What PoE does for you
Power over Ethernet sends power and data down one Cat5e or Cat6 cable. A ceiling access point or a camera on the outside wall then needs no power socket nearby, no adapter that can be unplugged by mistake, and no electrician at every point. You can also restart a stuck device remotely by switching its port off and on, on a managed switch.
PoE standards in plain words
| Standard | Also called | Power per port (at the switch) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| IEEE 802.3af | PoE | Up to about 15.4 W | IP phones, small cameras, older access points |
| IEEE 802.3at | PoE+ | Up to about 30 W | WiFi 6 access points, most fixed cameras and business devices |
| IEEE 802.3bt | PoE++ | Up to about 60 W or 90 W | PTZ cameras, high-end access points, some displays |
The device always takes only what it needs, so a PoE+ switch is safe for PoE devices. Watch out for passive PoE (often 24 V) used by some older and budget equipment: it is not the same as 802.3af/at, and the two do not mix without the right adapter. Check the device's datasheet before you connect it.
Working out the PoE budget
Every PoE switch has a total power budget in watts that it shares between its ports. Add up what your devices draw, then leave headroom of about 20-25%.
- WiFi 6 ceiling access points: roughly 10-20 W each, depending on the model (check its datasheet).
- Fixed IP cameras: usually well under 10 W; cameras with IR night vision draw more at night.
- IP phones: usually a few watts each.
- Example: 6 access points at 15 W = 90 W, plus 4 cameras at 7 W = 28 W. Total 118 W, so choose a switch with about 150 W or more.
If the budget is too small, the switch will refuse to power some ports, or devices will reboot when they draw more (for example when cameras switch to night mode). It is the most common PoE mistake we see.
PoE switches on wifishop.in
| Switch | PoE ports | PoE budget | Uplinks | Managed from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE | 4 × PoE+ (of 8 gigabit) | 52 W | Gigabit | UniFi Network |
| Omada SG2210P | 8 × PoE+ | See product page | 2 × SFP | Omada |
| Grandstream GWN7811P | 8 × PoE+ | 120 W | 2 × 10G SFP+ | GWN.Cloud / GWN Manager |
| Omada SG3428MP | 24 × PoE+ | 384 W | 4 × SFP | Omada |
Current prices: UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE, Omada SG2210P, Grandstream GWN7811P, Omada SG3428MP. For a non-PoE backbone switch in the rack, see the MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM.
Unmanaged, smart or managed?
An unmanaged switch just passes traffic. That is fine for a few PCs on one network. As soon as you want guests, staff, billing and CCTV kept apart on the same cables, you need VLANs, which means a smart or managed switch. All four PoE switches above support VLANs.
Buying the switch from the same brand as your access points has a practical benefit: both appear in one dashboard, and the controller can set up the VLANs on the switch ports automatically. UniFi switches with UniFi access points, Omada with Omada, Grandstream with Grandstream.
Uplinks, cabling and placement
- Copper network cable runs are limited to 100 metres. For longer runs, between floors or buildings, use fibre into an SFP or SFP+ port. See our fibre optic cabling service.
- Use Cat6 for new cabling and a proper patch panel in the rack; see structured LAN cabling.
- In a hotel, one PoE switch per floor or wing keeps cable runs short; link the switches back to the core over fibre or a gigabit uplink.
- Give the switch ventilation. PoE switches get warm at full load; a closed wooden cupboard is a bad home for them.
- Count spare ports: leave two or three free for growth.
Questions
+PoE or PoE+ for WiFi 6 access points?
PoE+ (802.3at). Most WiFi 6 access points need more than basic PoE for full performance.
+Can I power CCTV cameras from these switches?
Yes, standard 802.3af/at IP cameras work. Add the cameras' power to your budget, using the night-time (IR on) figure.
+Can I use a normal switch and PoE injectors instead?
Yes, one injector per device. It is fine for one or two devices; beyond that a PoE switch is tidier and usually costs less overall.
+Do PoE switches need a UPS?
If you want WiFi and cameras to stay up during power cuts, yes: put the PoE switch and the router on the UPS, and every powered device stays up with them.
Prices change often, so this guide does not quote them. Each product page shows the current price including GST. Specifications are from the manufacturers' listings; check the product page or datasheet before you order.