Which cable type is typically used to connect two routers directly or two PCs directly?

• A. Crossover cable
• B. Straight-through cable
• C. Fiber optic
• D. Coaxial

Answer: (A)

When two network devices need to talk directly with each other, the signals must flow from a device’s transmit pins into the other device’s receive pins. A crossover cable is wired so the transmit and receive pairs are crossed inside the cable, which lets like devices (two PCs or two routers) connect directly without an intermediary switch. That’s why this cable type is the best match for a direct device-to-device link.

Straight-through cables are meant for connecting unlike devices (for example, a PC to a switch or a router to a modem), where the pinouts are aligned. Fiber optic is a different medium that requires its own transceivers and isn’t the typical copper Ethernet choice for direct connections between two endpoints. Coaxial is an older Ethernet media type and not used for standard direct router-to-router or PC-to-PC links in modern networks.