What Is a PoE Switch | Power over Ethernet

What Is PoE?

Power over Ethernet (PoE) is a technology that allows network switches to transmit both power and data through an Ethernet cable simultaneously.

PoE Network Switch

Power

IP Camera

Data

Multiple Applications

The benefits of PoE switches have become more evident with the rapid expansion of network-connected devices. They offer more effective solutions for connecting numerous PoE-compatible devices like VoIP, IP cameras, and access points—meeting the demands of most common business scenarios.

Surveillance

Works with IP Cameras
Conference Call

Works with IP Phones
Wi-Fi Coverage

Works with Omada EAPs
Wired Connections

Works with PCs and Printers

Why Do You Need the PoE Switch?

Traditional Switches

Traditional switches cannot supply power for end devices over Ethernet. This requires additional PSEs and extension cables.

Data

Power

Traditional Switches

PoE Switches

PoE switches minimize cable usage and make things easier by saving costs on power outlets, infrastructure equipment and electrical installation.

Data + Power

PoE Switches

No Fuss

Simplify the installation and streamline the deployment—no need for electricians.
Cost-Efficiency

No need for additional cables and power adapters—reduce costs on infrastructure.
Flexibility

More placement options allow for deployment in complex environments.
Power Management

Intelligently protects your devices from power surges and maximizes power usages.

What Can You Power with PoE Switch?

PoE switches are separated by their supported standards. Before choosing your PoE solutions, you need to be aware of how much power your devices draw. With that information, you’ll know which standard and business solution suits your needs.

PoE (802.3af)

up to 15.4 W per port

IP Phones
Basic IP Cameras
802.11n APs

PoE+ (802.3at)

up to 30 W per port

IP Video Phones
PTZ HD IP Cameras
802.11ac (WiFi 5) APs
Small Audio Speakers
Small Audio Speakers

PoE++ (802.3bt)

up to 60/90 W per port

PTZ HD IP Cameras with Heaters
802.11ax (WiFi 6) APs
Smart Building Lighting
Audio System
Thin Clients

Why Choose TP-Link PoE Switches

More than providing basic features, TP-Link PoE switches offers value well beyond general networking demands. They create a versatile and reliable network to grow your business.*

Extend Mode Button

Extend Mode On

Up to 250 m

Extended is 10 Mbps/port

IP Cameras

Extend Mode Off

100 m

Default is 100 Mbps/port

IP Cameras

Long-Range Transmission

With Extend Mode, PoE supports data and power transmissions up to 250 m away—perfect for the deployment of surveillance cameras in large areas.
Priority Mode Button

High

Low

Port Prioritization

Ensure the quality of sensitive applications like video and voice in critical business areas by prioritizing the data of certain ports.
Isolation Mode Button

Traffic Separation

Isolation Mode divides traffic for downlink ports to avoid snooping and tampering. It isolates broadcast storm for higher security.
Poe Auto Recovery

IP Cameras

IP Cameras

PoE Auto Recovery

Detects and reboots dropped or unresponsive PoE-powered devices.
Cloud Centralized Management

Managed PoE switches integrated Omada SDN (Software Defined Networking) provide 100% centralized cloud management to create highly scalable networks—all controlled from a single interface anywhere, anytime.
10G PoE Switch

Gigabit PoE Switch

WiFi 6 AP

2.5/10 GE PoE for WiFi 6

Premium 10G/multi-gigabit PoE switches are provided to meet the full bandwidth potential of WiFi 6 access points. PoE, PoE+, and PoE++ are also supported to fully power up your WiFi 6 APs.

Help You Choose

Answer some short questions and we’ll show you the switches that best fit your needs.

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Unmanaged

Plug and Play
Sufficient Functions
Budget-Friendly

Easy Smart

Useful Management Features
Web-Based Interface
Easy to Use

Smart & L2+ Managed

Centralized Cloud Management
2.5G / 10G High-Speed Options
Advanced Management Features

Managed Functions

Unmanaged Switches: Support plug and play without configuation required but also offer sufficient functions like 250 m PoE tansmission, port prioritization, and traffic separation.

Easy Smart Switches: A variety of useful features are provided such as VALN, QoS, IGMP Snooping, and PoE Auto Recovery to enhance your network safety and reliability.

Smart & L2 Managed: More advanced and high-level management options such as Omada SDN Cloud Platform help control your network anytime, anywhere.

Number of Ports

How many IP cameras do you need to connect to your network? Make sure you select a switch with enough ports to connect all your devices on your LAN. If your busine ss is at the rapid growth phase, select a switch with abundant network capacity to grow with your demands.

Port Speed

Determine the required port speed based on user needs and PD bandwidth. 100 M bandwidth is sufficient to meet the requirements of IPCs system while gigabit and multi-gigabit futureproof your network with higher scalability.

PoE Budget

Each IP camera has a budget, the minimum power required over Ethernet for it to function. When considering suitable switches, check the budget per port to ensure that it is sufficient to power your IP cameras

PoE or PoE+

· PoE (802.3af) is the original PoE standard and offers 15.4W of power to the Ethernet port · PoE+ (802.3at) is the latest standard which almost doubles the available budget, providing 30W of power to the Ethernet port and futureproofing your network with the latest power over Ethernet standards.