Power over Ethernet is what makes modern IP CCTV so clean to install: the same Cat5e/Cat6 cable that carries the camera's video also delivers its power, from either the NVR's built-in ports or a dedicated PoE switch. No wall-warts, no separate power cabling, and cameras can be rebooted remotely by cycling the port.
The number that matters is the power budget: every switch can deliver only so many watts in total. Standard cameras draw a few watts, but PTZs, heaters and IR floods draw far more — and a switch quietly running past its budget produces the classic symptom of cameras dropping offline "randomly", usually at night when IR load peaks.
Distance matters too: Ethernet (and its power) is specified to 100 metres per run. Beyond that you need an extender, a mid-span injector, or a fibre link — not hope.
Brands we fit and service
The poe switch market splits into hardware built for South African conditions and lookalikes that fail at the first hard season. These are the manufacturers we trust on our installations:
- TP-Link
- Ubiquiti
- Netgear
- Hikvision
See our brand guides for how these manufacturers compare.
When the poe switch goes wrong
These are the failures we're called to most often — each with its symptoms, causes and our fix on the dedicated problems page:
- Dead PoE port — A camera is down; moving its cable to a spare port brings it back.
- PoE budget exceeded — Cameras drop offline unpredictably — worse at night, worse as the system grew.
- Switch overheating — The switch reboots or fails on hot afternoons; the cabinet smells warm; ports fail one by one over months.
Need this fixed or installed?
Our IP CCTV Systems service covers poe switch work — quoted upfront and backed by our 12-month workmanship warranty.