RJ-45 ports are commonly found on computers, routers, switches, and hubs for Ethernet or serial connections. They use 8P8C jacks and support communication speeds up to 1Gbps. Some newer standards, such as ARJ45 and GG45, support 10Gbps and faster connections using CAT6 and CAT7 cables. TERA is a different high-speed connector that can be plugged into the same port with a special patch cable.
A Registered Jack 45 (RJ-45) port is a data port often found on computers, network routers, switches, and hubs. It is commonly used for an Ethernet or serial connection with an 8-position, 8-conductor (8P8C) jack. In the past, some modems and phones included a port that used a real RJ-45 jack. While the 8P8C jack is not identical to RJ-45, the data port commonly retains the name.
The most common RJ-45 port uses four of the 8P8C cables for Ethernet communications. Pins 1 and 2 are the transmit pair, while pins 3 and 6 are the receive pair. The port typically connects devices using Category 5 (CAT5) or Category 6 (CAT6) twisted-pair cable. This port and cable combination typically supports communication speeds up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps). Unlike a true RJ-45 jack, the 8P8C jack includes all eight conductors and has no additional “key” card.
An RJ-45 serial communications port can use all eight wires of the 8P8C modular connector. Some Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) connections often use up to six of these cables. Two conductors can carry energy while the other two are tip/ring signals. Another type of ISDN device may use four wires for transmit/receive pairs instead of two for tip/ring.
The original port design for use with a modem, now obsolete, followed the RJ-45 specification. The real jack has eight positions, but only two conductors carrying tip/ring signals. Pins 7 and 8 short a resistor on the device, indicating the presence of a wire. RJ-45 is one of several registered jacks used for telephone connections. Registered jack 11 (RJ-11) is almost always used for home telephone wiring.
A modern Gigabit Ethernet device is best served with a modified RJ-45 port. Augmented RJ-45 (ARJ45) and GigaGate 45 (GG45) are newer standards designed for high-speed communications. Both support 10Gbps and faster connections using CAT6 and Category 7 (CAT7) cables. ARJ45 connectors come in two varieties: one for 6-pin CAT8 cables, the other for 7-pin CAT12 cables. Conversely, a GG45 connector can accommodate both types of cable.
Siemon Labs’ TERA is a different kind of high-speed connector. It doesn’t use the RJ-45 form factor, but can be plugged into the same port with a special patch cable. Often used to transmit broadcast video, it is also designed for speeds of 10Gbps and higher.
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