Systems and methods that reduce the complexity of interconnecting various
consumer electronics devices. One consumer electronics device, such as an
Internet terminal, forms a central hub to which all other consumer
electronics devices are connected. The Internet terminal has a plurality
of identical, interchangeable tongue and groove connectors, each having a
plurality of pins. The connectors are identical and interchangeable in
that a cable designed to connect a consumer electronics device to the
Internet terminal may be plugged into any of the connectors and operate
properly. A plurality of cables, each specifically adapted to connect to
an existing or future type of consumer electronics device, are used to
connect the consumer electronics devices to the connectors at the Internet
terminal. Each cable has a connector at one end that attaches to the
identical, interchangeable connectors, and one or more connectors at the
other end that attach to the particular consumer electronics device. The
Internet terminal senses the type of cable attached thereto and performs
any appropriate configuration of the connector pins in order to match the
signals provided or received from the connector to the particular cable.