Shielded Cat8 RJ45 Field Termination Plug, Tool-Less, 40G, PoE++ 100 W, Cable OD 7.3–9.0 mm (CAT8SH-PLG)

This is a shielded Cat8 RJ45 field termination plug for shielded solid or stranded 22 to 24 AWG cable with a jacket of 7.3 to 9.0 mm. It terminates without a crimp tool: the conductors go into a wire alignment insert in T568A or T568B order, the insert pushes into the plug, and the IDC contacts cut through the insulation as the body closes, so the only tool you need is a cable stripper. It meets the Cat8 performance requirements of ANSI/TIA-568.2-D for 40 Gigabit Ethernet, it supports PoE++ (802.3bt, 4PPoE) up to 100 W, and it's backward compatible with Cat6 systems. The cover is zinc die-cast with nickel plating, the contacts are phosphor bronze with 50 µin of gold, and strain relief boots are included. It's sold individually. For the jack at the other end of the link, the CAT8SH-KEY; for a crimp-style shielded plug on Cat7 and Cat8 cable up to 8.0 mm, the PLG-R45-CAT7.

Features

• Cat8, 40 Gigabit. Meets Cat8 performance requirements per ANSI/TIA-568.2-D; backward compatible with Cat6 systems.
• Tool-less termination. Wire alignment insert and IDC contacts; no crimp tool, a cable stripper is recommended.
• PoE++ to 100 W. 802.3bt 4PPoE; rated for PoE power transfer.
• For shielded 22 to 24 AWG cable, solid or stranded. Cable OD 7.3 to 9.0 mm; T568A and T568B wiring.
• Zinc die-cast cover, nickel plated. Shielded housing with polycarbonate internals.
• 50 µin gold-plated contacts. Phosphor bronze, nickel underplate.
• Re-terminable. IDC rated for a minimum of 20 installation cycles; 750 mating cycles.
• Strain relief boots included.

Where It Fits

It suits data center techs putting Cat8 on the short links between top-of-rack switches and servers at 25GBASE-T and 40GBASE-T where a factory cord isn't the right length, structured cabling crews terminating Cat8 bulk cable in a plant or lab that has standardized on it, anyone running 802.3bt power to a high-draw device over heavy shielded cable and wanting a plug that's rated for it, installers who'd rather re-terminate an IDC plug than cut off a crimped one, anyone who has tried to get 9 mm Cat8 cable into a plug made for Cat6A, and a job that already has the Cat8 bulk cable, the shielded keystone jacks and panels, and a cable stripper from the copper collections. For the jacks and panels, the CAT8SH-KEY; for a wrap of extra copper under the shield clamp, the FOIL-001 strips; for a crimp-style plug on Cat7 and Cat8 up to 8.0 mm, the PLG-R45-CAT7.

Good to Know

Cat8 is a 30 m channel: 24 m of permanent link plus two 3 m cords, by the standard, so it's for the switch-to-server run inside the row, not the horizontal cabling to a desk. Measure the cable before ordering: this plug is for 22 to 24 AWG conductors under a 7.3 to 9.0 mm jacket, which is Cat8 territory, and a thinner shielded Cat6A jacket won't be gripped by the strain relief. Strip the jacket, fold the braid back over it where the shield clamp lands, lay the conductors into the insert in T568A or T568B (the same at both ends), trim them flush, and close the plug; the IDC contacts cut the insulation as the body closes, so don't strip the individual conductors. The plug can be opened and re-terminated a minimum of 20 times, which is what tool-less buys you over a crimp. A shielded plug only shields if the shell is bonded to the cable's shield and the jack at the other end is shielded too, so use shielded jacks and panels throughout, and bond the shield at one end only unless the two ends share a ground. At 100 W of PoE++, keep the bundle loose and the cords short, and never unplug under load, since the arc on break lands on the contacts. The boots are included, so there's nothing to slide on before termination; fit the boot that matches your jacket.

Specifications

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