Stewart Connector, a Bel group company, has unveiled Category 8.1 RJ45 punch down plugs that support 25 and 40 Gbps Ethernet transmission speeds over balanced twisted pair copper cabling. They are designed to meet Category 8.1 performance standards in applications as defined by ISO/IEC 11801-1:2017 and ANSI/TIA-568.2-D.

The new Category 8.1 punch down plugs are available with multiple strain relief options making them suitable Source: Stewart Connectorfor use on most solid and stranded Category 8 cables available in today’s market. Utilizing the reliable industry standard RJ45 interface allows these devices to be backwards compatible with existing RJ45 connector applications designed for Category 5e through 6a systems.

These punch down plugs are a cost-effective solution for data centers looking to upgrade data transmission speeds without switching over to a more costly fiber optic solution. They are designed for quick and easy terminations without the need for specialized tooling. This design feature allows for termination in the field and is ideal for high noise environments including military applications, medical equipment and data center switch-to-server interconnections.