Stacked LAN connector

An electrical connector, comprising:

• a board-mountable assembly having an insulative housing, said insulative housing defining a first aperture, a second aperture, a mating face and a board-mounting face, wherein said first aperture extends into said insulative housing from said mating face and is adjacent to and in communication with said board-mounting face;
• a shielded electrical connector insertable into said first aperture and including at least one first plug-receiving cavity in communication with said mating face of said assembly, and further including a first array of board-connectable contacts having contact sections exposed in each said at least one first plug-receiving cavity of said shielded electrical connector;
• a second array of board-connectable contacts disposed in said insulative housing and having contact sections exposed in a second plug-receiving cavity in communication with said mating face of said assembly;
• said second plug-receiving cavity and each said at least one first plug-receiving cavity being vertically stacked, and board-connecting contacts sections of said first array of contacts and said second array of contacts extending vertically at least to said board-mounting face of said insulative housing remote from said mating face;
• and
• a shield in said insulative housing between said board-connecting contact sections of said first array of contacts and said second array of contacts.

An electrical connector, comprising:

• a board-mountable assembly having an insulative housing, said insulative housing defining a first aperture, a second aperture, a mating face and a board-mounting face, wherein said second aperture is a modular jack cavity adjacent said mating face of said insulative housing, for receiving thereinto a complementary modular plug and wherein said insulative housing includes a jack-receiving cavity extending into a rear face thereof, said jack-receiving cavity having an opening in communication with said second aperture;
• a shielded electrical connector insertable into said first aperture and including at least one first plug-receiving cavity in communication with said mating face of said assembly, and further including a first array of board-connectable contacts having contact sections exposed in each said at least one first plug-receiving cavity of said shielded electrical connector;
• a second array of board-connectable contacts disposed in said insulative housing and having contact sections exposed in a second plug-receiving cavity in communication with said mating face of said assembly;
• said second plug-receiving cavity and each said at least one first plug-receiving cavity being vertically stacked, and board-connecting contacts sections of said first array of contacts and said second array of contacts extending vertically at least to said board-mounting face of said insulative housing remote from said mating face;
• and
• a shield in said insulative housing between said board-connecting contact sections of said first array of contacts and said second array of contacts.

A stacked LAN electrical connector, comprising:

• a board-mountable assembly including an insulative housing having a vertical axis, said insulative housing defining at least a first aperture and a second aperture stacked vertically, a mating face and a board-mounting face;
• a first electrical connector disposed in said first aperture including a first array of board-connectable contacts having contact sections exposed in a first plug-receiving cavity in communication with said mating face of said assembly;
• and
• a second electrical connector, dissimilar from said first electrical connector, disposed in said second aperture, said second connector including a second array of board-connectable contacts disposed in said insulative housing and having contact sections exposed in a second plug-receiving cavity in communication with said mating face of said assembly.

A method of affixing a module to an electrical connector, comprising the steps of:

• providing an electrical connector having an insulative housing with an outer side wall having a component-receiving recess thereinto, said recess having side wall surfaces with first latching sections therealong;
• providing a module having side wall surfaces with second latching sections therealong, with one of said first and second latching sections being resiliently compressible and protruding from a respective one of said recess side wall surfaces and said module side wall surfaces, and the other thereof being a complementary indentation defining a seat;
• and
• pressing said electrical component into said recess into said housing side wall with said recess side wall surfaces against said component side wall surfaces and said protruding latching section being compressed until seating within said indentation latching section, thereby engaging said first and second latching sections.