Power over Ethernet (PoE) switches are great for video security and surveillance applications because you only need the Ethernet cable between the switch and the camera. This reduces installation time and enables multiple devices to be connected and controlled by a single switch or combination of switches, depending on the size of the network. While you likely already know the benefits of using PoE switches in your video security and surveillance applications, there are some key elements that make day-to-day management of your network much easier.

As a quick recap, PoE is a technology that passes electric power over a twisted-pair Ethernet cable to powered devices (PD), such as wireless access points, IP cameras and VoIP phones, in addition to the data that the cable usually carries. It enables one RJ45 cable to provide both a data connection and electric power to PDs instead of having a separate cable for each.

PoE switches are available in a variety of port counts: managed or unmanaged, enterprise or hardened. While this blog doesn’t go into all the various options and benefits of PoE switches, you can find more information on Enterprise and Hardened switches at  https://www.lantronix.com/blog/enterprise-grade-vs-hardened-grade-ethernet-switches-best-project/

When using PoE switches in your video security network, several key elements that will make managing and maintaining that network much easier. Here are some of the features that Lantronix PoE switches offer to ensure that your network stays operational.

Auto Power Reset

Auto power reset allows the switch to monitor PDs and take action if the PD is non-responsive. The switch can be configured to proactively ensure the PD is online and communicating, and the network administrator can configure the “check” time and frequency and then determine what action should be taken if the PD is non-responsive.

Always-on PoE

Always-on PoE ensures that there is uninterrupted PoE power to the PDs even when a switch is upgraded or restarted. This is critical when 24/7 surveillance cannot have any interruptions.

Ultra-Fast PoE

Ultra-fast PoE is focused on smart buildings and other applications to ensure that, in the case of the network switch losing power, the PoE power is provided within 5 seconds of AC power restoral. This is extremely beneficial when using PoE lighting and for video surveillance where uptime is critical.

Device Management System (DMS)

The Device Management System (DMS) enables you to know the exact location of your switches and cameras in a network. DMS has the capability to import a floor map of the building or area in which the security network is located. Using that imported floor map, you can “drag and drop” the PoE switches, cameras and wireless access points onto the map so technicians know exactly how the network was configured.

Another key capability from DMS is an auto-generated topology map on which you can see exactly how the device is connected and to what switch the cameras are connected. This topology map can be saved as a PDF and easily referenced to discover if any topology changes were made after the initial installation.

Video Management System (VMS)

Another key element for video security and surveillance networks is Video Management System (VMS) integration with the PoE switches. Lantronix’s plug-in for Milestone VMS enables Milestone users to integrate Lantronix PoE switches into their overall management. Learn more about our Milestone plug-in at https://www.lantronix.com/products/milestone-xprotect-integration/.

Lantronix also offers Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for its PoE switches so customers can easily integrate the switch into their VMS platform.

To learn more about the Lantronix PoE switch product line and offerings, please visit https://www.lantronix.com/products-class/network-switches/.