A terminator such as a resistor that absorbs signal energy and prevents signal bounce. Passive terminations are generally used in bus topology networks such as 10Base2 and 10Base5 networks of the Ethernet variety.
Termination is not required in star topology networks because the central concentrator (hub) provides the termination for each signal path. Ring topology networks such as Token Ring also do not require termination points because the signal path has no beginning or end.
Passive termination is also used in some forms of Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) systems for terminating a chain of SCSI devices. Active termination, which involves electronically canceling the signal incident on the end of a transmission system, is generally more expensive than passive termination but more efficient.