In computer networking, when a network is overloaded with enormous data sent by many computers so that it cannot deliver data properly, this inability of the network is termed as what?

Introduction / Context:
Computer networks are designed to carry data from one node to another efficiently. However, when too much traffic is injected into the network at the same time, the available capacity can be exceeded. As a result, packets are delayed, queues overflow and some data may be dropped. This situation, where the network cannot handle the offered load, has a specific name in networking theory and practice. This question checks whether you know that standard term, which appears often in data communications and networking exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The network is described as overloaded with enormous data from many computers.
• The network becomes unable to deliver data properly under this load.
• Options include access control, congestion, error propagation, deadlock and latency balancing.
• We assume the context of packet switched networks such as the internet or local area networks.

Concept / Approach:
When the traffic offered to a network exceeds its capacity to process and forward packets, buffering queues fill up and performance degrades. This state is known as congestion. Symptoms of congestion include high delays, packet loss and throughput collapse. Network protocols incorporate congestion control and congestion avoidance mechanisms to detect and relieve such conditions. Access control deals with who is allowed to use the network, error propagation describes the spread of errors and deadlock refers to processes waiting on each other in a circular dependency. None of these terms exactly describe the general overload condition. Therefore, the correct term for the inability of an overloaded network to deliver data is congestion.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Networking textbooks define congestion as the situation in which the number of packets sent to the network is greater than the network capacity, causing performance deterioration. They discuss congestion collapse, where increasing load can actually reduce useful throughput. Solutions such as congestion control, traffic shaping and quality of service are presented to prevent or mitigate congestion. Access control and deadlock are covered in different sections and do not describe the same phenomenon. This clearly supports congestion as the correct answer to the question about network overload.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Access control: Refers to controlling which users or devices are allowed to access the network or resources, not to overload conditions.
• Error propagation: Describes how errors spread through a system, but not the general overload of traffic.
• Deadlock: Involves processes waiting for each other in a circular chain, common in operating systems, not general network overload.
• Latency balancing: Not a standard term; latency refers to delay, but balancing is not the word used for overload.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners confuse congestion with access control or error control because all appear in networking chapters. A simple way to remember the difference is to connect congestion with traffic jams on a road. Just as too many cars cause a traffic jam, too many packets cause network congestion. Access control is more like checking tickets at the entrance, and error control is like fixing broken messages. When a question describes a network overloaded with data and unable to deliver it, congestion is the right keyword to look for in the options.

Final Answer:
The inability of an overloaded network to deliver data properly is termed Congestion.