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

Easy enough,

[00null00]

But isn't it time for power over wi-fi?

Stop the craziness!

[__aaitqo8496]

Power over Ethernet?
Internet over Powerlines?

What crazy things will they think of next? Power over powerlines and internet over ethernet?!?

Short circuit

[totallygeek]

I went to a company that cabled about 100 drops. When certain network items did not work properly, they tried everything to figure out what the problem was. Finally, one device was plugged in and did not work at all. It turns out that the cabling was wired with "just the same colors on one end as the other". The installers actually created an elaborate mapping on paper saying, wire 1: red, red/white, blue, blue/white, brown, brown/white, green/white, green. They would look up each cable on this run sheet before punching down the other end. The device that did not work evidently was not "looked up" correctly, and so there were no valid pairings. If this had been POE, something would have been fried.

Another company I worked with found out that their cable guys simply wired everything with 2 pairs only. They would punch down 1,2,3,6 and then cut the remaining wires completely. POE wouldn't work there either.

It is amazing how some companies attempt to save money by getting monkeys to install cables.

Re:13W could be dangerous...

[dourk]

You may assume telephones are safe, but the have a ring votage over 40v. Wiring up a the last jack in my house, stripped one of the wires with my teeth just as my buddy called.

It fucking hurt.

Lower cost per AP

[ccbutler]

earlier this year I converted our warehouse of 250,000 square feet to 802.11b WiFi using Cisco 1200 series AP's. Our cost per AP was 1900.00 (CDN) using power over ethernet. This cost includes contractors, electricians, cat5e, fiber, and even antennas. Im not here to toot any horns for 802.11b or Cisco or anything... but our cost per AP would have been WAY higher if it weren't for power-over-ethernet technology.

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?

Possible Uses?

[pete-classic]

Possible uses for Power over Ethernet

Finally convincing the fucking cat to not chew on the cables?

-Peter

already works for cable chewing cats

[puzzled]

I lived with this chick that had a cable chewing cat some years ago. One day one of my college roomies stopped by and as we were talking kitty walks out and starts in on the phone line in the living room.

Mike looked at me, got the *biggest* grin you've ever seen, then whipped out his cell phone and pressed redial ...

Kitty rang, backed up, hissed, then bit the cable again just in time for the third ring. Now I liked that cat and I have a long hair tortoise shell of my own, but I sure was glad that Mike cured that cat of ripping up cables.