What's PoE and what can you use it for?

With PoE, both power and network run via 1 Ethernet cable. You can use a PoE switch or PoE injector to send electricity over your network cable. This means that you don;t need a socket, if you have a suitable device. You can use PoE with a cable with a 'power source'. A PoE switch is the most practical power source. With a cable of up to 100m, you only need 1 device. Is your cable longer? Place a PoE injector between the network cable and your PoE device. This way, you also get power via longer UTP cables.

With Power over Ethernet, you can make your network more flexible. For example, you can place a WiFi access point with PoE anywhere you want. This way, you ensure the best distribution of WiFi points in your home or business. You can also easily place IP cameras with PoE wherever you want. You don't just hang this near a socket. You can also work more organized in business environments, because you only use 1 cable per device. This way, the server room or cable duct remains neat and tidy.

PoE works with different stands. In addition to standard PoE, you also have PoE+ and PoE++. The biggest difference is in the power that the standard delivers. With PoE, you get up to 5W per network cable, PoE+ provides 30W, and PoE++ even gives you 100W. You can connect more powerful devices to PoE+ and PoE++. Most WiFi 6 access points require at least PoE+ to work at full power. You can easily connect an IP phone to standard PoE.

With PoE, it's important that you use the correct network cable. It must be suitable for distributing both a network cable and power. Use at least a CAT5e cable for this. Want a fast network signal with Power over Ethernet? We recommend a CAT6 UTP cable. All network cables that Coolblue sells are at least CAT6.

Many devices work with electricity via Power over Ethernet. Business versions of access points and switches almost always support PoE. Network phones and surveillance cameras are also available with Power over Ethernet. You can even power some small desktop computers via PoE. What all these devices have in common, is that you only need 1 cable. In any case, this means you can use it more flexibly. You can place them anywhere you have a network connector.