A system and method that automates assigning unique IDs to sequentially networked devices. The system also allows for the discovery of the number of devices on the network as well as the type of these devices, as well as placing terminations. Each node has a switch that can disable all downstream communications. Nodes power-up with the switches closed. A controller broadcasts for all switches to be opened. Then the controller repetitiously orders each node with unassigned ID to take the current ID, close its switch and respond. This process continues until all nodes have an ID. Network terminations can be switched in either automatically, or by command from the controller wherever the end of the network is during the ID process.