why haven't ethernet connectors changed?

Thu Dec 20 18:34:17 UTC 2012

MRJ21 also helps density in some scenarios (like line card and patch panel density), although ultimately you need to go back to RJ45 at some point.

-Vinny

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Loftis [mailto:mloftis at wgops.com] 
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2012 1:29 PM
To: Michael Thomas
Cc: NANOG list
Subject: Re: why haven't ethernet connectors changed?

It's not all about density.  You *Must* have positive retention and
alignment.  None of the USB nor firewire standards provide for positive
retention.  eSATA does sort of in some variants but the connectors for USB
are especially delicate and easy to break off and destroy.  There's the
size of the Cat5/5e/6 cable to be considered too.

Then you must consider that the standard must allow for local termination,
the RJ45 (And it's relatives) are pretty good at this.  Fast, reliable,
repeatable termination with a single simple tool that requires only a
little bit of mechanical input from the user of the tool.

On Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 10:20 AM, Michael Thomas <mike at mtcc.com> wrote:

> I was looking at a Raspberry Pi board and was struck with how large the
> ethernet
> connector is in comparison to the board as a whole. It strikes me: ethernet
> connectors haven't changed that I'm aware in pretty much 25 years. Every
> other
> cable has changed several times in that time frame. I imaging that if
> anybody
> cared, ethernet cables could be many times smaller. Looking at wiring
> closets,
> etc, it seems like it might be a big win for density too.
>
> So why, oh why, nanog the omniscient do we still use rj45's?
>
> Mike
>
>

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