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How to Choose Network Gear

Well I covered most of this topic in my How to Choose a Security Camera article.

Basically, for myself I think you want POE cameras and a POE switch. Now POE switches have maximum watts that they can provide for your cameras. They have an overall limit and a per port limit. Most POE switches have 30 watts max per port, which is sufficient for each camera, but the overall total is something that is more likely to screw up your plans.

For example, Netgear has 2 different models of 8 port POE switches. One has 60 watts max, so that one is going to be able to power two or three cameras. The other has 123 watts max, so that one is going to be able to power 5 to 6 cameras (I believe).

I got the 123 watt model and it for sure works with the 4 cameras I got. Now that leaves 3 ports that I can use for non-POE connections. So in my setup:

  1. Port 1: Uplink to rest of the network (to the modem/router);
  2. Port 2: North Camera (up to 30 watts), plus LAN/internet services.
  3. Port 3: East Camera (up to 30 watts), plus LAN/internet services.
  4. Port 4: South Camera (up to 30 watts), plus LAN/internet services.
  5. Port 5: West Camera (up to 30 watts), plus LAN/internet services.
  6. Port 6: Provides LAN/internet services to the shop.
  7. Port 7: Provides LAN/internet services to the kitchen.
  8. Port 8: Provides LAN/internet services to the laundry room.

Now because I wanted to add some indoor cameras to my shop (after all I have an extra camera). I put a second POE switch in my shop. So my 5 port POE can power my camera and add a networked computer and network printer to my shop, plus a ROKU for TV viewing. I only need power for the camera, my computer, the printer, and the ROKU all have plugs that go into an outlet. So I don't need 123 watts total, I can do with 30 watts total and be well within my need for one camera. So I bought a NETGEAR 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged PoE Switch (GS305P v2) - with 4 x PoE+ @ 63W, Desktop or Wall Mount.

It is setup like so:

  • Uplink port: Linked to 8 port POE switch above;
  • Port 1: Provides LAN/internet services to the shop PC.
  • Port 2: Provides LAN/internet services to the shop printer.
  • Port 3: Provides LAN/internet services to the shop Roku (for TV viewing).
  • Port 4: Provides up to 30 watts of power, plus LAN/internet services to the shop camera.

POE switches do not send power to or through each other (I believe). So, if I tried to use a non-POE switch in my shop, the POE camera out there wouldn't be getting any power. A POE device must be connected directly to a POE switch for the device to get power.

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