How to Add PoE to Your Network?

In data centers, there are a lot of electrical devices and each one requires a power supply cable and at least one connection wire for transmission. It’s a disaster to see all those wires scattering all over the floor and tangling together. To introduce Power over Ethernet technology, we can cut down the number of wire drops and simplify the management control. So what’s the practical methods for adding PoE to your network? Read the following passage, to learn about the two solutions: adopting PoE switch or PoE injector.

Overview of PoE Implement Method

PoE requires PoE-enabled networking devices for power supply on the Ethernet cable. To realize this technology, there are two types of power sourcing equipment (PSE) for adopting: endspan (IEEE 802.3af refers to it as “endpoint”) and midspan. Endspan is an Ethernet switch that has built-in PoE data transmission circuitry. A midspan is an intermediary device between a non-PoE switch and powered devices (PD). Thereinto PoE injector is a frequently used available external midspan device.

Adding PoE by PoE Switch (Endspan)

When you need to set up a new Ethernet network with power over Ethernet technology or you want to upgrade system and replace older non- PoE switches, employing endspan is a good choice. How to add PoE to your network by PoE switch? Just connect it to other network devices, and the switch itself will figure whether they are PoE supportable devices and control power automatically. There are various types of PoE switch available, ranging from “dumb” unmanaged one, smart partly managed one and fully managed one with advanced management. It is also various from port quantity, such as 8, 16, 24 and 48 port.

It is noted that the PoE+ switch is a PoE plus switch for providing up to 30W power consumption. For example, FS S1130-8T2F 8 port PoE switch is a managed PoE+ switch with 2 SFP port, IEEE 802.3at complied and IEEE 802.3af backward compatible. It has maximum power supply of 130W and switching capacity of 20Gbps. FS S1130-8T2F supports various PoE devices and is best fit for network equipment such as wireless APs, IP phones and weather-proof IP cameras.

                    Figure 1: A demonstration of using FS S1130-8T2F 8 port PoE+ switch to add PoE for IP cameras.

Adding PoE by PoE Injector (Midspan)

If you don’t want to discard your already used network switch and only PoE capability is needed to be added, you can simply adopt midspans. PoE injector is a device that can add electrical power while receiving signal from one end of the cable, and then deliver both the data signal and the power via the other end of the cable. Instead of PoE switch, midspan can also be used as an economical and functional solution where only a few PoE ports are in demand. How to add PoE to your existing LAN by PoE injector? First, power on PoE injector and non-PoE Ethernet switch respectively, next connect them via an Ethernet cable. Then connect PDs such as IP phones with PoE injector and finally the system can run as a whole.

In the case of older end devices are not PoE-ready, a splitter can be helpful for adding PoE to your network. To apply a splitter onto the end of the Ethernet cable will enable signal and power to be split into two different lines.

Figure 2: The installation of PoE switch vs PoE injector for adding PoE to network.

PoE Switch or PoE Injector: Which to Employ?

After diving into each respectively, we made a comparison of PoE switch vs PoE injector for concerning about adding PoE to network.

	PoE Switch	PoE Injector
Price	Higher Cost	Economical
Management and Control	Easy for management (power and transmission)	Requiring separate two wires for powering on switch and PoE injector
Implement Method	Upgrade to PoE network by replacing the old Ethernet switch with PoE switch	Install PoE injector to add PoE capability to the existing non-PoE switch
Emergency Reaction	Potential chance of the whole system’s outage	Only one device be affected

For most concerns about cost-efficiency and PoE capability required, you can go for PoE injector. However, for upgrading system and future-proof superior functionality concern, PoE switch is obviously a better choice.

Conclusion

Both PoE switch and PoE injector are power sourcing equipment for adding PoE to a network. PoE switch is an endspan, naturally fitting for new set-up or upgrade-needed network. PoE injector is a midspan, better fitting for existing non-PoE network without switch replacement requirement. For PoE switch purchase, FS.COM is a reliable vendor providing a wide rage of types for different demands. Any other information to know, just visit our official website and blog.