Apr-19: No class today. I will, however, put the Hill cipher up ASAP. If you've not finished the Vigenere, get it done! See you Monday.

Apr-16: There will be a small delay in posting Project 4 (the Hill cipher). No, seriously. It's nearly ready, but meetings are going to prevent me from having it fully prepared at 3:00 pm. Watch this space; I expect to have it ready by 5:00 pm.

Non-update update! It's still not ready. (Come on, be a little> surprised! Please?) Other demands have kept me from it, but it is at the very top of my list. Stay tuned; I will send an email to the class when it is, indeed, posted.

Apr-01: I have posted a short Project 2 document as a reference for the basics of obtaining and cracking your substiution-cipher-based ciphertext. Good luck!

Mar-05: I have set one final extension of the deadline for Project 1. It is now due on Friday, March 8, at 11:59 pm. No further extensions will be granted.

Mar-04: The cs281-submit command -- particularly its permissions problem -- has been fixed. Try it again.

Mar-03: I have, at long last, installed the cs281-submit command for those of you who want to submit your work for Project 1.

Also, do remember that Project 1 has a new deadline of Wednesday, Mar-06, 11:59 pm. I will try to answer questions that arise in the new few days, but the sooner you ask, the more likely I'll get to an answer.

Feb-27: As promised, here are instructions for using cloud storage for your project(s). It is detailed about how to configure and use this storage from the department systems and from your own computer. Give it a try.

Feb-19: A few of you have asked whether Project 1 could be done in C or C++. Since I think it is a good idea to pick up other languages with projects like these; because C++ is so like Java; and because systems-level code such as networking stacks are most often written in C/C++, I am working on porting the project's simulator code to C++. I hope to have it done within a day or two, at which point I can distribute it for you to use. Stay tuned.

Also remember that on Friday we will meet in the basement of Seeley Mudd. We will likely need to use both 007 and 014 computer labs -- indeed, I would recommend that you bring a laptop if you've got one, just in case. We will spend time on Project 1, addressing any questions you may have and explaining critical parts of the code (and coding tools or techniques that may be new to some of you). In order to make the most of this lab time, you should certainly read the project document, grab the code, and at least begin working on your solutions.

Finally, a few of you have written to me to indicate that you do not have accounts on the CS department servers (castor.cs.amherst.edu and the workstations in Seeley Mudd 007). However, I am sure that more of you do not have such accounts, so you should email me right away if you do not have such an account. I will create one for you promptly so that you can begin work on the project. Also note that you may visit Anne Torrey and request a key to 007 as a member of this class.

Feb-17: Project 1 has been posted. Please check it out and get started. If you do not have an account on the CS department servers/workstations, please let me know so that I can make an account for you. I hope to have our class meet this Friday in Seeley Mudd 014 (computer lab), but stay tuned to see whether I am able to arrange that.

Feb-08: I have just cleared and set the office hours sign-up page for next week. Please notice that I have expanded the number of available time slots from which you may choose.

Feb-08: First, we will have class today, blizzard or not. (It's the disadvantage of having a small, residential college where your professors live across the street. Deal with it!)

Second, I have finally posted Problem set 1 on the Assignments page. You have one week to do it.

Feb-05: The sign-up page has been cleared, a bit belatedly, for this week. In the future, there will also be Monday office hours.

Jan-30: Room switch! Since our class is a bit too big for Seeley Mudd 207, we are moving our class to Seeley Mudd 206, switching with a mathematics class of Prof. R. Benedetto's which will fit in 207. Spread the word!

Jan-29: I have posted a web page on which you may, each week, sign up for a time to meet with me during my office hours. The given page -- admittedly a bit low-budget in appearance -- lists a handful of 20-minute meeting slots during which I will be available. Pick one (and only one) in a given week if you need to see me. If none of the times fit your schedule, contact me. I cannot guarantee that I will be able to find a time to meet with you, but we can try. The times listed each week on this page are the best bet, and you should feel free to share the time slot with someone if you and another member of the class have questions in common.

Jan-01: Welcome to Networks and Cryptography! Please begin, before our first class (Friday, Jan-25), by reading the Course Information document. This document makes clear what material we will cover, what is expected of you as a student, how I will evaluate your work, etc. It may also help you to determine whether this course is one that interests you.