Registered jacks are the physical connectors introduced in 1986 by Bell Systems under the request of the US Federal Communication Commission.
They are telephonic lines with different serial numbers to differentiate them from one another and make them unique for each user.
Only the delivery of these is handled by the telephone services while the customers must maintain them. They were used as a protective replacement for the protective couplet provided by the companies.
There are many types of registered jacks, depending on their functions. Two of them are RJ11 and RJ14.
Key Takeaways
- RJ-11 and RJ-14 are both types of phone connectors with a different numbers of pins.
- RJ-11 has four pins and is used for connecting a single phone line.
- RJ-14 has six pins and can connect two or a single line with an extra feature.
RJ-11 vs RJ-14
RJ-11 is a four or six-wire connector for connecting a single phone line to a telephone set, used in homes and small offices. RJ-14 is a six-wire connector that can accommodate up to two lines, commonly used in larger homes and small businesses where two phone lines are needed.
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RJ11 or registered jack 11 is also commonly known as a phone connector or modem port. The US Commission used them for connecting telephones to modems and is not also used for connecting them to the internet connection.
They also have different types, like RJ11s and RJ11w.
RJ14 or registered jack 14 is also known as two-wire connectors, as they have two telephonic lines that can connect to two phones. They are 6P4C connectors with six pins and four contacts.
They are commonly used in leased connections in the US. They are also used in US-manufactured modems.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | RJ11 | RJ14 |
|---|---|---|
| Pins and contacts | Six pins and two contacts | Six pins and four contacts |
| Connectors | 6P2C or 6P4C | 6P4C |
| Alignment of wires | The negative wire goes to pin 3 and the positive wire goes to pin 4 | The negative wire goes to pin 2, and the positive wire goes to pin 5 |
| Number of wires | Two wires | Four wires |
| Accommodation | Accommodates one phone | Can accommodate two phones |
What is RJ11?
RJ11 is a registered jack commonly used to connect phones to the modem or internet. They are 6P2C connectors, but if the outer connectors are left unconnected, they can also be used as 6P4C connectors, like in the case of RJ14.
They are the most popular and common type of registered jacks. They are used in houses and offices where the old telephone wire connections are still in use.
These jacks also have different types and are often indicated with suffixes like letters.
The suffix to RJ11, like RJ11s, RJ11c, or RJ11w, often indicates an additional function to the originally registered jack. The suffix w in RJ11w indicates that these jacks can be used if the telephone wire is to hang from the wall.
The suffix c in RJ11c is for the jack used for desktop connections.
The two-wire type RJ11 with 6P4C connectors is used for telephone handset services, whereas the three-wire type RJ11 with 6P6C is used for wall-hanging telephone services.
What is RJ14?
RJ14 is also a registered jack found from the RJ11 but is more advanced than that series of a registered jacks.
They are commonly used for connecting modems that are US generated or for lease connections.
These are designed to accommodate more telephone lines, so they are 6P4C connectors with six pins and four contacts.
Like all circuits to be complete, there are also positive and negative terminals for RJ14. The negative wire is connected to pin 2, and the positive wire is connected to pin 5 to complete the circuit.
Main Differences Between RJ11 and RJ14
- The main difference between the two is their number of pins and contacts. RJ11 has six pins and two contacts, whereas RJ14 has six and four pins.
- Since they have six pins and four contacts, RJ14 is a 6P4C connector. If the outer contacts of an RJ11 are left unconnected, they can act as 6P4C connectors, but otherwise, they are 6P2C connectors.
- Every circuit needs to have negative and positive wires. In the case of RJ11, the central wires act as terminal wires, with the negative wire going to pin 3 and the positive wire going to pin 4. But in the case of RJ14, the positive wire connects to pin 2, and the negative wire connects to pin 5.
- RJ14 has two wires, whereas RJ14 has four wires.
- These registered jacks accommodate phones depending on the number of telephonic lines and the wires that can be connected. So, RJ11 can accommodate only one phone, whereas an RJ14 can accommodate two phones.
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14623943.2015.1064379
- https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/159180559.pdf
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
