The invention provides a “floating” port assembly of a receptacle of a transceiver. The configuration allows the transmitter port assembly to float conically (e.g., angularly from side to side and up and down) relative to the axial direction of the receptacle sleeve inside of the receptacle when a mechanical load placed on an optical fiber cable connected to the receptacle is transferred to the sleeve of the port assembly. The port assembly has a spring-return mechanism that biases the assembly such that it returns to its original center position when the load is removed. This floating isolates the ferrule of the optical fiber cable and the sleeve of the receptacle from external loadings transmitted via the fiber optic cable. Isolating the ferrule and the sleeve from the external loading dramatically reduces the effects of these external wiggle loads on the optical performance of the transmitter of the transceiver.