Which switch for IP cameras? Which poe switch for CCTV to choose?
Nowadays, surveillance systems play a major role in providing security in various places. We can find them at railway stations, public transportation, schools, offices, stores, among others, and they are also gaining popularity in single-family homes. Choosing the right PoE Switch is a key part of building a network designed for IP surveillance, CCTV cameras.
In this article we will discuss what to pay special attention to when choosing a switch for cameras.
Throughput and number of ports
The main factor in deciding on a switch is its bandwidth and number of ports. Both values must be sufficient to support all cameras and network devices, such as Access Points, video recorders. The number of ports must be sufficient to hook up all the cameras and related network devices.
It is worth considering buying a switch with more connectors, so that in the future, if you need to install more cameras, there will be no problem with this.
PoE support (Pover over Ethernet)
CCTV cameras, due to their number and location, make it difficult to plug power into a classic wall outlet. Taking advantage of the benefits of technology and equipping oneself with a switch with PoE function, i.e. supplying power via an Ethernet cable, makes it much easier to power many network devices, not only cameras. The technology can also power access points, or VoIP (Voice over IP) phones.
With this solution, we concentrate power and data reception in one place, which saves space and simplifies connecting more cameras.
Currently, there are many switches on the market equipped with PoE. These switches, offer several variants of available power supply and budgets with different capacities. The most common standards are PoE providing 15.4W and PoE+ that can power devices up to 30W. For more advanced applications, the market will find devices distributing as much as 60W, or 90W.
| PoE | PoE+ | UPoE | PoE++ | |
| Minimum Cable Type | Cat5e | Cat5e | Cat5a | Cat6a |
| IEEE standard | IEEE 802.3af | IEEE 802.3at | Cisco technology | IEEE 802.3bt |
| Maximum power per PoE port | 15,4W | 30W | 60W | 100W |
| Max. power transferred to target device |
12,95W | 25,5W | 51W | 71W |
| Maximum distance | Less than 100m | Less than 100m | Less than 100m | Less than 100m |
Manufacturer, additional features
An important consideration when buying a good camera switch, is to familiarize yourself with switches from well-known and reputable brands. Manufacturers that have been on the market for years, offer various combinations of ports in their devices, stacking capabilities, management through a graphical interface, so it is worth considering before buying what we need.
When it comes to monitoring and security systems, uninterrupted operation of the device is an absolute priority, so it is worth arming the switch with redundant power supplies. This way, if one of the power supplies fails, the operation of the switch will be sustained by a spare piece.
