In a nutshell: Japanese electronics manufacturer Sanwa Supply has introduced an innovative Ethernet solution that borrows heavily from Apple's MagSafe concept. The Sanwa KB-SL6ABA series is a two-part design consisting of an adapter and cable. One end of the adapter looks like a standard Ethernet connection and plugs into the existing port on your computer, just like any other network cable. The opposite end features a set of electrical pins and magnets that attach it to the included Ethernet cable.
The Sanwa solution is essentially a quick-release cable. The combo comes in five different configurations based on cable length – from one meter to 10 meters (1m, 2m, 3m, 5m, 10m). Like Apple's power connector, it is meant to help reduce the risk of damage to hardware or personal injury by accidentally tripping over a cable.
The CAT6A cable measures 3.8 mm in diameter (28 gauge) and is made up of eight cores in four pairs. It is rated for 10 Gbps with a transmission bandwidth of 500 MHz. Sanwa said the cable features a soft outer jacket that makes it easy to route around walls and furniture.
If you are working in an environment with lots of foot traffic, have pets, or just happen to be extremely clumsy, this could quickly pay for itself. I could also see it being incredibly useful in hard-to-reach situations where simply tugging on the cable to unplug it would be easier than getting a hand in to squeeze a clip.
Pricing starts at 4,180 Yen (around $27) for the one meter variant and scales to roughly $43 for the 10 meter model. It is unclear if Sanwa plans to bring the cable to markets other than its home country but for those willing to pay the premium, international shipping is an option.
If successful, perhaps we could we see this concept brought to other cables. I'm not sure of the technical feasibility of using it with other connector types but it could be worth looking into.
Detachable Ethernet cable brings magnetic convenience to networking
