topics in Internet routing and forwarding such as:

  • Scalable routing
  • Fast Convergence
  • Network programmability
  • Network verification
  • Transport protocols
  • Sustainable networking
  • Networking for ML
  • ML for networking

Prerequisites

  • Communication Networks (227-0120-00L), Computer Networks (252-0064-00L) or equivalents.
  • Good programming skills (in any language) are expected as many exercises involve coding.

Performance assessment

  • 6 ECTS credits
  • Closed-book, written exam
Week 1
 Lecture    Introduction, Course organization. Building scalable networks (Part 1)
Week 2
 Lecture    Building scalable networks (Part 2)
Exercise
Week 3
 Lecture    Fast convergence
Exercise
Week 4-5
 Lecture    Programmable data planes
Exercise
Week 6-7
 Lecture    Network verification
Exercise
Week 8-9
 Lecture    Sustainable networking
Exercise
Week 10-11
 Lecture    Transport protocols and congestion control
Exercise
Week 12
 Lecture    Networking for ML
Exercise
Week 13
 Lecture    ML for networking
Exercise
Week 14
 Lecture    Wrap up and exam preparation
Exercise