What type of crosstalk occurs between wire pairs near the source of a signal?

• A. Far-end crosstalk (FEXT)
• B. Near-end crosstalk (NEXT)
• C. Inter-pair crosstalk
• D. In-band crosstalk

Answer: (B)

Near-end crosstalk is the interference that happens between adjacent wire pairs at the point where the signal originates. It occurs through capacitive and inductive coupling between neighboring conductors, so the unwanted signal appears at the near end of the victim pair as the transmitter sends. This is what makes it distinct from far-end crosstalk, which shows up at the far end of the victim pair after the signal has traveled along the line and is often reduced by attenuation. The other terms aren’t the standard way to describe this specific near-source coupling, so the best fit for crosstalk occurring near the source is near-end crosstalk.