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Chapter 1: Overview
24
Power over Ethernet
The twisted pair port on the AT-PC232/POE Media Converter features
Power over Ethernet (PoE). PoE is a mechanism for supplying power to
network devices over the same twisted pair cables used to carry network
traffic. This feature can simplify network installation and maintenance by
allowing you to use the switch as a central power source for other network
devices.
A device that receives its power over an Ethernet cable is called a
powered device (PD). Examples of such devices can be wireless access
points, IP telephones, web cams, and Ethernet switches.
There are several advantages that the PoE feature of the AT-PC232/POE
Media Converter adds to the installation and maintenance of your network.
First, because the media converter acts as the power source for the
powered device, adding an uninterruptible power source (UPS) to the
media converter increases the protection not just to the media converter
itself from possible power source problems but also to the powered device
connected to it. This can increase the reliability of your network by
minimizing the impact to network operations from a power failure.
PoE can also simplify the installation of your network. A frequent issue in
selecting a location for a network device is whether there is a power
source nearby. This often limits equipment placement or requires the
added cost and time of having additional electrical sources installed. With
PoE, you can install PoE-compatible network equipment wherever they
are needed without having to worry about whether they are near a power
source.
The media converter can automatically determine whether or not a device
connected to its port is a powered device. A powered device has a
signature resistor or capacitor that the media converter can detect over
the Ethernet cabling. If the resistor or capacitor is present, the media
converter assumes that the device is a powered device.
The twisted pair port on the AT-PC232/POE Media Converter can supply
up to 15.4 watts of power, while at the same time furnishing standard
10/100 Mbps Ethernet functionality. If the twisted pair port is connected to
a network node that is not a powered device, it functions as a regular
Ethernet port without PoE. The PoE feature remains enabled on the port
but no power is delivered to the device.