What does the term "packet loss" refer to?

Packet loss refers to the situation where data packets fail to reach their intended destination across a network. This can occur for various reasons, such as network congestion, hardware malfunctions, or software issues. When packets are lost, it can lead to delays, retransmissions, and overall degradation of service quality, which can affect applications that rely on timely data transmission, such as video streaming or VoIP.

The other options, while related to network issues, do not accurately define packet loss. The loss of physical cables pertains to hardware failure but does not describe the failure of data packets. Packets that are too large for the network could result in other issues, such as fragmentation or rejection, but they do not specifically define loss. Similarly, delays in data packet transmission are related to latency, not loss. Therefore, the term specifically points to packets that do not make it to their endpoint, distinguishing it from other potential network-related problems.