a first connector configured to connect the cable assembly to a first switch, wherein the first switch has a first network path to a first host device;

a second connector configured to connect the cable assembly to a second switch, wherein the second switch has a second network path to the first host device;

a third connector i) connected to the first connector via a first cable, ii) connected to the second connector via a second cable, and iii) configured to connect the cable assembly to a second host device; and

protection switching circuitry embedded in the cable assembly and configured i) to establish a communications connection to transfer data between the first host device and the second host device using a first data path, where the first data path comprises the first network path, the first connector, the first cable, and the first switch, ii) to determine that the first data path is degraded, and iii) responsive to determining the first data path being degraded, to switch without external intervention the communications connection from the first data path to a second data path to maintain the communications connection, where the second data path comprises the second network path, the second connector, the second cable, and the second switch.