Articles – From the horse’s mouth
The NETGEAR GS108PP switch is able to run with different power supplies to offer different Power-Over-Ethernet power budgets
NETGEAR
Flexible PoE Switch with Power Upgrade Options {Blog Post}
Previous Coverage
My Comments
I had previously written up about the NETGEAR GS108PP 8-port Gigabit Ethernet switch with Power Over Ethernet Plus available on all ports as an example of this company offering an Ethernet switch with desirable features at a price that would be seen to be reasonable for small-network applications. Here, it was about each of the eight ports being “powered” to the Power-Over-Ethernet-Plus (802.3at) standard rather than half of the ports, something that was happening with affordable “few port” Power-Over-Ethernet gear that was fit for small networks.
At the time of the previous article, MWAVE, an independent online computer-parts reseller, offered this device to the Australian market for AUD$169 tax inclusive before shipping, but now this price has dropped to AUD$155 tax inclusive.
It is part of a family of 8-port and 16-port Gigabit Ethernet switches with Power Over Ethernet Plus power-supply on all ports that NETGEAR has taken an interesting approach with the overall power budget that these devices could offer.
Here, they offer different power budgets for the GS108LP / GS108PP (8 port) and GS116LP / GS116PP (16 ports) by packaging different power supplies with the different units so these have a different power budget depending on what you buy. They also offer a range of power adaptors with the same voltage (54VDC) but with different current outputs that are available through the aftermarket.
NETGEAR has established this arrangement to allow a network installer to buy an Ethernet switch with a Power-Over-Ethernet power budget that is “right-sized” for the user’s current needs. Then if these need change, they can upgrade the power supply to answer these newer needs.
| Power Supply Bold text is “in-box” option |
GS108LP | GS108PP | GS116LP | GS116PP |
| 54VDC 1.25A (67.5W) | 60W | 60W | ||
| 54VDC 1.66A (90W) | 83W | 83W | 76W | 76W |
| 54VDC 2.4A (130W) | 123W | 123W | 115W | 115W |
| 54VDC 3.7A (200W) | 183W | 183W |
This could suit a reality with installations where you are running one or two Power-Over-Ethernet devices to see how you go with this new idea. It may include you upgrading an older device powered by its own “wall-wart” to a simplified Power-Over-Ethernet setup thanks to an active splitter box. Then you decide to add on more Power-Over-Ethernet devices or upgrade extant devices to those with better capabilities while giving them the same kind of treatment as a typical fridge or TV – “bumping” the older unit down to a secondary role in the installation.
Here, you simply switch out the not-so-powerful power supply with one that is more powerful when you are wanting to add more power to the installation rather than junking a perfectly-good Power-Over-Ethernet switch and replacing it with something more powerful. The NETGEAR Ethernet switch can exist in your network for a longer time, serving the higher power load, until newer needs come about such as to head towards a managed switch or something better. Typically this is a plug-and-play upgrade but you may have to flick a slider on the NETGEAR switch to allow it to work with the different power load.
Network installers who sell these switches can also find it useful to keep more of the power supplies as well as these switches so that they can “right-size” their installations through the installation’s life. It can also allow for the ability for them to retain the lower-output power supplies from an “upsized” installation to use on another lower-power-demand installation if the original power supply at that installation burnt out.
What I like about this approach that NETGEAR took with these unmanaged Power-Over-Ethernet switches is the idea of providing an upgrade path for people who own an existing unit but have different needs. It also avoids the need to throw away perfectly-working equipment just because you have a different power requirement.
As well, the NETGEAR GS108LP Power-Over-Ethernet switch could be offered at a two-figure price for people and businesses who want to get their feet wet with a Power-Over-Ethernet setup. This is especially if they are seeing the idea of using active splitters to power existing devices like access points or 5-port Ethernet switches “down the line” before going “full steam” with new devices.
