The common problems experienced by all installers when setting up an IP security camera are the issues of distance, power source and network coverage. When building a new network infrastructure, PoE is widely used to transmit both power and data to the edge device via a single Ethernet cable but the standard PoE has a distance limit of 100 meters. However, IP cameras are often located at greater distances away from the nearest switch or AC outlets, and signal repeaters are often required in long-distance deployments, which often generates high installation costs. To extend Ethernet beyond 100 meters in a more cost-effective manner, you will need a Long Range PoE Switch.
What is a Long Range PoE Switch?
Long range PoE enables Ethernet transmission over the 100-meter limit and injects the power simultaneously over the Ethernet cables to the IP cameras, wireless access points, etc. beyond 500 meters and more. It is specially designed for long-distance applications in hard-to-reach areas where no AC outlets and networks are present, allowing your IP network devices to be deployed flexibly anywhere at long range. The long range PoE switch is a network switch that supports long range PoE beyond 100 meters without additional PoE extension devices. Now, Fastcabling has launched 4-/8-port long range PoE+ switches (for indoor use only).
4-port long range PoE+ switch
The 4-port long range PoE+ switch has 4*10/100Mbps ports (only port#1-#2 support long range PoE) and 2 uplink ports to extend the signals up to 500 meters at 100Mbps. It supports both PoE and PoE+ devices with a power budget of 30W. The 4-port long range PoE+ switch supports 6KV lightning protection on all ports to prevent power surges caused by lightning strikes. The fan-less design reduces energy consumption, operating noise and dust ingress. And LED indicators are also available to monitor the performance of each RJ45 port. The 4-port long range PoE+ switch is wall-mountable, giving you great flexibility in installation.
8-port long range PoE+ switch
The 8-port long range PoE+ switch very much assembles the 4-port PoE+ switch but greatly improved with another 4*10/100Mbps ports (8 in total but only port#1-#4 support long range PoE) and 2 Gigabit uplink ports to speed up data transfer. Compliant with IEEE802.3af/at, the 8-port long range PoE+ switch is embedded with a total power budget of 120W. The long range PoE+ switch can deliver 23.46 watts of power max. over a distance of up to 500 meters (17.56W at 800 meters – enough to power IP cameras) to the PDs. And 2 PoE extenders are included to help the connected devices send the signals back to the long range PoE+ switch since they don’t native support any long range PoE features.
Benefits of the Long Range PoE Switch in Deploying 4K Cameras
The long range PoE switch enables the fast deployment and easy reposition of the IP cameras with one Ethernet cable. Here are the benefits of using a long range PoE switch when installing 4K cameras.
Higher Bandwidth: For a 4K quality video live streaming with H.264, it is recommended to use a 32Mbps bandwidth, and a 15Mbps bandwidth is needed when working with H.265. And the required bandwidth will reach 50Mbps when you’re streaming live videos on YouTube. However, the bandwidth of most network switches will drop to 10Mbps and even lower when it exceeds the 100 limits. But the long range PoE+ switch can extend PoE+ signals up to 500 meters at 100Mbps and still remain at 10Mbps when it hits 800 meters. The long range PoE+ switch provides a wider network coverage, ideal for deploying 4K cameras or other network solutions in parking lots, garages, cross-building applications, etc.
Simple Installation: Installing a long range PoE switch eliminates the need for building new network and electrical infrastructures in remote areas, saving time and money. The whole connection is completed by the cable and the PoE extender. NO technical knowledge and skills are required. Like any other PoE solution, the long range PoE switch features a simple plug-and-play installation, and since most of them are unmanaged, there’s no configuration involved. It is hot-swappable, which allows you to remove or disconnect the devices without cutting off the power or taking the switch offline. Moreover, this solution doesn’t need much maintenance since cables don’t easily deteriorate.
Stability and Reliability: With the long range PoE+ switch, the connection between the PSE and 4K cameras can be completed by the cable only. In comparison with other extension methods, extending Ethernet with long cable runs is more reliable and durable since Cat5 cables can last for 10 years. And the cable has higher-temperature resistance than electronic devices in continuous operation. Besides, less protection is needed as the cable itself is inherently resistant to water and dust ingress. Moreover, using the long range PoE+ switch highly reduces the possibility of electric leakage.
How to Use?
Since the long-rang switch has 4 ports that support long-distance PoE, you can just daisy chain two Ethernet cables (300m+500m) with the RJ45 coupler to extend the distance up to 800 meters. Although the coupler is only a temporary solution to extend the cable length, it offers a practical connection between two independent cables for long-distance deployments. But the more couplers you use, the greater wire resistance will be, and signal interference will inevitably increase. Therefore, to decrease signal degradation, you need to use a PoE extender to re-boost the signals and help the camera send back the data over the long cable runs. But if you’re thinking deploy more cameras at a time, you can use a PoE powered switch between the PoE extender and the edge devices to expand the Ethernet ports.
Other applications
Access points are oftentimes installed in ceilings or places where AC outlets are unreachable. Sometimes, they are not necessarily placed near the workstations or on the same floor, while deploying a long-range PoE+ switch offers you great flexibility in installation with better WiFi coverage and a faster network speed. And the switch is also applicable to other PoE-enabled devices such as VoIP phones, remote access control in remote areas where there is no power source and network available. Like any other PoE switch, you can mix the PoE and non-PoE devices, such as routers and computers, on the same switch by using PoE splitters to inject the power to the edge devices.
