network - technical definition

A fabric of elements that work together much as the fabric or mesh of a net to support the transfer of information. A network includes all links, amplifiers and repeaters, multiplexers, switches, routers, and other intermediate devices involved in establishing, maintaining, and terminating a session between a transmitter and a receiver. A network may take the form of a local area network (LAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), personal area network (PAN), or wide area network (WAN). See also LAN, MAN, PAN, and WAN.