This document provides an overview of key concepts in data communication including: 1. The five components of a data communication system are the sender, receiver, message, transmission medium, and protocol. 2. Data flow can be simplex, half-duplex, or full-duplex depending on whether transmission is unidirectional or bidirectional. 3. Signals can be analog or digital, with digital signals taking on discrete values like 0 and 1. 4. Common networking devices include modems, hubs, switches, and routers which facilitate data transmission and routing. 5. Network addressing identifies nodes and is implemented through physical MAC addresses and logical IP addresses which are organized into classes.