In a network, what does the term 'latency' refer to?

Latency is primarily defined as the delay before a transfer of data begins. This encompasses the time taken for data to be queued and processed by the various devices in a network, such as routers and switches, before the actual transmission occurs. It highlights the responsiveness of the network and can have a significant impact on applications that require real-time data transmission, such as video conferencing or online gaming.

While speed of the network equipment and the time taken for a packet to travel through the network can influence the overall latency, they are not the direct definitions of latency itself. Additionally, the amount of data that can be transmitted relates more to bandwidth rather than latency. Understanding latency is crucial for identifying performance bottlenecks and optimizing network performance.