Ethernet Port

RJ-45

Ethernet is a networking technology that is used to connect your computer to Internet and communicate with other computers or networking devices.
The interface that is used for computer networking and telecommunications is known as Registered Jack (RJ) and RJ – 45 port in particular is used for Ethernet over cable. RJ-45 connector is an 8 pin – 8 contact (8P – 8C) type modular connector.
The latest Ethernet technology is called Gigabit Ethernet and supports a data transfer rate of over 10Gigabits per second. The Ethernet or a LAN port with 8P – 8C type connector along with the male RJ-45 cable is shown below.
The un-keyed 8P – 8C modular connector is generally referred to the Ethernet RJ-45. Often, RJ-45 ports are equipped with two LEDs for indicating transmission and packet detection.
As mentioned earlier, an Ethernet RJ-45 port has 8 pins and the following picture depicts the pinout of one.

RJ-11

RJ-11 is another type of Registered Jack that is used as an interface for telephone, modem or ADSL connections. Even though computers are almost never equipped with an RJ-11 port, they are the main interface in all telecommunication networks.
RJ-45 and RJ11 ports look alike but RJ-11 is a smaller port and uses a 6 point – 4 contact (6P – 4C) connector even though a 6 point – 2 contact (6P – 2C) is sufficient. The following is a picture of an RJ-11 port and its compatible connector.

RJ-45 and RJ-11 ports