virtual network

virtual network: A logical network that exists inside Novell NetWare and NetWare-compatible servers and routers but that is not associated with a physical adapter. The virtual network appears to a user as a separate network. On a computer running Windows 2000 Server or on an operating system in the Windows Server 2003 family, programs advertise their location on a virtual network, not a physical network. The internal network number identifies a virtual network inside a computer.