Can MT team confirm that new 711 have metal ethernet port?
Cheers!
Yes, we listened to your suggestions, and improved the connector in new revisions.
Horray! Too bad last shipment of ours doesn’t contain revised boards 
We are slowly transitioning to the new part, so you will not see this immediately in all new shipments.
Also notice that the port is no longer upside down - easier to unplug
Good to hear from you!!! Thanks !!! 
I hope that it is on always.
Normis and which models? Only 711xx or also 433, sxt?
What about shields? Next there is the problem?
Does the ground plane of the new board revision now connect to the ethernet shield, like it did on the RB1xx,3xx,4xx,5xx,6xx,8xx series boards?
What about shields? Next there is the problem?
Ground plane has always been connected to the ethernet port, including on the plastic connectors of the RB711 previous revision and RB411L etc. The grounding pins are inside the connector, and they connect to PCB ground: http://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Grounding#ESD_Protection_on_RouterBOARD_devices
So all ethernet ports can be connected to shielded cables - both metal or plastic.
That’s what I thought…if you look inside the plastic connector, you can clearly see the metal grounding tabs at the base of it. So I never understood the complaints about the plastic connector.
But the fact that it is reversed for easier access to the tab on the RJ45 connector is definitely good news.
– Nathan
@NathanA I thought the exact same way as you till I actually checked continuity from our enclosure to those little metal clips in the plastic ethernet connector.
On the RB4xx series boards if I install the board in a metal enclosure with metal standoffs, I can use a continuity meter and see that the shield on the ethernet connector makes good connection with the metal enclosure, the radio card, and anything else that needs a ground.
This means that through the ethernet connector everything that matters (box, radio, board, etc.) all have a decent ground, with no ground loops.
If I do the same test on the box of RB711G-5HnD boards I have, I see no continuity at all from the little metal clips in the plastic ethernet to anything else. This is the reason I stopped using the RB711 series boards, it wasn’t the plastic connectors that were my issue.
I believe that plastic sockets was inpopular not because of the grounding issues, but for their poor mechanical strength. These metalic sockets are almost indestructable compared to those plastic ones. At least I haven’t had any problems with them compared to plastic.
Did you try to check continuity between inner ground pin of the rj45 and screw hole?
I THANK YOU! The plactic Ethernet were too weak. Any strain would pull the socket off the motherboard. I hope the RB411-L are fixed too.
I finally broke a plastic one trying to get the damn thing unplugged. It is really good to hear Mikrotik has made them metal again and flipped them over. I think the flip is just as important if not more important than it being metal.
Thank You. It’s very good news! We hope that You will change all plastic ports on new boards to metal one.
I am assuming you are talking about small metal ground clips on the inside of the plastic connector. If so, then yes that is where we checked continuity from, but it was hard to take a picture. The clips on the inside are part of the metal that is soldered to the PCB (where I am checking from in the picutre), and continuity is good from the solder to the clips on the inside so it doesn’t matter. We also checked the RB711 from the ethernet ground to the metal radio shield and we also get no continuity.
I know many people had issue with the connectors falling apart but we have good stain relief on our cables and we were not putting any force on the connector, but the ground issue is was prompted us from discontinuing the boards use.
Of additional note, we have recieved our first batch of RB433GL boards with the plastic ethernet, and they do not exhibit this issue. Despite the plastic ethernet connector, the ethernet shield pins connect to the PCB ground plane properly.
Maybe this is an early revision, or a bad batch of RB711 boards?
Cheers
Hello.
What types of routerboard will have metal ETH?
Thanks
THANKS
Does it have a plastic rivet through the pcb too?
BTW, i just found this thread and have bought at least two with the old connector since September (maybe more but they did not break), seems some are still in the channel.
Can anyone who has received any 711 boards of any version with metal ports please tell us which device and which batch code (three digits after the slash in serial number) they came from.
My supplier has Sextant G (711G board inside) batch code 220 (batch code on the sextant not the board inside) that are still with Plastic ethernet ports.
I am just trying to get an idea about what batch codes people are seeing and when the metal ports are appearing.
Regards
Alexander
Only if you purchase RB711 separately, will you get a high chance to receive a metallic port. SEXTANT is a slightly different matter. They are not as popular as bare RB711 devices, so transition to new port is much slower.