A PoE switch (Power over Ethernet) is a network switch that carries data along with power over Ethernet network cables like Cat5 or Cat6. And Gigabit PoE switch is often found in IP camera systems in home or business networks due to its low maintenance costs, less downtime, easy installation, etc. Since there are various articles telling you how to buy PoE switch, here I just explore five parameters as a reference when buying PoE network switch. No matter buy 8-port, 16-port, 24-port PoE gigabit switch, the following five parameters are necessary to consider.
PoE Switch Stacking
Switch stacking is a common technology in network design. It offers a good solution for network designers to maximize scalability and optimize performance of networks at the same time. Therefore, when it comes to buying gigabit PoE switch, many users will take this parameter into consideration. But not all PoE switches are created equal. Most Cisco PoE switches support stacking. That’s one reason why Cisco PoE switches are more popular than others even if their price is several times higher than other similar PoE switches. However, if buying PoE switch for home or small size networks, there is no need to seek for stacking functions by spending extra money.
Acoustic Noise from Fan
Since PoE switches, especially 8-port, 16-port, and even 24 port PoE switch, are often used at home or office, the acoustic noise can be placed an important role when buying PoE gigabit switch. Because it’s really a bad experience if the PoE Gigabit switch near to you is buzzing all the time. Different PoE switch comes with different acoustic value. Still take Cisco 24-port PoE switch SFE2000P as an example. This 24-port PoE gigabit switch may cause 50dB noise at the maximum, which like a person speaking to you without stopping. Of course, many vendors like FS.COM and Cisco, have supplied fanless PoE switch to offer a better usage experience for users.
Transmission Distance of PoE Switch
In some applications, administrators have to deploy PoE switch up to 250m. Generally speaking, PoE switches can extend the transmission distance of data and power up to 100m via Cat5 or Cat5e network cables, which is enough for home or office applications. In this condition, a PoE repeater can deal with it perfectly. With one PoE repeater, the transmission distance can be added to 100 meters.
Numbers of Power Supply
In the PoE gigabit switch market, there are two types power supplies: a single power and dual power. Usually dual power is designed for power redundancy. When one of the DC power inputs has failed, the other will be triggered and working for the switch. Does it mean dual power is necessary for PoE network switch? May not be. Considering the power redundancy, most vendors have strengthened their switch power supply, which can support the switch working for years. And some switches like Cisco catalyst 3850 series PoE switches offer dual power supplies, but it requires extra order to get it working.
Airflow Direction
This factor is often considered by those who have or work in data centers or service room where have numbers of network switches. Generally there are three types of airflow of network switch: back-to-front, front-to-back and side-to-side. Keep in mind to consider this factors when buying PoE switch, especially buy 48-port PoE gigabit switches that are often used for enterprise networks. There are examples in tech forum that some users ignore the airflow direction of the network switch, which causes the switch fans drawing air from its hot air exhaust.
Buy PoE Switch With FS.COM
So where to buy PoE switch is not an easy decision. Both the switch price and functions are needed to be taken into consideration. FS.COM offers PoE managed switches with different ports like 8-port, 24-port and 48-port. All of them are compatible with IEEE802.3af/at. And professional buying advice is also provided if need. Welcome to visit www.fs.com for more details.
Related article: PoE Switch VS. PoE+ Switch, Which Will You Choose?