võrguterminist

A võrguterminist, or network terminator, is a crucial component in certain telecommunications and data networking systems. Its primary function is to terminate or end a network cable, allowing it to connect to a device or another network segment. In essence, it acts as an interface between the physical cabling and the active networking equipment.

These terminators are often found at the ends of coaxial cable segments in older Ethernet networks, such as ThinNet (10BASE2) or ThickNet (10BASE5). In these bus topology networks, a terminator was essential to absorb the electrical signal at the end of the cable. Without a proper terminator, signals would reflect back into the network, causing data corruption and network failure. Typically, these terminators had a specific impedance, usually 50 ohms, to match the cable's impedance and prevent signal reflection.

While less common in modern networks that predominantly use star topologies with twisted-pair cabling and active hubs or switches, the concept of network termination remains relevant. Even in newer technologies, there are often specific connectors and termination circuits within devices that serve a similar purpose of correctly interfacing the network medium with the electronic components. The term "võrguterminist" specifically refers to the physical device or component that achieves this termination.