In a Bus topology, which term refers to the device placed at the end of the main cable to prevent signal reflections?

• A. Terminator
• B. Repeater
• C. Hub
• D. Switch

Answer: (A)

In a bus topology, signal reflections happen when a transmitted pulse reaches the end of the main cable and bounces back along the line. A terminator is a resistor network placed at the ends of the backbone that matches the cable’s characteristic impedance, absorbing the signal so it doesn’t reflect. This prevents interference and data errors on the shared medium. That’s why a terminator is the correct device for ending the bus properly.

Repeaters extend the signal by regenerating it, but they don’t serve the impedance-matching purpose required to stop reflections. A hub is a passive-style sharing device that simply connects devices in a star-like fashion and doesn’t terminate the line. A switch manages traffic between segments and also does not terminate the bus.