A computer network allows multiple computers to be interconnected via transmission paths like telephone lines. Data communication is the exchange of digital data between two devices via a transmission medium like wires. There are two types of data communication: local, for communicating devices in the same building, and remote, for devices farther apart. A data communication system must effectively deliver data to the correct destination, do so accurately, and deliver it in a timely manner. The five basic components of data communication are: the message being communicated, the sender, the receiver, the transmission medium connecting them, and the communication protocols governing the exchange.