This document provides an overview of basic networking concepts. It defines a computer network and provides examples. It discusses the advantages of networking such as file sharing, resource sharing, communication and flexible access. It also describes networking components like network cards, cables, modems and hubs/switches. It outlines different types of networks including LAN, MAN, WAN and PAN. It explains network architectures like peer-to-peer and client-server. It defines common network topologies such as point-to-point, bus, star, ring, tree and mesh. Finally, it discusses network security and the importance of authorization and authentication.