What is latency in network communication?

Latency in network communication refers to the time it takes for data to travel from one point in the network to another. This encompasses all delays experienced in the journey of data packets across the network, including any network congestion, routing delays, and the time taken for processing at each node the data encounters.

Understanding latency is crucial when assessing the performance of a network, as lower latency indicates that data can be sent and received quickly, which is particularly important in applications that require real-time communication, such as online gaming or video conferencing.

Other concepts such as processing time or transmission speed relate to different aspects of network performance. Processing data involves the time taken by a device or server to handle requested information, while the speed of transmission indicates how fast data can be sent over a connection, typically measured in bits per second. The amount of data transferred over a certain period refers to bandwidth. Thus, while these factors are relevant in discussions about network performance, they do not define latency itself.