How to Connect IP Camera to PoE Switch

How to Connect IP Camera to PoE Switch


Powering up IP cameras and providing data signals to them can be a tough job in together. Using a data cable and another power cable for each of the IP cameras can flood you up with piles of cables and wirings. 


That’s where the idea of connecting IP cameras to PoE switch comes over. It’s a system that does two jobs of data transfer and powering up together, only with one switch. 


In today’s article, we’ve taken an intuitive attempt to explain the process of how to connect IP cameras to PoE switches easier for you. If you’re a beginner to such works, this is the right guideline that you need to go through. 


Why Connect IP Cameras to PoE Switch?

There are a few significant benefits to connect IP cameras to PoE switches. 


First of all, it reduces the necessity of two sets of cables in an IP camera system. The first cable is used to deliver power and the second one is up to delivering network signals. With a PoE switch, the number of cable comes down to one. In fact, that what PoE(Power over Ethernet) stands for.  


Secondly, it fills up the necessity of running extra cable to power devices such as IP cameras, IP phone, etc. Connecting it with PoE switches through CAT6 or CAT5 cables can cut a good amount of cost that you’d do after expensive power cables. On average, you can take the cable costing into below 50% once you go with PoE and IP camera combination. 


The other benefit is- PoE has a simplified and easy to do installation process. The energy efficiency is improved and the demand of high end technical labor is not required at all. 


How to Connect IP Camera to PoE Switch?

Before stepping into the process, gather these essential equipment that we’ll need at different steps-


Items You Need

  1. IP Camera(s). 
  2. 1 PoE injector for each IP camera. 
  3. 1 existing switch that is of non-PoE type. 
  4. Ethernet cable(CAT5E, CAT6A or CAT6). 


Got everything in hand, here you go with the steps- 


Step 1: Check the functionalities of all equipment

Before setting the IP camera and PoE switch live in action, make sure that each and every one of them is working fine. Reset the IP camera into default mode by pressing the reset button. 


Now connect the POE switch to a laptop on a bench, and make sure to do all the video management and network configuration. This will make sure that everything will work fine when mounted. 


Step 2: Connect the Ethernet Cable

At this step, you need to connect the ethernet cable to the PoE switch. There will be a port for both power and data in the PoE injector, and there will be a PoE port in the IP camera itself. 


Take the right type of ethernet cable to connect between the two. If the distance between these two is less than 100m. If the distance is more than than, you might need to use an extender. 


Step 3: Place the IP Camera at The Right Place

At this point, you need to set up the IP camera and mount it with essential hardware. Make sure to check these few facts to ensure optimal performance by the IP camera- 

  1. It should not be in a place where light is inadequate. 
  2. It should avoid backlit images that might washout the images. 
  3. It should be able to catch images of subjects from a wide range of height. 
  4. The angular coverage should be subjected to the area where it’s most populated. 


Step 4: Connect the Injector data Port

At this point, another ethernet cable is required to connect the PoE switch and the injector’s data port. It should be of the same type that we’ve used earlier. Once done with the connecting, proceed to the next step. 


Step 5: Power the System Up 

Once the PoE switch and the IP camera is connected to each other, plug the injector power plug into an AC electrical outlet. The system should work fine. 


Things to Remember

When you’re going through the steps of the process of how to connect IP cameras to PoE switch, you should remember these few facts- 


Fact 1

Firstly, IP cameras contain 1 connection in each of them- 

  1. The ethernet port for data. 
  2. The optional power cord. 

As long as we’re connecting an IP camera to a PoE switch, we don’t need to use the power connection. PoE switches are able to power it up from only one connection. 


Fact 2

Sometimes, the switch might not be PoE capable. In that case, you have to find an alternative way to power up the IP camera as a non-PoE switch system. It will not deliver power to the device itself. So, you need to use the optional power cord as well. 


Fact 3

The cable required to connect IP cameras with a PoE switch can be of a number of types. There are CAT5E, CAT6 or CAT6A type of cables, and each of them has its pros and cons. 


Based on the length of the wiring required, and your budget, you should choose the right CAT type for the cable. Remember, the speed majorly depends on which type of cable you are putting in the blend. 


Bottom Line

So, that had been the handy guide on how to connect IP camera for PoE switch. If done as instructed, this will rescue you from the hassle of loads of wiring. Also, it will boost the networking speed once associated with the right kind of cable.

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    Derek Watson

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