• “Power-over-Ethernet” is a really good idea.
• “Power-over-Ethernet” (PoE) or “Active Ethernet” is a technology that integrates both power and data over a standard Category 5 Ethernet cable Local Area Network (LAN) infrastructure.
• The power delivered over the LAN infrastructure is automatically activated when a compatible terminal is identified and blocked to legacy devices that are not compatible. This is a central feature of the IEEE 802.3af standard which permits users to mix legacy and Power over Ethernet (PoE) compatible devices on the same network.
• When a device is not compatible with Power over Ethernet an Active Splitter is installed. The splitter separates the DC voltage and the Ethernet data, into two separate outputs, terminating at a power port and a standard Ethernet connection (RJ-45 jack).
• The most important feature of the standard is that Power over Ethernet is completely compatible with existing Ethernet switches and networked devices. Because the Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) tests whether a networked device is PoE-capable, power is never transmitted unless a Powered Device is at the other end of the cable. It also continues to monitor the channel. If the Powered Device does not draw a minimum current, perhaps because it has been unplugged or physically turned off, the PSE shuts down the power to that port. Optionally, the standard permits Powered Devices to signal to a PSE how much power they require.

• When a device is not compatible with Power over Ethernet an Active Splitter is installed. The splitter separates the DC voltage and the Ethernet data, into two separate outputs, terminating at a power port and a standard Ethernet connection (RJ-45 jack).
• Several standard regulated voltages are available; 5VDC, 12VDC, 18VDC and 48VDC.
• At each of the standard regulated voltage levels there are (at present) two maximum power output levels.
• There are many “power output connectors” to accommodate all the supported terminals.

RJ-45 - The Only Ubiquitous Connector in the World

It you take a laptop computer on a “World Tour” you need 17 different mains adapters, just to accommodate the different mains sockets in each country. IP-networks and the humble RJ-45 connector are the only universal standards (except for death and taxes).

In the near future, your hotel will provide not only Ethernet access, but also PoE. You will then be able to charge-up your laptop as you sleep by leaving it connected to a PoE network.

The future is “IP with Everything” and PoE with all low powered devices. PoE is used extensively in “VOIP” and “Wireless Access” applications and is beginning to be deployed in “IP-Surveillance” as more PoE compatible video products become available.