Engineering tool
Choose the path before the port and power.
Enter the device, count, distance and mains condition to get a PoE, PoF or fibre-to-local-switch recommendation with a starting port count and power budget.
- Path
- PoE / PoF / Fibre
- Ports
- 8 / 16 / 24 / 48
- Power
- 802.3af / at
- PoF limit
- 12 W / 200 m
01 / Inputs
What does the site look like?
Pick the device type, then enter the count and the longest run. The result is a starting point; final ports and power follow the device list and the quotation.
02 / Recommendation
Path, ports and a budget starting point.
This is an industry-value starting point, not a final configuration. Peak load, cable voltage drop and cabinet conditions can change the answer.
Recommended path
Copper PoE
- Ports / outputs
- 24
- Power budget
- 230 W
- Uplink
- GE
Watch-out
How to use it
Read the path first, then the budget.
PoE channel
100 m
PoF reach
200 m / port
PoF power
12 W / port
Port headroom
20%
Wizard FAQ
Path and port questions.
If your question is not here, send the site details and we will answer with the calculation, not a brochure.
Ask an engineerWhy prefer PoE inside 100 m?
Standard PoE is the most mature and lowest-cost option inside the 100 m copper channel; switches and devices are easy to source. PoF earns its place in the 100–200 m gap without mains, not as a replacement for ordinary PoE.
How is the PoF port count calculated?
Divide the no-mains device count by 8 and round up to get the number of splitters. Each splitter has eight outputs and a 120 W supply; keep the total load below 80% of the supply.
A 25 W PTZ camera: can it run on PoF?
No. The PoF port is rated 12 W, and a heated PTZ is typically 25–60 W. Use fibre to a local PoE switch, or bring a mains feed to the pole.
Why add 20% to the port count?
The 20% covers spare ports, a failed port and a small amount of growth. Twenty devices usually point to a 24-port switch, not a 16-port unit; the total PoE budget still has to be checked.
Why multiply the PoE budget by 1.1?
Long cable runs have voltage drop and loss, so about 10% is reserved. The exact figure depends on conductor gauge, length and bundle temperature; a quotation should use device peaks and the cable datasheet.
What about a site with both powered and no-mains endpoints?
Separate the power domains: a PoE switch for the powered group and a PoF splitter for the no-mains group. Both can uplink to the same OLT or core switch, but the power budgets are calculated separately.
Next step
Send the device list.
Provide the device types, count, longest run and mains condition. We return the path, ports, power budget and bill of materials.
No obligation. The plan states its assumptions so your engineer can check it.