PoE Switches

A PoE switch is a network switch whose ports also supply power, so one Ethernet cable connects and powers an IP camera, access point or VoIP phone. The Ruijie RG-ES110GS-P-L, for example, has eight Gigabit PoE+ ports sharing a 120 W budget, with a Gigabit RJ45 and an SFP uplink to the rest of the network.

Choose a budget above the total maximum draw of the devices on the switch, with some headroom. The budget is shared between ports: the Hikvision DS-3E1318P-EI (B) has 16 PoE+ ports and a 230 W budget, and the TP-Link LS105GP four PoE+ ports sharing 65W, so check the draw of each camera or access point first.

They are IEEE standards with rising power per port. The AMG350-4GAT-1G-P120 supports 802.3af (PoE) at 15 W and 802.3at (PoE+) at 30 W per port, and four 802.3bt (PoE++) ports on the Ruijie RG-NBS3300-16MG4XS-HP supply up to 90 W. Hikvision calls its higher-power ports Hi-PoE, with up to 60W on the DS-3E0505HP-E.

Not for a small, simple network: unmanaged switches such as the Ruijie RG-ES110GS-P-L are plug-and-play, as is the TP-Link LS105GP. Choose a smart or managed switch to separate traffic with VLANs, prioritise video with QoS and restart stalled devices with PoE Watchdog; the Hikvision DS-3E1552P-SI has VLAN, SNMP, QoS, STP/RSTP and PoE Watchdog.

Plan for 100 metres of cable, the normal Ethernet distance, unless the switch has a long-range mode. The Hikvision DS-3E0105P-E(B) extends PoE transmission to 300 meters, the TP-Link LS105GP to 250m in Extend Mode, and the Ruijie RG-ES110GS-P-L to about 250 m in its extension mode.

One with a PoE port per camera, an uplink to the recorder and a budget above the cameras' total draw. The Hikvision DS-3E0105P-E(B) is designed for video transmission with 6KV surge protection and 300 meter long-range PoE, and the DS-3T0506HP-E/HS adds a PoE watchdog that automatically restarts unresponsive cameras.

An SFP slot takes a transceiver module, usually for fibre, to link the switch to the network core or a distant building. The Hikvision DS-3T0506HP-E/HS has two Gigabit SFP fibre ports for long-distance backbone connections, and the Ruijie RG-NBS5200-24GT4XS-P has four 10G SFP+ uplinks for a faster core link.

A switch built for cabinets and harsh sites rather than an office. The AMG350-4GAT-1G-P120 has a DIN-rail and wall-mount housing with dual redundant DC inputs and operates from −40°C to +75°C, and the Hikvision DS-3T0506HP-E/HS has a fanless metal housing, 6 kV surge protection and desk or DIN-rail mounting.

Yes. The Hikvision AE-MS8400 (M12) is an onboard PoE switch for mobile CCTV, with eight M12 PoE ports, a 9-36 V DC input that suits a vehicle battery, and ignition (ACC) support. The Veracity CAMSWITCH 4 Mobile takes 8.5-40V DC for vehicle, battery or solar-powered installations.

Yes, with a PoE injector, which adds power to the cable between an ordinary switch and one device. The Ruijie RG-POE-AT30 is a 1-port Gigabit 802.3at injector at 52V, and the RG-POE-AF15 is a 52 V DC injector rated 15.6 W. More are in the PoE injectors and splitters range.