This document provides an overview of key concepts in data communication and networking including: 1. It defines analog and digital signaling methods, with analog varying continuously in voltage and digital jumping between discrete voltage levels. 2. It describes how modems modulate digital signals to analog for transmission and demodulate analog signals back to digital. 3. It outlines simplex, half-duplex, and full-duplex transmission directions and defines common network types like LAN, MAN, and WAN.