How to Choose a PoE Switch for a CCTV Project

Choosing a PoE switch for a CCTV project looks like a shopping decision, but it is really an engineering one. The switch has to carry every camera stream, keep every camera inside its power budget, and still be serviceable in three years when the site adds two more cameras. Below is the selection order we use when quoting switches for integrators, installers and distributors.

1. Start from the camera list, not the switch catalogue

Before comparing port counts, write down four numbers for the project:

• Camera count and resolution — 2MP, 4MP and 8MP models differ in both power draw and bitrate.
• Power per camera — read the datasheet, and include night mode. IR illumination often pushes a camera 30–50% above its daytime figure.
• Uplink requirement — how many streams leave the site, and to what: NVR, VMS or cloud.
• Environment — indoor rack, outdoor cabinet, or a sealed box on a pole. This decides whether a commercial or industrial unit is appropriate.

2. Size the PoE budget with real headroom

PoE is a budget, not a per-port promise. A switch may offer PoE on sixteen ports while its total budget is only 120 W — sixteen cameras at 8 W would already consume it before any IR spike. Always compare the total budget, not the port count.

A practical rule: add 25–30% headroom over the sum of camera draws, and check that the budget still covers the site after dark. Our standard PoE range is listed under PoE switches; if the project is larger, or the cameras must be segmented from the office network, look at the L2/3 managed PoE switches such as the RS1024K-P24-2S-M.

3. Size the uplink by total stream bandwidth

Add up the bitrates, not the megapixels. A 4MP camera on H.265 typically runs 4–6 Mbps, so sixteen cameras come to roughly 70–100 Mbps — comfortably inside one gigabit uplink. The uplink becomes the limiting factor when a switch aggregates thirty or more high-resolution cameras, or when the same link also carries NVR playback and office traffic.

For higher uplink options, see the 2.5G Ethernet switches and the managed 10G switches.

4. Decide managed or unmanaged before the quote

Unmanaged switches are cheaper and simpler, and for a single cabinet with a fixed camera list they are often the right answer. Managed switches add VLAN separation, loop protection, per-port PoE control and remote diagnostics — the features that matter once the site is remote, multi-tenant, or likely to grow. If the project will be serviced by someone other than the person installing it, managed usually pays for itself in the first callout it prevents.

5. Site details that cause callbacks

• Cable: Cat5e is the minimum for PoE, Cat6 is the safer default for new runs; long or thin cable costs voltage and wastes budget.
• Distance: 100 m is the limit for copper Ethernet. Beyond that you need fibre, a PoE extender or a converter — plan it before the cable is pulled.
• Surge and grounding: outdoor cabinets need surge protection and a proper earth reference, especially where cameras sit on masts.
• Power: size the UPS for switch budget plus camera draw, not for the switch label alone.
• Heat: a sealed outdoor cabinet in summer can exceed the rated ambient of a commercial switch.

Configurations we quote most often

Send us the camera list and cabinet layout and we will return a port / PoE / uplink table with the model numbers that fit — usually within one working day. Start from the quote form.

FAQ

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