What is the PoE Security Camera System?
What is a PoE Security Camera?
Power over Network (PoE) cameras have got huge attention for their effectiveness. The unique feature of this camera is, it uses only one network cable for both network connection and power.
However, there are a whole lot more important things to know about it if you are going to have one for your home or office. In this article, you will find the answer to ‘what is PoE security camera system’ in detail.
Well, that’s a lot of chitchats, let’s get to the main point now.
Secure, Risk-less, Privacy.
PoE is the abbreviation of Power over Ethernet which simply means, PoE security camera provides electrical power over an ethernet connection. It can transmit data (power and video) through one and only ethernet cable.
Generally, during the installation, a security camera requires two connections. One connection goes for the network whereas another one is a power connection. The second one can connect the system to electrical power.
But PoE requires only one connection that handles both network and power connection.
What are the Types of PoE Cameras?
The answer is ‘two’. There are two types of PoE cameras- outdoor and indoor PoE cameras, you can choose one that fits best for your place.
Outdoor PoE Camera
Choosing an outdoor PoE camera for monitoring your house or office is a great decision, no doubt. These cameras are waterproof, long-lasting, and have a lot more features.
There are three main kinds of outdoor PoE cameras- PTZ IP cameras, PoE bullet cameras, and dome IP security cameras.
Before you buy an outdoor PoE camera, look for the following features-
- Wide range of viewing angle
- High definition
- Waterproof
- Working temperature
- Remote access
- Night vision
- Motion alerts
- Audio recording
Indoor PoE Camera
When you are going to pick an indoor PoE camera for your office or home, it’s not mandatory having a waterproof or weather-resistant IP camera. Also, these cameras come with the capability of audio recording, and PTZ functionalities.
Indoor PoE cameras ensure the safety of your workplace and offer flexibility.
Also, they are easy to install and troubleshoot if any problem comes up afterward.
How Do PoE Security Camera Systems Work?
You can go through 3 different ways to connect the PoE security camera to your network. But it will depend on the type of networking hardware you are using.
First Way: IP Camera with a PoE Switch
If there is a PoE switch in your network, no matter if it is a managed switch or unmanaged one, it will work great. It is easy to connect a PoE camera to a PoE switch that will supply it with power and data.
Second Way: IP Camera and a PoE Injector
Things will become a bit complicated in case you use a non-PoE switch. In such a case, you have to go for a PoE injector. Yes, you need to connect the injector to your camera for using its PoE capabilities.
However, it requires some easy-to-go steps. First of all, you need to insert the ethernet cable into your PoE camera. Then, connect the other ending part to your PoE injector. For supplying the injector with power, you need to run another cable from the injector to the router you use.
So, that’s that. But things can be messier if you need to connect a large number of PoE cameras. Because using a large number of injectors to only one network will become annoying.
But you may find it easier to use a PoE hub for injecting data and power into an ethernet cable. Later, it will connect to the PoE camera. The setup is almost the same. Just you need to supply power to the PoE hub for once. Also, here you will find more ports than an injector.
Third Way: IP Camera, PoE NVR, and Router
If the second way seems too much hassle to you or you use a PoE camera with a non-PoE compatible router, this third way is a better option for you.
NVR or Network Video Recorder will provide your PoE camera with both power and data. The installation of NVR is not that complicated.
Just make a connection between your PoE cable and your NVR and supply that NVR with power. The last thing you need to do is to connect your NVR to the router.
The Common Features of a PoE Camera
To know the ins and outs of a PoE Security Camera System, knowing the common features of them is vital. Let’s see this in detail.
- Reliability: PoE camera does not come from the distributed wall adapters, rather it comes from a universal compatible source. You can back it up by a constant power supply. Also, it is easy to control like disabling or resetting devices.
- Inexpensive and Time-Saving: It is less expensive, also, it does not require installing electrical power cabling. Moreover, fitting the network cables doesn’t require a highly professional electrician.
- Flexibility & Scalability: You can locate and reposition IP cameras easily. And, as there is available power in the network, this means network connections installing and distributing is quite easy and effective.
- Safety: PoE cameras will protect the network equipment from underpowering, incorrect installation, or overload. Because the delivery of PoE is intelligent enough.
Things Must be Considered Before You Buy a PoE Security Camera
Here you go with 4 important things to consider before buying a PoE security camera-
- Location: Things will be different for the PoE camera for indoors and outdoors security.
- Types of PoE cameras: We discussed the types before, and choose which is the best fit for you.
- Focal length: Focal length will determine the width and length of the camera. Get to know a bit of detail about it before buying the camera.
- Special features: Check a fair number of models to be sure that you are not missing any special features.
Conclusion
So, yes, this was everything about the PoE security camera system.
Are you still confused about what a PoE security system is? Hopefully, your answer is ‘no’ as we tried to come up with every relevant information regarding this topic. Try to go through the paths we showed, you won’t regret it!
Good luck!
