Phone Cable Connector Standards

Telephone cable connectors use RJ-11 connectors to connect to the wall outlet. The book "Cabling: the Complete Guide to Network Wiring" states that the terms phone jack and phone outlet are often used interchangeably.

Standard Terminology

A jack is the connector outlet in the wall plate that allows a workstation to make a physical and electrical connection to the network cabling system. Terminal equipment (TE) refers to network communication networks. TE1 connectors are used for digital communication lines like ISDN ports. Analog phone connectors are classified as TE2.

Standard Construction

The R-11 is a 6-4 connector because it has room for 6 connectors but only has 4 connectors, according to the book "HTI+ Exam Cram 2." Phone connector cables have four wires, but only the middle two wires carry the signal and electricity. Phone cable connectors are slightly smaller than RJ-45 Ethernet connectors.

TIA Standards

Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) standards for phone cables and phone cable connectors have been adopted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ANSI / TIA standard 570-A defines the design and installation for residential phone cable connectors. ANSI / TIA standard 568-B defines the design and installation for commercial phone cable connectors.