What is the Maximum Distance for PoE? How Do You Extend PoE Distance?

The maximum PoE distance is 100 meters (328 ft). This is the maximum PoE cable length for UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pairs) cables that are utilized for PoE or any network data transmission.

We can overcome the PoE distance limit with PoE Extenders, PoE Media Converters, and PoE Fiber Switches. Using PoE Extenders will extend the PoE distance over UTP copper cables. By utilizing PoE Media Converters and PoE Fiber Switches, the fiber optic cabling will enable the distance extension beyond 100 meters, which depends on three things:

• Fiber optic cable type
• Data rate
• The optical power of the equipment

Extend PoE Distance With PoE Extenders

When it comes to extending PoE distance, the first network device that comes to mind is PoE extenders. PoE extenders are unmanaged, which means they are plug-and-play with auto-negotiation and cannot accept any users' input or commands. PoE extenders can break through the limited distances of the Ethernet copper distance barrier, as they can be daisy-chained. PoE extenders use UTP copper cables that extend data and power beyond 100 meters.

• Cost-effective distance extension and connectivity
• External power is not available
• External power is hard to provision
• Replacing copper with fiber becomes cost-prohibitive

Commercial and Wide operating temperature PoE Extenders

Commercial PoE extenders come in two models with one RJ-45 PoE/PD port and one RJ-45 PoE/PSE or, and two RJ-45 PoE/PSE. IEEE 802.3at or HPoE 60W Power Sourcing Equipment such as an Ethernet switch or media converter will power PoE extenders, and they can power up to 60W PoE Powered Devices (PDs). This meets all types of IEEE standards: IEEE 802.3af/at (15.4W and 30W) and IEEE 802.3bt (60W and 100W). Omnitron PoE Extender operating temperatures come in 2 ranges: commercial (0 to +50ºC) and wide (-40 to +60ºC).

Industrial PoE Extenders

Industrial PoE extenders can operate at temperatures between -40ºC and 75ºC. Industrial PoE extenders are designed for harsh environments  and outdoor network applications, deployed in places with extreme cold or hot  environments.  RuggedNet PoE Extenders come in two models with one RJ-45 PoE/PD, and one RJ-45 PoE/PSE port, or two RJ-45 PoE/PSE ports.

Extend PoE Distance with PoE Media Converters

PoE media converters convert data transmitted on copper cables to fiber-optic cables and  vice-versa. PoE media converters have one or two RJ-45 ports (10/100/1000BASE-T) and one or two fiber ports (100BASE-X (SFP), 1000BASE-X (ST, SC, SFP), 1000BASE-BX (SC, SFP)). The fiber transmits only data and the copper ports provide power and data.

Extend PoE Distance with PoE Fiber Switches

PoE fiber switches have up to eight RJ-45 ports that support all the various PoE standards as defined by IEEE, which include IEEE 802.3af/at (15.4W and 30W) and IEEE 802.3bt (60W and 100W). There are one or two 1G fiber uplink ports supporting ST, SC, LC, and SFP transceivers and two 1G/10G uplink ports supporting SFP/SFP+ transceivers depending on the model type. With the help of these uplink ports, the distance extends up to 140 kilometers.

Commercial PoE Fiber Switches

Commercial PoE switches are typically used in an enterprise, operating at normal temperature, an Ideal product for deployment at schools, offices, and university campuses. These compact PoE fiber switches are available in managed models (10G/M, 10GPoE+/M and 10GPoEBT/M) and unmanaged models (10G/Sx, 10GPoE+/Sx and 10GPoEBT/Sx). The Omnitron PoE Fiber Switch operating temperatures come in 3 ranges: commercial (0 to +50ºC), wide (-40 to +60ºC), and extended (-40 to 75ºC).

Industrial PoE switches can operate at temperatures between -40 ºC and 75 ºC. These ruggedized PoE fiber switches are designed for industrial and outdoor network applications powering Wi-Fi access points, small cells, IP surveillance cameras, and various industrial and transportation equipment. They are deployed in harsh and extreme environments. These compact industrial PoE switches are available as managed and unmanaged models.

Conclusion 

The best network switch to extend the PoE distance between all three PoE media converters, PoE fiber switches, and PoE extenders is Omnitron compact PoE fiber switches. They have up to eight 10/100/1000 copper PoE user ports and two 1/10G SFP/SFP+ transceiver uplink ports, allowing you to connect more powered devices (PDs). Also, for industrial, telecom, utility, IoT, and transportation networks, the Omnitron Industrial PoE Fiber Switch is a perfect choice. If you are still unsure about which product should be your choice for powered devices (PDs), contact Omnitron Systems’ technicians to receive pre-sale support. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year to answer your questions. Contact us today.