A network is defined as a series of two or more computers connected together to communicate and exchange information and other resources, such as centralized data and software. Networks are built around a cable or wireless connection that employs radio wave or infrared signals to connect the computers. For a network to work properly it must supply connections, communications, and services.

Connections are measured by the hardware or physical components needed to connect a system to the network. This includes the network medium, or the hardware that physically connects one computer to another, and the network interface, which is attributed to the hardware that connects a computer to the network medium and is usually a network interface card (NIC).

Communications deals with the network protocols that are in place to outline the rules that direct network communication between the networked computers. Through the network protocols, computers with different operating systems and software are able to communicate with each other.

Services are the resources that a computer shares with the rest of the networked computers. An example would be a shared printer.

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