Communications connectors including transmission lines having impedance discontinuities that improve return loss and/or insertion loss performance and related methods

A method of improving the return loss on a differential transmission line through a communications connector, the method comprising:

• dividing the differential transmission line into at least a first segment, a second segment and a third segment, wherein a first impedance mismatch between the impedances of the first and second segments differs by at least 20%, and a second impedance mismatch between the impedances of the second and third segments differs by at least 20%.

A method of improving the return loss on a transmission line through a communications connector, the method comprising:

• including a plurality of impedance mismatches along the transmission line;
• adjusting the magnitude of one or more of the impedance mismatches, the delay between one or more of the impedance mismatches and/or the number of impedance mismatches provided in order to reduce a rate of decrease in the return loss of the transmission line as a function of increasing frequency within a desired frequency operating range of the transmission line.

16-18. (canceled)