High density cabling and routing for switched network nodes

A method comprising:

• mapping, by a network routing device within a forwarding table, different respective subsets of differential pairs in a single cable, coupled to the network routing device via a high-density connector including a plurality of pins, to different respective network nodes of a plurality of network nodes that are connected to the network routing device via the single cable;
• registering, within the forwarding table, a different respective network address to each network node of the plurality of network nodes, such that a first network node coupled to a first subset of differential pairs of the single cable is assigned a first network address and a second network node coupled to a second subset of differential pairs of the single cable is assigned a second network address;
• receiving, by the network routing device, a data packet for the first network address assigned to the first network node of the plurality of network nodes that are connected to the network routing device via the single cable, wherein the first network node is a destination node for the data packet;
• determining, by the network routing device based on said mapping within the forwarding table, that the first subset of differential pairs in the single cable are mapped to the first network node;
• sending, by the network routing device, the data packet over the first subset of differential pairs in the single cable that are mapped to the first network node, wherein sending the data packet includes physically connecting, via a switched circuit, a signal including the data packet to a first subset of pins in the high-density connector connected to the first subset of differential pairs such that the signal is not sent over a second subset of pins in the high-density connector and the second subset of differential pairs in the single cable.