Communications jacks having contact wire configurations that provide crosstalk compensation

A communications jack, comprising:

• a housing having a plug aperture that is configured to receive a mating plug that is inserted along a first axis;
• a wiring board that is mounted substantially perpendicular to the first axis;
• a first contact wire that has a termination end that is mounted in the wiring board and a free end that includes a plug contact region;
• a second contact wire that has a termination end that is mounted in the wiring board and a free end that includes a plug contact region;
• a third contact wire that has a first termination end that is mounted in the wiring board, a second termination end that is mounted in the wiring board, a crossover segment that connects the first and second termination ends and a free end that includes a plug contact region;
• a fourth contact wire that has a termination end that is mounted in the wiring board and a free end that includes a plug contact region;
• a fifth contact wire that has a termination end that is mounted in the wiring board and a free end that includes a plug contact region;
• a sixth contact wire that has a first termination end that is mounted in the wiring board, a second termination end that is mounted in the wiring board, a crossover segment that connects the first and second termination ends and a free end that includes a plug contact region;
• a seventh contact wire that has a termination end that is mounted in the wiring board and a free end that includes a plug contact region;
• an eighth contact wire that has a termination end that is mounted in the wiring board and a free end that includes a plug contact region;
• wherein the fourth contact wire and the fifth contact wire form a first differential pair of contact wires;
• wherein the first contact wire and the second contact wire form a second differential pair of contact wires;
• wherein the third contact wire and the sixth contact wire form a third differential pair of contact wires;
• wherein the seventh contact wire and the eighth contact wire form a fourth differential pair of contact wires;
• wherein the plug contact regions of the first through eighth contact wires are arranged in a generally side-by-side relationship in numerical order;
• wherein the third contact wire crosses at least the fourth, fifth and sixth contact wires;
• and
• wherein the sixth contact wire crosses at least the third, fourth and fifth contact wires.

A contact wire that is suitable for use in an RJ-45 communications jack, comprising:

• a first termination end having a press-fit termination;
• a second termination end having a press-fit termination;
• a crossover section that connects the first termination end and the second termination end;
• and
• a longitudinal segment that includes a free end and a plug contact region that is configured to make physical and electrical contact with a contact of a mating plug connector, the longitudinal segment extending from the crossover section.