logoalt Hacker News

baq01/17/20256 repliesview on HN

RJ45 nazi here: these should be called 8P8C

I’ll show myself out


Replies

polpo01/17/2025

I don't mind calling the connector an RJ45, but calling this thing an "RJ45 dongle" makes my eye twitch. It's an Ethernet dongle - RJ45 can be used for a lot of other things. For example I've seen "RJ45 dongles" that convert USB to RS232 serial for the console ports on a lot of networking equipment.

show 3 replies
leptons01/17/2025

TIL. After maybe 25 years of using this connector, I've never heard it called 8P8C. I knew Ethernet has used other physical layers including coax, which I used to run between Amigas way back in the day. But, today I finally learned about 8P8C.

show 1 reply
geerlingguy01/17/2025

Heh I think anyone who studies for the Network+ ends up debating every time RJ45 is mentioned whether to make this comment or not haha

daneel_w01/17/2025

Don't show yourself out. Stay and remind people. It's important, since these two aren't interchangeable in both directions.

SAI_Peregrinus01/18/2025

Or RJ31X or RJ38X, both of which did use the 8P8C modular connector in its unkeyed configuration.

immibis01/18/2025

Please don't call yourself an "RJ45 nazi" as it devalues the problem of actual nazis