Various types of IP cameras are lauded providing home security camera systems to get properties secured. Cabling or power issue of cameras actually shows its complexity to some practices. PoE technology has been a common choice on cabling for IP cameras. In this post we mainly introduce the benefits of PoE to meet IP camera installation and how to use PoE to meet different types of IP cameras under a specific condition, which is specially written to who is new to using PoE to power IP cameras, making them get started with less hassle.
What is PoE?
PoE is the abbreviation of Power over Ethernet, which is a new style cabling solution for network devices for decades. It enables Ethernet cable to carry power meanwhile, that said power and data are capable to be transmitted to connected IP devices over a single twisted Ethernet cable. PoE has been widely used to supply various low voltage IP devices, such as IP cameras, wireless access points, VoIP phones, etc.
How Does PoE Benefits IP Cameras?
It is known that to make common home security IP cameras work normally, we need to deal with two factors, namely network, and power. As mentioned previously, PoE cabling use one cable to deal with power and data transmission, so use PoE for IP cameras is able to get rid of the hassle to solve network and power separately by running power cable or both power and network cables, eliminating a dedicated power outlet present around the mounting point of the IP camera that is ready to install. In this way, the owners or installers can get great flexibility on the placement of their cameras.
In addition, wireless camera systems are adopted by many homes due to their wireless easy installation. But in the process of actual use, some probably encounter weak signal problems to maintain stable high quality video streams, some may want to change the location and place the camera outdoors or other remote locations where are out of home WiFi coverage, others are likely to notice that the WiFi camera still need the power to work, and it is hard to get a power outlet. The reason that leading to all these situations, some drawbacks build-in the WiFi signal should be to blame, including vulnerability to interference, limited coverage within a short distance, restricted to bandwidth, and so on. To make your wireless cameras to be wired with network cable seems an opted good solution. If the network cabling is inevitable, why not make the network cabling deliver power simultaneously utilizing PoE? Obviously, PoE is definitely a worthy trying cabling solution that comes with extreme convenience and reliability.
What’s more, from what we mentioned earlier, PoE allows power to be transmitted over twisted cable, which means it is able to build a centralized power system for your home security camera system, offering easy management on the power and realize safer video surveillance with a secured power source.
Most homes equip with a router, or a network switch to produce power, network, and communications for networked devices. While these devices(routers and network switches) generally don’t have the PoE capability built-in, so they don’t have the ability to provide PoE for your IP cameras. As a result, what should do is to find solutions that can generate PoE to the existing home network. In the following, we are going to go through several typical solutions and try to cover the beginners with a brief start-up guide.
How to Use PoE for IP Cameras?
As a matter of fact, there are different solutions for options according to different types of IP cameras. To use PoE to supply power and data for IP cameras, make clear what types of IP cameras you own suppose the first and essential step in obtaining a successful deployment. There are numerous types of IP cameras available in the market as security camera has been developed almost a century, apart from those are mainly designed for traditional video surveillance system, and which have the PoE capability built-in, so-called PoE security cameras, most are wireless cameras or some non-PoE DC 5V or 12V IP cameras are also used for home security at present. Now, let’s take a closer look into the solutions that are acceptable to specific types of IP cameras.
PoE Security Camera
Plan to add PoE security camera to enhance the coverage or level of your home security, but lacking knowledge that makes you finish the connection by yourself, or have no idea on how to mix non-PoE router or network switch with the new PoE camera? Perhaps some installers have known that purchasing a new PoE router, or PoE switch, or even PoE NVR can easily solve the compatibility problem between Non-PoE and PoE devices. While it is not the best method as it probably results in waste on the old networking devices(especially which still under good condition) , or original data transferring hassle, and it relatively demands a higher cost. In order to make a more straightforward explanation, below we assume an example.
Provided that a homeowner wants to add a PoE security camera to his existing security camera system, and a 4-port router is equipped to produce network to two IP cameras and communication to NVR recording system. Apparently, adding PoE capability in the home network is the key to a successful system. Go back to the assumed situation, it is easy to count that there is one Ethernet port that is spare. The router 4 RJ45 Ethernet ports except for the uplink port that is connected to main internet, one is connected to the NVR, two are used for supplying two IP cameras, and there is one remained. Why emphasize this remained RJ45 port? Can it help install the new PoE camera?
Actually, all the above unanswered questions can be answered by one device, namely PoE injector. PoE injector is a cost-efficient and easy-to-use device that helps add PoE to a non-PoE network. PoE injector features do the job of power injection once it is connected to non-PoE network device and powered by plugging in the wall power outlet, then AC power is converted to DC, which is acceptable for low voltage IP cameras. One PoE injector generally supports one PoE out, so installing each PoE camera requires one PoE injector to be added to the link. Adding a PoE injector to the existing network won’t cause data damage thanks to the seamless connection, and it just an easy plug-and-play job, which can be accomplished by the end-users themselves safely. And that’s why it is highly recommended when there are only one or two new PoE cameras under the circumstance that there are adequate spare RJ45 Ethernet ports.
Non-PoE Security Camera
It can simply be divided into two categories with regard to non-PoE security cameras, and its judgment criteria are whether equipped with an RJ45 Ethernet port. As to IP cameras that don’t have an RJ45 Ethernet, most are wireless cameras that are mainly used in the field of smart home security, and you should aware that this kind of camera is impossible to make use of PoE to power. If your ready-to-install new camera equipped with an Ethernet port as a backup way to access the network, luckily, your camera is able to benefit from PoE by using PoE splitters at the edge side where is close to the camera.
If your main network only can produce a network for the camera, then the procedure is the same, only need to get the existing network with PoE capability built-in. Selecting PoE injector, or PoE switch, PoE router, PoE NVR, which is largely depends on your budget and requirements. Then we continue to illustrate why use PoE splitter and how it can help.
PoE splitter works with a compatible PoE injector, then the complete non-PoE security camera system can be upgraded to the PoE system to some extent. PoE injector is mainly used to add PoE to the system by injecting power, while on the contrary, PoE splitters do the opposite work. PoE splitter as its name implied, is responsible to receive the PoE from the PoE injector or some other PoE PSE, then split the received PoE into power and network separately, consequently, power and data can be streamed to the corresponding pigtails of the read-to-mount non-PoE camera. Additionally, it is a kind of voltage converter that can convert the standard 48V PoE to a matched voltage of the IP cameras or other non-PoE devices, maybe 5V or 12V, there are suitable PoE splitters that support different voltages available.
Tips on Choosing Desired Products
After knowing how to use PoE to supply your IP cameras, picking up suitable products is supposed to be the next job that is under consideration. Here we give some useful tips to achieve an effective purchase on PoE injector or PoE splitter.
Power-PoE varies from different standards to supply different amounts of output power, including IEEE802.3af, IEEE802.3at, and IEEE802.3bt standard. Make clear how much power the ready-to-set security camera is consumed is of crucial significance, otherwise, the camera won’t start working because of deficient input power. For IP cameras, IEEE802.3af/at is enough, only if your camera is the special ones, like pan-tilt-zoom(PTZ) cameras equipped with heaters, in this case, IEEE802.3bt PoE injector or PoE splitter is suitable.
Installation Environment-If the PoE injector or PoE splitter have to be installed in a harsh environment, indoor or outdoor, it is better to choose those specially designed to adapt harsh environment with high resistance to water, dust, extreme temperature, etc. It can reduce the investment in maintenance and replacement dramatically.
