The switches allow IP devices to be connected via Ethernet cable and its RJ45 ports, but some models, in addition to transporting data at high speeds, can power devices without the need for additional adapters, using Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology. It is a great advantage in CCTV installations, since with a single cable, PoE IP cameras can be operated up to 100 meters away or even 250 meters or more, taking advantage of the intelligent CCTV mode functions.
PoE standard
There are several PoE standards depending on the power required, thus, PoE af allows up to 15W, useful for simple cameras. The PoE + or PoE at, up to 30W, is used for cameras with some type of motorization or small PTZs and for cameras with more power demand such as some SpeedDomes, there is Hi-PoE from 60W, which when standardized has been called PoE bt or Ultra PoE and goes up to 90W. Of course, since there is a negotiation when connecting to the RJ45 port, if the camera or device is not PoE, it can still be used and the switch will not provide power through that port.
Another way that switches are categorized is by data transmission speed. Most commonly, the PoE ports that IP cameras connect to are 10/100 Mbps (Megabits per second). In addition, if it is necessary to connect the switch to another switch or a router, the Uplink ports are available, which usually have a bandwidth of 1000 Mbps, especially in switches with a greater number of total ports, since they gather the data from the rest. of ports. When all the ports are at 1000 Mbps, the switches are often referred to as Gigabit.
In addition to the classic desktop models, there are others for installation on a DIN rail, also on the wall, or by using tabs on racks, even models designed for outdoor use that withstand the weather and can be easily installed on the wall or on a pole or lamppost with the clamps included.
Managed switches have an assigned IP that is used to access their web interface and monitor its status, as well as configure basic and advanced network functions. Other models are Smart Managed and with the free professional Safire Control Center software, they allow you to graphically show the network topology and by clicking on the detected devices, view live cameras, manage switch ports and monitor global network activity of the connected local network (LAN).
Previously, the intelligent Extend function or CCTV mode was mentioned, which allows to carry PoE power and data up to 250 meters and soon there will be devices that allow reaching up to 800 meters in exchange for limiting the port to 10 Mbps, sufficient for high resolution IP camera video streams, even 4K, with the latest codecs such as H265 +.
Other Smart functions are the progressive protected power-up that prevents overloading at the start of the switch, the watchdog mode verifying and restarting the PoE cameras that stop working, or the VLAN mode that isolates the communications between PoE ports increasing the security of the network.
For installations where the power supply suffers interruptions or is unstable, there is a switch with an integrated controller for standard 12 or 24V batteries, with its UPS function, in case of alternating current interruption. It supplies from the battery up to 120W in total to its 5 Gigabit ports in PoE af / at / bt. In addition, it also incorporates a controller for a solar panel, allowing its simultaneous use with battery.
In summary, Visiotech's large catalog has switches for all needs and installations, from non-PoE models with 4 RJ45 ports to more than 24 PoE ports, including SFP uplink ports for fiber connections.
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