Power over Ethernet (PoE):

Power over Ethernet (PoE) is a standard that allows Ethernet cables to transmit data and power
simultaneously using a single network cable. This allows system integration and enables network
installers to deploy powered devices in locations that lack electrical circuitry, which eliminates the
expense of installing additional wiring.

For example, a digital security camera normally requires two connections to be made when it is installed:

• A network connection, in order to be able to communicate with video recording and display
equipment
• A power connection, to deliver the electrical power the camera needs to operate

However, if the camera is POE-enabled, only the network connection needs to be made, as it will receive
its electrical power from this cable as well.

How Does PoE Work?

Ethernet cable (CAT 5,6 &7) uses 4 twisted pairs. On early Ethernet networks, operating using 10base T
and 100base TX, only 2 pairs were used for carrying data and the other two were spare which could be
utilized for carrying DC power. In the IEEE 802.3 standard this is known as Alternative B mode.
As Ethernet speeds increased (1000Base T and above) then it became necessary to utilize all 4 pairs to
carry data. So, to supply DC power you needed to supply power over pairs that were also being used for
carrying data. Thus, Alternative A mode was defined which sent power over the same cable pairs as used
in 1000Base T to carry data.

When the same pairs are used for both power and data, the power and data transmissions don’t interfere
with each other. That’s because electricity and data are transported at opposite ends of the frequency
spectrum. Electricity has a low frequency of 60 Hz or less, and data transmissions have frequencies that
can range from 10 million to 100 million Hz.

Equipment Used:
• PSE’s: Power sourcing equipment (PSE) refers to devices responsible for supplying power to
connected devices, such as switches, hubs, and injectors
• PD’s: Powered devices (PDs) receive power from PSEs. A few examples of PDs include IP cameras,
VoIP, and wireless access points (WAPs). PDs must work in both Alternative A and Alternative B
modes.
• PoE Injector: A PoE injector connects your PoE-enabled network device to a non-PoE LAN switch
port.
• PoE Splitter: A PoE splitter supplies power to non-PoE-compatible devices by splitting power from
data and feeding it to a separate input. Splitters are used on legacy and low-power devices like IP
cameras to split PoE power from data signal and convert to lower-voltage requirements for the
camera. In addition, a splitter allows a non-compliant device to upgrade to PoE.

• PoE Extenders: A PoE extender is used to lengthen a network beyond the basic 100-meter
distance limit for a twisted-pair Ethernet cable. Extenders unite networks that span large
distances in hotels, shopping malls, business and academic campuses, and sporting venues.

• PoE Hub: A PoE hub can be viewed as a stack of PoE injectors. For example, a four-port PoE hub
will have four data-in interfaces and four PoE interfaces. Each PoE interface requires a data
connection with the corresponding data inside. A four-port PoE hub will require four data ports
from the network switch. Data ports on the PoE hub will not forward frames within the hub. In
other words, frames received on part one cannot be sent to parts two through four.
 PoE Standards:
Since 2003, the PoE (IEEE 802.3af) and PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at) standards have been conveniently used to
power and connect network devices that required voltage up to 30 watts. Using these standards,
organizations commonly deployed equipment in locations that are difficult or too costly to have separate
AC power installed -- such as ceilings, walls, and kiosks.

However, for PoE above 30 watts vendors began developing proprietary, non-interoperable (UPoE,
4PPoE, PoE++, UltraPoE, 4 Pair PoE, etc.) implementations that made deployments of multiple vendor
product solutions difficult. With the ratification of the IEEE 802.3bt High Power PoE (Hi-PoE) standard in
2018, which can deliver up to 100W per port, there is now alignment between Hi-PoE vendors and no
more compatibility issues between their products. The Hi-PoE standard is backward compatible with the
existing PoE and PoE+ standards and helps to expand the adoption of standard PoE products and increase
the demand for PoE powered products. The differences between IEEE PoE standards are:

PoE PoE+ PoE++

IEEE Standard IEEE 802.3af IEEE 802.3at IEEE 802.3bt

PoE Type Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Type 4

Switch Port Power

Max. Power Per Port 15.4W 30W 60W 100W

Port Voltage Range 44–57V 50-57V 50-57V 52-57V

Powered Device Power

Max. Power to Device 12.95W 25.5W 51W 71W

Voltage Range to Device 37-57V 42.5-57V 42.5-57V 41.1-57V

Cables

Twisted Pairs Used 2-pair 2-pair 2-pair; 4-pair 4-pair

Supported Cables Cat3 or better Cat5 or better Cat5 or better Cat5 or better
To support the power demands of the IoT market, PoE technology, with the introduction of the IEEE
802.3bt standard, can support up to 100W of power at the Power Source Equipment (PSE). Some High
Power applications likely to take advantage of the Hi-PoE standard are:

1. Smart City and Building infrastructure (i.e. LED lighting)

2. Retail POS systems, VoIP phones, and digital signage

3. High-performance network devices (i.e. Wireless Access Points (WAPs) supporting IEEE 802.11ac
& 802.11ax, IP turrets, TVs, and Monitors)

4. High definition pan-tilt-zoom security cameras with heaters for harsh environments

5. Healthcare & Industrial Networks

6. Retail (i.e. POS, Vending Machines)

With each power increase, cabling requirements also increased, with Cat 5 cabling being the minimum
requirement for Type 3 (60W) and Type 4 (90W) PoE.
What devices use PoE?
Equipment built to the 2003 PoE standard initially delivered enough power for most APs but could not
provide enough power for other types of mounted technology, such as video surveillance cameras. Over
the years, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and several vendors have attempted
to address the power issue, but interoperability problems have persisted.

POE supports the following devices that consume 30 watts (W) of power or less:

• Internet Protocol, voice over IP and video telephones;

• Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, or WiMAX, and wireless AP devices or nodes;

• pan, tilt and zoom robotic cameras;

• remote computer terminals, computer monitors, laptops, thin client computers and large
computer display screens;

• liquid crystal display screens and large TVs;

• door access systems and video signing displays; and

• network audio.
In 2018, IEEE released IEEE 802.3bt, a new PoE standard also known as high-power PoE or PoE+. It
accommodates use of four-wire pairs with Cat5 or Cat6 cable, which supports individual devices that
require as much as 90 to 100 W of power. Devices this standard supports include the following:

• light-emitting diode lighting

• security card readers

• high-performance wireless APs

• intercoms

• video conferencing

• video surveillance cameras

PoE benefits
The advantages of PoE include the following:

• Ease of installation. There are no worries about hooking into electrical system outlets.

• Cost savings. Ethernet can carry both power and data signals.

• Data speed. PoE can now deliver data at 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) -- 10/100/1,000 megabits
per second -- using Cat5 and Cat6 cables. The IEEE 802.3bz PoE standard delivers speeds of 2.5
Gbps to 5 Gbps over 100 meters (m).

• Security. POE devices attached to networks with high-level security enjoy the same security
protection as other network assets.

• Flexibility - without being tethered to an electrical outlet, devices such as IP cameras and wireless
access points can be located wherever they are needed most, and repositioned easily if required.

• Safety - POE delivery is intelligent, and designed to protect network equipment from overload,
underpowering, or incorrect installation.
 • Reliability - POE power comes from a central and universally compatible source, rather than a
collection of distributed wall adapters. It can be backed-up by an uninterruptible power supply,
or controlled to easily disable or reset devices.

• Scalability - having power available on the network means that installation and distribution of
network connections is simple and effective.

PoE drawbacks
PoE is not a panacea. Concerns can include the following:

• Outages. A single PoE connection usually connects to multiple devices. If there is one failure in
the stream of devices, all the devices go down.

• Power limits. Devices supported under the 2003 PoE standard are limited to 30 W. Devices
requiring higher wattage must comply with PoE release IEEE 802.3bz.

• Higher switch costs. While PoE provides cost savings by combining power and data signals, PoE
switches cost more than ordinary switches.

• Distance limits. PoE power transmission is limited to 100 m unless PoE extenders or other
methods are used to supply power.

• Security. If network security is lacking, bad actors who want to penetrate PoE devices attached to
these networks will have an easier time gaining access.