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Power over Ethernet Information

Power Over Internet - Full Description Below

 

What is Power Over Ethernet (POE)?

Power over Ethernet (POE) is a technology that allows network cables to carry electrical power.

For example, a digital camera normally requires two connections, a power connection that delivers the electrical power to the camera, and a network connection that communicates with video recording and display equipment. With POE, only the network connection is required as the singular connection now provides both power and network connectivity.

Why use POE?

  • Flexibility: An Ethernet cable provides the electrical power to devices.
  • Cost Reduction: It reduces the need to build a power infrastructure.
  • Efficiency: SNMP protocol support enables customers to review the POE status of end devices and remotely disable the POE function of each port.

In the past, having a mix of POE and non-POE switches led to a lot of staffing hours for design standards implementations.

What devices use POE?

Over the years, the growth of devices that require POE has led to the growth of POE switch implementation. The most popular device across our campus that requires POE is our VOIP phones. Other devices that require POE are IP cameras, Wireless Access Points (AP’s), and LED displays.

As the Internet of Things, or the network of physical devices, vehicles, appliances, and other embedded electronics enables things through the internet, they also demand POE. Lastly, the growth of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) requires Power Over Ethernet.

What is the POE standard?

The network switches are following the POE industry standard IEEE 802.3, in order to properly negotiate power delivery. While most modern devices have safeguards that prohibit the simultaneous use of both POE and regular power, older devices may not have these safeguards.

What must I do to avoid damaging my devices?

To avoid damage to your equipment, users are encouraged to review the manufacturer’s documentation that accompanied your device to ensure the device supports the IEEE 802.3 POE industry standard. Connecting a non-supported POE device can lead to device constraints or device damage.

Please contact the UF Computing Help Desk (132 Hub, 352-392-HELP/4357, helpdesk@ufl.edu) if you have any questions regarding the university’s POE standards.