Network Switches

Key features of PoE network switches

• PoE tier per port — 802.3af (15.4 W per port, 12.95 W delivered after cable loss) for standard fixed cameras; PoE+ 802.3at (30 W per port, 25.5 W delivered) for PTZ, 4K cameras, multi-sensor models; PoE++ 802.3bt (60 W / 100 W per port) for long-range PTZ with built-in heaters and high-power IR.
• Total power budget — separate from per-port. A 24-port switch with 250 W total budget can't run 24 cameras at PoE+ (25 W × 24 = 600 W); it'll handle around 10 PoE+ cameras at full load. Check the budget against your actual camera mix.
• Gigabit (1 Gbps) or 10 Gigabit port speeds — gigabit is the standard for IP CCTV; 10G needed only for uplink to a multi-NVR site or where multiple 4K streams aggregate.
• Managed or unmanaged. Unmanaged is plug-and-play — fine for residential and small commercial. Managed adds VLAN support (segregate camera traffic from data network — important for any commercial install with both), QoS for video traffic prioritisation, SNMP monitoring, Spanning Tree, link aggregation. The default for commercial CCTV installs is at least Smart-managed (Layer 2).
• Port counts — typically 4, 8, 16, 24 or 48 ports. Size to your current camera count plus 25–50% headroom for expansion, or step up to the next tier if you're at all on the fence.
• Fanless designs on most small switches; active cooling on 24-port and above. Mount accordingly — fanless can sit in a comms cabinet without ventilation, fan-cooled needs airflow.
• Rack-mount or desktop form factors. 1U rack-mount for 24/48-port commercial; desktop for 4–16 port residential and small commercial.

How to spec a PoE switch for your CCTV install

Five decisions, in this order:

1. PoE tier. Check every camera's power requirement. Standard fixed cameras at 6–10 W use 802.3af. PTZ, 4K AcuSense and ColorVu models at 15–25 W typically need PoE+ (802.3at). Long-range outdoor PTZ with heaters can need PoE++ (802.3bt) — confirm against the specific camera spec.

2. Port count. Count cameras, add 1–2 for NVR uplink, add 1–2 for future expansion. A 4-camera install → 8-port switch (gives expansion headroom). 16-camera install → 24-port. 32+ cameras → 48-port or multiple 24-port switches with uplink.

3. Total power budget. Sum the worst-case power draw of every camera (some safety margin above the camera's typical draw). Check against the switch's total PoE budget — most cheap switches only support full PoE+ on roughly half their ports.

4. Managed or unmanaged. For most residential and small-commercial installs, unmanaged is fine. Step up to managed (or smart-managed Layer 2) for: commercial sites where camera traffic should be on its own VLAN; multi-tenant buildings; any install needing SNMP monitoring or QoS.

5. Brand. Hikvision and HiLook PoE switches are the value option, matched with their cameras and NVRs. Cisco Catalyst for enterprise. Aruba (HP) for the campus / enterprise tier. Ubiquiti UniFi for the value-managed sweet spot — popular with installers running larger residential and small-commercial sites. Pick by the install scale and the existing IT estate.

What is a PoE network switch?

A switch is the network device that joins multiple Ethernet cables together so connected devices can talk to each other. A PoE switch adds power delivery — each port can power a connected device (typically a camera or access point) using the same Ethernet cable that carries data. This means each camera needs only one cable run from the switch (rather than separate power and data), which is the whole reason wired IP CCTV is simpler to install than older analog systems with separate power and coax.

The PoE side runs to the IEEE 802.3 standards: af is the original spec at 15 W per port, at (PoE+) at 30 W, bt (PoE++) at 60–100 W. The Ethernet side typically runs at 1 Gbps (gigabit) — fast enough for any IP camera stream including 4K.

Real-world install considerations

• The 100 m PoE distance limit — Cat6 PoE reliably runs 100 metres before signal and power degrade. Beyond that, use a PoE extender or a secondary switch at distance.
• Total power budget vs per-port — a 24-port PoE+ switch typically has 250–400 W total budget, not 720 W (24 × 30). It can power all 24 ports at standard PoE (~10 W each) but only roughly half the ports at full PoE+. Read the spec.
• Switch placement and airflow — 24-port and 48-port commercial switches have active cooling and need ventilation. Plan rack or cabinet space accordingly.
• Uplink to NVR — most modern Hikvision and HiLook NVRs have built-in PoE for direct camera connection (typically 8 PoE ports on an 8-channel NVR). For installs beyond the NVR's built-in PoE count, the standard architecture is NVR (no PoE) + external PoE switch.
• VLAN segregation — on any commercial install with both CCTV cameras and a business data network, VLAN-tag the camera traffic on a managed switch. Keeps cameras off the business LAN for security and bandwidth isolation.

Why buy from Security Cameras Australia

• Authorised Australian dealer — genuine network switches with full manufacturer warranty.
• Expert sizing support — pre-purchase advice on port count, PoE tier, total budget, and managed vs unmanaged for your install.
• Price-match guarantee — competitive pricing.
• Free shipping — fast Australian delivery.
• 30-day returns — satisfaction guarantee.

Shop the network switch range

Browse the network switch range below, or talk to us about specifying a switch — tell us the camera count, the PoE tiers needed, and whether the install warrants managed features, and we'll spec the right unit. For cabling, see the Ethernet cables collection.