ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues 4 sq. box

Thank you, Techie for bringing that up. The use of the term "RJ45" has also been a peeve of my for years. An RJ45 is an 8 position, 8 conductor jack wired to support leased modems. Old-school computer guys used to order these jacks from the telephone company and started the misnomer 20+ years ago. That's because the jacks looked similar to those used for Ethernet jacks and patch panels. It's not the piece of hardware that's an RJ45! RJ45 is the specific wiring pattern that you mentioned. Something tells me that this is a lost cause, though.

Not a lost cause, just an obsolete term that now has a new meaning. I doubt my telco still has ONE USOC RJ45S in service today.

This has been interesting I have always called them RJ-45s and thought I was correct.

Apparently I should ask for 8P8C jacks?

I think it is a done deal, Google RJ-45s and all the hits I followed showed things like this;

If everything is "RJ-45" how would you differentiate between an 8 pin USOC and 568A or B (WECO)?

-Hal

Thinking the same Hal.

As long as you stay consistant at each end of a particuular segment it really doesn't make any difference between 586 A or B.
The USOC RJ45S would be made apparent by the 97-A Type connecting block. You can see them down at the Smithsonian next to the leased line 4800 BPS modems.