Q. How does Cs 519 compare to EE 445? A.
The goal is for there to be two major differences
First, ee445 focuses on performance analysis
of networking concepts while cs519 focuses on
instantiation of these concepts in real systems.
Second, ee445 focuses
more on the IP layer and below while cs519
focuses more on IP layer and above. Both courses
will cover the full protocol stack for students
taking only one course, but the emphasis will be
different. Students taking both courses would
see some of the material twice but the overall
courses should give students two very different
but complementary windows on the same material.
Q. Do I need to buy both textbooks? A.
Of course having both textbooks is best.
The Kurose and Ross book is great for
the high level overview and motivation. It also proceeds
top-down through the protocol stack as we will be doing
in class so reading it will seem more natural. The Stevens
book is a gem for its clear presentation of the details.
You could probably get the high level overview on your
own but it would be hard to get the details without
the Stevens text.