We consider several families of deterministic network optimization problems (NOPs) of particular importance for the design (synthesis) of real-life transportation, communication, and distribution networks. These families of NOPs include determination of optimal spanning and Steiner trees, multiconnected networks, distance bounded networks. and capacitated networks. Problems belonging to these families are formulated in an unified manner, and exact algorithms, heuristics, as well as algorithms for special cases are surveyed. Commonalities within each family as well as across family boundaries are identified. A wide range of open problems is given.