Advanced Topics in
Communication Networks Fall 2026

Networked Systems Group

This course covers advanced, research-level topics in computer networks, both theoretically and practically.

Its guiding question is simple: how do we make networks better? Over the semester, you will learn how to improve networks along five axes:

  • Scalability. Build networks with thousands of routers that carry millions of routes.
  • Reliability. Make networks converge within a second after a failure, and formally prove that a configuration is correct.
  • Flexibility. Adapt how the network behaves by programming it, down to how each packet is processed.
  • Performance. Engineer traffic, balance load, and design transport and congestion-control protocols.
  • Sustainability. Measure and reduce the carbon footprint of networks.

We will also look at how networks can better support modern applications (video streaming, AI), new deployments (space-based networking, think Starlink), and new technologies (optics).

Besides covering the fundamentals, the course is “hands-on”: students experiment with the technologies in emulated network environments and implement some of them on their own during labs.

News

Sept 23 Materials for the second lecture are now online.
Sept 16 Materials for the first lecture are now online.
Sept 14 The website for the Fall 2026 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 and forwarding
  • Fast convergence
  • Network verification
  • Network programmability
  • Traffic engineering and load balancing
  • Transport protocols and congestion control
  • Networking for ML
  • Optical networking
  • Video streaming
  • Space networking
  • Sustainable networking

Prerequisites

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

Performance assessment

  • 6 ECTS credits
  • Written, closed-book exam (180 minutes)
Week 1
Wed 16.09
 Lecture    Introduction, Course organization. Routing scalability (Part 1)
Exercise   None this week. Exercises start in week 2.
Week 2
Tue 22.09
Wed 23.09
 Lecture    Routing scalability (Part 2). Forwarding scalability
Exercise   Refresher
Week 3
Tue 29.09
Wed 30.09
 Lecture    Fast convergence
Exercise
Week 4
Tue 06.10
Wed 07.10
 Lecture    Network verification (Part 1): Routing algebras
Exercise
Week 5
Tue 13.10
Wed 14.10
 Lecture    Network verification (Part 2): Logic-based verification
Exercise
Week 6
Tue 20.10
Wed 21.10
 Lecture    Programmable data planes (P4)
Exercise
Week 7
Tue 27.10
Wed 28.10
 Lecture    Traffic engineering and load balancing
Exercise
Week 8
Tue 03.11
Wed 04.11
 Lecture    Transport protocols
Exercise
Week 9
Tue 10.11
Wed 11.11
 Lecture    Congestion control
Exercise
Week 10
Tue 17.11
Wed 18.11
 Lecture    Networking for ML
Exercise
Week 11
Tue 24.11
Wed 25.11
 Lecture    Optics for networking
Exercise
Week 12
Tue 01.12
Wed 02.12
 Lecture    Video streaming
Exercise
Week 13
Tue 08.12
Wed 09.12
 Lecture    Space networking
Exercise
Week 14
Tue 15.12
Wed 16.12
 Lecture    Sustainable networking
Exercise
Exams

    Disclaimer!
    Please be mindful that topics change on a yearly basis and therefore are not covered in previous years' exams. Also, topics in common (e.g. p4) were not necessarily covered at the same technical depth.

  • 2021
  • 2022 (Feb)
  • 2022 (Aug)
  • 2023
  • 2024
  • 2025 ( solution)

Previous editions: 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025