PoE monitoring kit

This type of recorder works like an ordinary IP recorder, however, it also has a built-in PoE switch to which cameras are connected (as in the figure above). An undoubted advantage of this type of equipment is the ability to connect the camera with one cable. We do not have to worry about installing additional power sockets for cameras. The configuration of the PoE set is much simpler compared to other types of solutions. Just make sure that automatic configuration of camera pairing is enabled (as in the picture below) and connect the cameras to the recorder.

After connecting the camera to one of the free PoE ports, the camera will start up and it will be automatically assigned an IP address, which will also be set in the recorder's channel, corresponding to the recorder's socket. This setup will only work with compatible hardware. Zintronic recorders provide this automatic configuration for Zintronic B-series and D-series cameras.

One of the additional and useful functions is the monitoring of power consumption on a specific socket of the recorder. This allows you to diagnose the connection between the camera and the recorder, as well as the camera itself. If you experience any problems with the camera, you can compare the power consumption with other cameras of the same model.

The advantage of using the recorder solution with PoE ports is to connect the devices of the set with only one cable, the so-called "twisted pair", i.e. an internet cable, and thanks to this, we do not have to use power supplies for the cameras, which we mentioned a little earlier. This, in turn, saves additional space that we can develop at our discretion.

The recorder equipped with a built-in PoE switch has the additional advantage of creating its own internal network, separated from the main local network. Thanks to this connection, the cameras do not generate increased traffic in the main local network, increasing the consumption of router resources, which translates into speeds and delays in the home network.

2. IP recorder with external PoE switch

An exemplary diagram of a set with an IP recorder with an external PoE switch

In such a monitoring set, an external PoE switch appears as an additional element that must also find its place in the entire set. However, this is what gives us the opportunity to install the PoE switch in a convenient place for us, e.g. in the basement or in the attic, which in turn allows you to place all the cabling for the cameras in a different place than where the recorder will be located. Similarly to the solution of the recorder with built-in PoE ports, in this set we also connect devices with one twisted-pair cable.

The PoE switch has clearly marked ports that indicate places for connecting PoE devices (PoE connectors) and connecting to other network devices (uplink connectors), i.e. router or other PoE switch. An example of PoE switch designation is presented below:

The recorder and the switch are electronic devices, sensitive to any irregularities in the electrical network. Like other electronic devices, they can be damaged as a result of unforeseen events. In the case of a set consisting of a recorder and an external PoE switch, if one of these devices fails, the cost of replacing a single failure will be lower than the cost of replacing a recorder with a built-in PoE switch. In addition, if the PoE switch itself fails, all recordings on the recorder's hard drive will remain intact.

The elements of such a set can be flexibly replaced or added, this applies to both the recorder - when there is a need to expand the monitoring system with additional cameras, and the supported number of channels will be too small and it will be necessary to use a different, new recorder model; and a PoE switch - we buy another element and, together with additional cameras, connect it to the previous switch in the same network (as in the picture below). In other words, the possible replacement of the recorder with another with a larger number of available channels does not result in the need to replace the PoE switch, and we can connect another PoE switch to the existing set, not necessarily in the same location.

The choice and use of any of the discussed sets in practice is an individual matter of the user. In both cases, however, we will fully use the advantages of such a solution, including:

- using fewer wires necessary for proper monitoring installation, which in turn will speed up its installation;

- enabling the installation of cameras in places where it will be impossible or very limited to provide an independent power supply;

- simple architecture of the monitoring set allows for its flexible expansion at any time;

- providing remote access to all cameras included in the monitoring set using a mobile application for Android and iOS phones, as well as a program for computers with Windows or MacOS.

We mentioned earlier that the load on the home network when we use a PoE recorder is usually lower than a recorder with an external PoE switch and to illustrate the network statistics of both sets, we present sample network traffic data:

- for PoE recorder:

The discussed examples of surveillance kits based on PoE technology offer specific benefits that we have tried to demonstrate in this article. In practice, PoE sets constitute the majority of used monitoring systems compared to WiFi sets, but we leave the final choice to the user, hoping that our hints will prove useful and helpful in making a decision.