Extending the reach of PoE and making it easier to manage

Sometimes networks are easy to set up and configure – but frankly, that’s not usually the case. Let’s say you wanted to set up a WiFi access point (AP) and connect a few other devices to the network using PoE in an office – that should be simple enough with a switch that has enough PoE ports and a sufficient PoE power budget. But let’s say that you also wanted to connect another access point and an outdoor 5G router that are located more than 100 meters (the theoretical limit for PoE) away.

One solution would be to use another switch at the location where you need to connect the second AP and outdoor router. But that’s going to be costly, especially when that’s all you need at the location. It’s surprising how many scenarios like this can occur – in businesses that have outdoor areas and yards such as garden centres or haulage companies, in bars and restaurants, sports and sailing clubs, even in people’s homes.

This is why we’re preparing to release the PoE12-3PD – a small, simple and very elegant device that extends the reach of PoE by as much as 100 meters. This makes it possible to connect devices via PoE well beyond that theoretical limit, which then means that you’d only need one switch instead of having to deploy another device at the slightly removed location.

If you’d like to learn more about our PoE switches and extenders, please get in touch with your nearest Zyxel Networks partner or Zyxel Networks office.