Power over Ethernet (PoE)

RJ-45 (8P8C) pinout for Power over Ethernet, showing the Alternative A (data pairs) and Alternative B (spare pairs) power assignments.

Power over Ethernet (PoE) – RJ45 jack 8 pin RJ45 (8P8C) female connector at the hub.

Power over Ethernet (PoE) – RJ45 jack 8 pin RJ45 (8P8C) male connector at the cable.

Power over Ethernet (PoE) is a technology, described by IEEE 802.3af standard, that allows IP telephones, wireless LAN Access Points, Security network cameras and other IP-based terminals to receive power, in parallel to data, over the existing CAT-5 Ethernet infrastructure without the need to make any modifications in it.

PoE integrates data and power on the same wires; it keeps the structured cabling safe and does not interfere with concurrent network operation. The original 802.3af standard delivers a nominal 48 V DC over unshielded twisted-pair wiring, providing up to about 12.95 W at a powered device. Later standards raised this considerably: 802.3at (PoE+, 2009) provides about 25.5 W, and 802.3bt (PoE++, 2018) up to roughly 71 W at the device by using all four pairs.

PinAlternative AAlternative B
1Vport Positive
2Vport Positive
3Vport Negative
4Vport Positive
5Vport Positive
6Vport Negative
7Vport Negative
8Vport Negative

POE pinouts from different manufacturers

STANDARDSOURCELOADREMARKS
Ethernet RJ-45 connector pin number
Source Voltage123
IEEE 802.3af
using data pairs
48 V DC, protectedRX, DC+RX, DC+
IEEE 802.3af
using spare pairs
48 V DC, protectedRXRX
Intel, Symbol, OrinocoUsually
12 or 24 V DC
RXRX
Cisco
(OLD old standard)
48 V DCRXRX
Cisco
(NEW old standard)
48 V DCRXRX
D-Link (Adapter)48 V DCRXRX
Apple MacIntosh AirPort PoE, Extreme48 V DCRXRX
HyperLinkMany DC Voltages AvailableRXRX
NYC Wireless
“Roll Your Own”
12 or 24 or 48 V DCRXRX

PoE - powered devices should obey following specifications:

ParameterMinMax
Signature Resistance, KOhm23.7526.25
Startup Time (till I>10mA), ms300
Power Consumption, W12.95
Operating Input Voltage Range, V3657
Must Turn on Voltage, V44
Must Turn off Voltage, V30 V
Input Current (@36Vdc), mA10350
Input Current, Peak, mA400

References

Category:Networking Connectors