Possible uses for Power over Ethernet

jsailor writes "Power over Ethernet allows devices to draw power from the Ethernet cable they use for networking. Power is provided by the LAN switch (end-span) or an intermediary device (mid-span). The current spec. is 802.3af and was covered on slashdot before. It provides approximately 13W at the end of a 100 m cable and is commonly used for IP phones, wireless access points, and increasingly security cameras. The technology saves costs associated with running power to the odd locations access points find themselves in and allows IP phones to be moved around with out carrying a power brick. The industry is considering a new standard that would provide up to 39W to a network device. Bizarre uses include electric razors. "

Comments

13W could be dangerous...

[Sheetrock]

Depending on the voltage and amount of power involved.

There are a couple of drawbacks to this plan: first, the increased caution that will be necessary in working with network cable (everybody's used to them being safe as phone lines) and second the possibility of burning out devices that weren't built with this standard in mind. Who's to say that a cheapie network extender installed in a rat's nest of cabling five years ago wouldn't start a fire when you hook something like this up?

Electric razors?

[RealAlaskan]

Bizarre uses include electric razors.

I'm trying to think of places where I have seen an ethernet jack but no wall power. Hmmm .... zero. Never seen such a place.

Now I'm trying to think how many times I've wanted to shave in a room which contained an ethernet jack. Hmmmm .... zero.

So, come on, somebody, tell me why you would buy a power-over-ethernet razor. I'm stumped.

Re:Electric razors?

[Drishmung]

On the other hand, if you've every travelled outside North America, you've probably seen a wall socket into which your razor would not plug (without an adaptor). http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/electricity .htm, http://www.powercords.co.uk/standard.htm

Now, imagine a universal, world-wide standard for low power devices. Would that be useful?

Re:Easy enough,

[timster]

As I recall the whole "power lines cause cancer" thing was an example of irrelevant correlation. Turns out that statistically it tends to be poor people living next to high-voltage power lines and poor people have higher cancer rates for all sorts of other reasons.