Prove the PoE system at its worst moment

Source fact: port power and system power are different limits

In standards-based Power over Ethernet, the power-sourcing equipment (PSE) detects a powered device (PD), identifies or negotiates a power class, checks available capacity, and allocates power. Cisco’s current PoE configuration guidance explains that total available power depends on the switch and installed power supplies. Its troubleshooting guidance directs operators to compare connected devices, per-port allocation, and the remaining system budget.

PoE class is not the same as observed consumption. A switch may reserve a class maximum while a device normally draws less, and power is lost in the cable before it reaches the PD. Axis’s December 2025 camera power white paper distinguishes typical operation from maximum scenarios and notes that heater and infrared state matter. The exact values must come from the current datasheet for the exact product and configuration.

DSE recommendation: create a power schedule before choosing the switch

List every powered endpoint and every intermediate device: camera, reader, intercom, illuminator, microphone, speaker, heater, fan, enclosure, USB accessory, PoE extender, media converter, wireless bridge, and edge appliance. Record model, firmware, PSE port, supported PoE type and class, manufacturer maximum input, typical draw, temperature mode, accessory load, alternate power, cable route, and operational criticality.

For each port, confirm that the switch can deliver the class and power the endpoint requests—not merely that both product sheets say PoE. Then calculate the total allocation using the switch’s documented budgeting method and actual power-supply configuration. Include stack members, modular cards, redundant-supply mode, and any derating or sharing rules in the manufacturer documentation. Keep engineering reserve as an explicit design choice rather than an undocumented subtraction.

Test the loads that are easy to miss

Cold and dark: Exercise representative outdoor devices when heaters, infrared illumination, wipers, fans, or defogging functions are active. Do not substitute the room-temperature typical figure for the documented maximum.

Boot and negotiate: Power a representative device from a de-energized port and observe detection, class, requested and allocated power, startup duration, full-feature operation, and any reduced-power state.

All at once: Restart the PSE or an isolated test group so many devices request power together. Confirm that critical devices return, the intended port-priority policy is applied, and no endpoint remains silently degraded.

Reduced supply: In a controlled maintenance test, simulate the supported loss of a redundant power supply or stack-power path. Verify the recalculated budget, denied ports, alarms, UPS load, and recovery sequence.

Worst cable path: Test representative longest and most complex permanent links, including patch panels and approved extenders. Data connectivity alone does not prove adequate delivered power.

Look beyond the green LED

Validate the powered function, not only port status. Confirm live and recorded video, infrared range, heater state, PTZ movement, audio, intercom call, reader and lock workflow, edge analytics, accessory outputs, and alarm inputs. Some devices may boot in a lower-power mode or disable internal functions when insufficient power is available; the product interface and logs should be checked for warnings.

Capture PSE model and software, power-supply inventory, total available and allocated power, per-port class and draw, device power status, cable test result, ambient conditions, syslog messages, and start and recovery times. Cisco documents faults such as undervoltage, overvoltage, overtemperature, and short circuit that can remove port power and produce logs; alarm collection should prove those events reach an owner.

Connect PoE to continuity planning

A UPS supports the PSE, but its advertised runtime is not proof of runtime under the actual PoE load. Repeat the critical-service test on UPS power and after the planned shutdown or generator transition. Document which endpoints may be shed first and what safety, egress, security, or evidence consequences follow. Coordinate any door-system test with the authority responsible for life-safety and access operation.

Recalculate and retest after adding devices, accessories, colder operating profiles, firmware features, new power supplies, switch stacks, extenders, or UPS loads. Trend power and environmental alerts where the platform supports them. A reliable PoE design is not the sum of typical watts; it is evidence that the complete powered system survives its defined failure modes.

Official sources

Cisco: PoE, powered device, and switch

Cisco: Troubleshoot Power over Ethernet

Axis: Typical and maximum power consumption in cameras

Ethernet Alliance Gen2 PoE Certification Test Plan