The present invention provides a method that protects symbol types by characterizing symbols as one of two types\u2014DATA or NON_DATA, generating a symbol characterization bit, placing the symbol characterization bit at both ends of the symbol, and transmitting the symbol with the symbol characterization bits at both ends. The connector includes a wire containment fixture arrangement allows for simplified field termination of the modular connector. The facility then tests a plurality of relative thread schedulings on one or more virtual machines and observes the result. In one embodiment, the surface alteration may extend into a coextruded portion.