alt Hacker NewsRJ45 isn't even actually the same connector, at least not in the original FCC naming. That was an 8P8C keyed modular connector. RJ45 connectors had only two of the positions connected to wires (one phone line) an internal resistor between two of the other positions, and a keying bar that stuck out of the plug so they wouldn't even go into the unkeyed 8P8C jacks we use for Ethernet.
So I'll still call them RJ45 connectors. Because nobody has time to say "8P8C unkeyed modular connector" every time!
Replies
formerly_proven • 01/18/2025
Though the pinout was influenced by the phone standards, that’s why the first two pairs are nested into each other in the center, which you obviously wouldn’t do for a high-speed digital interface.
Weren't phone lines something like RJ11 or RJ12?
FWIW, TIL about 8P8C.