What is Power over Ethernet?
Power over Ethernet (PoE) is a system which passes power and data over an ethernet cable, most commonly a category 5 cable. This technology is useful for powering IP telephones and cameras, just to name a couple, in situations where USB or AC power is not practical due to the amount of power required or length of cable that would be needed. PoE adapters, also known as midspans, are inexpensive plug-ins used to connect a device to a router which does not provide PoE capability, instead of having to replace the router.
What is 802.3af and 802.3at?
There are 2 types, 802.3af (sometimes known as 802.3at Type 1) provides 15 watts of power which is sufficient for most devices, but for some larger applications 802.3at Type 2 provides 34 watts of power.
