© 2005 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. INTRO v Module Summary A network is a connected collection of devices (computers, interconnections, routers, and switches) that can communicate with each other, providing the means for users to share both hardware and applications. There are a number of similarities, and a few differences, in the characteristics of a PC and two other major networking components, a switch and a router. The OSI reference model defines the network functions that occur at each layer and facilitates an understanding of how information travels throughout a network.
© 2005 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. INTRO v2.11-2