What is POE?

POE stands for Power Over Ethernet which is the ability to power devices over a network cable (Cat5/Cat6).

There are two standards for POE devices - 802.3af and 802.3at - and there are also five classes:

Class Power Watts Standards
0 48vdc 15.4 802.3af
1 48vdc up to 4 802.3af
2 48vdc up to 7 802.3af
3 48vdc up to 15.4 802.3af
4 56vdc up to 30-35 802.3at
 

The power is ran over two pairs of an ethernet cable and can power a device up to 100 metres away from the POE source, or even further using POE extenders/switches.

High POE which can provide up to 56vdc up to 35watts and provides POE over two pairs of an ethernet cable, or 70 watts over four pairs.

In an office environment, POE solutions can reduce the need for electricians when you want to move equipment around the office as well as only requiring one cable to power and transmit data from the device.

Using POE switches also gives you a central power location and using UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) will keep your devices operating during a power outage.

There are a number of devices that can be operated via POE including:

· IP Cameras
· IP Telephones VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
· Wireless Communications
· Powering devices requiring 12vdc up to 2 amp
· Powering devices requiring 5vdc upto 2.5 amp
· IP Relay Modules (Web Relays)