---
title: "Computer Network — AP CSP Definition & Exam Guide"
description: "A computer network is a group of interconnected computing devices that can send or receive data. Core to AP CSP Unit 4 and the foundation of the Internet."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-comp-sci-p/key-terms/computer-network"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP Computer Science Principles"
unit: "Unit 4"
---

# Computer Network — AP CSP Definition & Exam Guide

## Definition

In AP Computer Science Principles, a computer network is a group of interconnected computing devices capable of sending or receiving data (EK CSN-1.A.3). It's a type of computing system, and the Internet is the biggest example, a network made of interconnected networks.

## What It Is

A computer network is a group of interconnected [computing devices](/ap-comp-sci-p/key-terms/computing-devices "fv-autolink") that can send or receive [data](/ap-comp-sci-p/unit-2/extracting-information-data/study-guide/EFuLgc6tL71cegDFjXRl "fv-autolink"). That's the exact CED definition (EK CSN-1.A.3), and the AP exam expects you to use those words precisely. A computing device is any physical artifact that can run a program, so we're talking computers, tablets, servers, routers, and even smart sensors. Connect them so they can pass data back and forth, and you have a network.

Here's the part that trips people up. A computer network is a *type* of computing system (EK CSN-1.A.4). A computing system is any group of computing devices and programs working together for a common purpose. A network is the version of that where the devices are physically or wirelessly interconnected and exchanging data. When two devices on a network communicate, the data travels along a **path**, a sequence of directly connected devices linking the [sender](/ap-comp-sci-p/key-terms/sender "fv-autolink") to the receiver. The Internet scales this idea up massively: it's a computer network made of interconnected networks, all speaking the same open, standardized protocols.

## Why It Matters

This term anchors Topic 4.1 (The Internet) in [Unit 4](/ap-comp-sci-p/unit-4 "fv-autolink"): Computer Systems and Networks. It directly supports learning objective 4.1.A (explain how computing devices work together in a network) and sets up 4.1.B, 4.1.C, and 4.1.D, because you can't explain how the Internet works, how packets travel, or how the Web differs from the Internet without first nailing what a network is. The whole vocabulary chain of Unit 4 stacks on this one definition: device → computing system → network → Internet → [World Wide Web](/ap-comp-sci-p/key-terms/world-wide-web "fv-autolink"). If you can recite that hierarchy and explain each link, you've got the backbone of Unit 4's multiple-choice questions.

## Connections

### Routers (Unit 4)

Routers are the computing devices that connect networks to each other. They decide which path your data takes, which is what makes a 'network of networks' like the Internet actually [function](/ap-comp-sci-p/key-terms/procedure "fv-autolink").

### [Routing (Unit 4)](/ap-comp-sci-p/key-terms/routing)

A network gives you possible paths between sender and [receiver](/ap-comp-sci-p/key-terms/receiver "fv-autolink"); routing is choosing which path the data actually takes. On the Internet, routing is dynamic, meaning the path isn't fixed ahead of time and can change between messages.

### [Bandwidth (Unit 4)](/ap-comp-sci-p/key-terms/bandwidth)

[Bandwidth](/ap-comp-sci-p/key-terms/bandwidth "fv-autolink") measures how much data a network connection can move per second. Defining a network as devices 'sending or receiving data' naturally raises the question of how fast, and that's bandwidth.

### Switches (Unit 4)

Switches connect devices within a single network and forward data to the right device. Think of switches as managing traffic inside one network while routers manage traffic between networks.

## On the AP Exam

Computer network shows up almost entirely in multiple-choice questions, and they test definitions with surgical precision. Expect stems like 'which scenario best illustrates interconnected computing devices sending and receiving data' or 'which statement describes a limitation that would prevent devices from forming a functional computer network.' A favorite move is testing the hierarchy: questions ask you to explain why a campus network counts as a computing system, which checks whether you know a network is a *type* of computing system, not a separate thing. You don't need to configure anything technical. You need to classify scenarios correctly, identify what makes devices a network (interconnection plus data exchange), and keep the device → system → network → Internet ladder straight.

## Computer network vs The Internet

Every Internet is a computer network, but not every computer network is the Internet. A computer network is any group of interconnected devices that can send or receive data, including your home Wi-Fi or a school's local network. The Internet is one specific, global network made of interconnected networks that all use standardized, open (nonproprietary) protocols like IP, TCP, and UDP. On the exam, if a question is about open protocols, packets, or dynamic routing, it's asking about the Internet specifically, not networks in general.

## Key Takeaways

- A computer network is a group of interconnected computing devices capable of sending or receiving data, and the exam rewards using that exact definition.
- A computer network is a type of computing system, which is any group of computing devices and programs working together for a common purpose.
- A path between a sender and a receiver on a network is a sequence of directly connected computing devices.
- The Internet is a computer network made of interconnected networks that use open, standardized protocols, so it's a special case of a network, not a synonym for one.
- Computing devices include more than computers; tablets, servers, routers, and smart sensors all count because they can run a program.
- Keep the hierarchy straight: computing device → computing system → computer network → Internet → World Wide Web.

## FAQs

### What is a computer network in AP Computer Science Principles?

It's a group of interconnected computing devices capable of sending or receiving data (EK CSN-1.A.3). The devices can be computers, tablets, servers, routers, or smart sensors, anything that can run a program.

### Is a computer network the same thing as the Internet?

No. The Internet is one specific computer network made of interconnected networks that use open, standardized protocols. Your home Wi-Fi is a computer network, but it's not the Internet by itself.

### Is a computer network a computing system?

Yes. The CED states directly that a computer network is a type of computing system (EK CSN-1.A.4), because it's a group of computing devices and programs working together for a common purpose. Exam questions love testing this exact relationship.

### What's the difference between a computer network and the World Wide Web?

A network is the physical and wireless infrastructure of connected devices. The World Wide Web is a system of linked pages, programs, and files that runs on top of the Internet using HTTP. The Web uses the Internet; it isn't the network itself.

### What counts as a computing device on a network?

Any physical artifact that can run a program. The CED lists computers, tablets, servers, routers, and smart sensors as examples, so don't assume a network is only made of laptops and desktops.

## Related Study Guides

- [4.1 The Internet](/ap-comp-sci-p/unit-4/internet/study-guide/HouTEH6ypgVs8tNInelL)

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