9352333 Saadawi This project establishes a Multimedia Communication Networks Laboratory by enhancing the current Local Area Networks Laboratory, to instruct senior undergraduate students to understand and lead this technological evolution. The focus of the Laboratory is placed on the practical hands-on experiments that deal with identifying and resolving problems associated with network operation and management, performance and communication protocols, particularly with multimedia service applications on the state-of-the-art facilities. New experiments include a series of increasingly complex problems ranging from monitoring performance of each network component to designing an application program to multiplex, transmit and receive multimedia services at different service access points. The Laboratory includes representative standardized networks and services from LAN and WAN: Ethernet, FDDI, ISDN, X.25, Frame Relay and ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode). Multimedia workstations equipped with video and voice capabilities and protocol analyzers are access points to the networks for laboratory students. Interface, bridge and switching equipment connects the networks. TCP/IP, OSI protocols and network management softwares are implemented. The laboratory gives students practical experiences of the real network environment with advanced multimedia services. Furthermore, this laboratory enhances and strengthens the undergraduate communication network design course, encouraging students to pursue further research activities. ***
