The field terminable patch connector comprises three separable upper and lower body or housing portions, all three of which have mutual interlocking detent structures which permit the three housing portions to be assembled and locked together into a rigid assembly. One of the three housing portions is a contact insulator which has a multiplicity of slots and protrusions capable of retaining contacts for receiving conductors of a twisted pair cable. A metal shield is provided which fits between both the upper housing portion and contact insulator portion to shield pairs of conductors from one another. When properly field terminated with a Category 5 compliant cable, the patch connector of the present invention meets or exceeds the TIA/EIA TSB-40 Category 5 transmission requirements when mated with 110 type connector blocks. Other features include the ease of field assembly without special tools or operations (e.g. soldering or crimp tools), polarization structure which assures proper orientation of the mating conductors, a snap detent structure that provides a positive and stable mechanical connection to the connecting block, and an insulation displacement terminal which utilizes closed gap construction and low surface area mating contacts that minimize capacitive coupling between adjacent contact positions to assure Category 5 compliance. The shield not only provides crosstalk isolation between conductor pairs, but is also designed to allow access on either its outer surface or its inner surface, or both when mated with an appropriate shield connection means on the plug receptacle.