Businesses today need to be more aware of their surroundings than ever before. There are several ways this physical surveillance can be accomplished, one of which is to hire personnel to walk your grounds and monitor for trouble. This is helpful but may be cost-prohibitive for small to medium sized businesses. Another way is to use video surveillance cameras. Today’s security cameras provide a range of benefits and are powered, connected and controlled in three primary ways: via wire, battery-powered, or Power over Ethernet (PoE). Each has its drawbacks and benefits.
PoE can be the most cost-effective way to power, connect and control your camera. Here is why:
- If you choose a wired solution, it’s more than likely an electrician will be required if your facility is not pre-wired to power the cameras or cabled with coax and Ethernet to connect the cameras, which can be costly and time-consuming while waiting for building permits.
- Battery-powered systems require constant maintenance for charging and periodic replacement, which can use up valuable resources. They also in most cases require a wired component for video transmission.
- PoE-enabled cameras, from the basic IP models to the most sophisticated infrared scanning cameras, can be powered, connected and controlled all with a single Ethernet cable. No electrician, building permit, or periodic maintenance is generally required.
The next question is how much power do you need today, tomorrow and 5 years from now? NETGEAR has the solutions to address your growing power needs for the future with flexible PoE-capable switches that provide the power you need, when you need it, without having to bust your budget with a new switch purchase each time you need an upgrade.
The NETGEAR GS108LP and GS116LP Gigabit Unmanaged Ethernet Switches come with a single external power adapter and have a built-in PoE power selector switch, which allows you to connect a different power adapter (sold separately) to increase the PoE budget available on each switch. So if you want to upgrade from IP Cams to IP Cams with tilt and zoom, you just swap out your power supply and better monitor your grounds.
More information is available at NETGEAR POE and Modules Accessories