PoE power budget calculator for switches
Check whether a PoE switch can power your cameras, access points and phones.
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Enter how many IP phones, cameras, access points and other devices you will power, with the watts each one draws, and the PoE budget of the switch. The calculator shows total draw, the PoE standard each device needs and whether the switch can supply them all, including switches that reserve power by class.
PoE standards
- 802.3af (PoE): up to 15.4 W at the switch, 12.95 W at the device.
- 802.3at (PoE+): up to 30 W at the switch, 25.5 W at the device.
- 802.3bt Type 3: up to 60 W at the switch, 51 W at the device.
- 802.3bt Type 4: up to 90 W at the switch, 71.3 W at the device.
Actual draw versus class reservation
Some switches allocate power by the device's class rather than what it actually draws, so a PoE+ access point reserves 30 W even when it uses 18 W. If the calculator warns about class reservation, check how your switch allocates power or choose one with a larger budget.
Leave headroom
PTZ cameras with heaters and IR, and Wi-Fi 6/7 access points, draw more at peak than their typical figure. Keep 15–20% of the budget spare for peaks and future devices.
Common questions
How do I find a device's power draw?
Check the data sheet for maximum power consumption. Use the maximum, not the typical, figure for budgeting.
Is the switch budget per port or total?
Both limits apply. Each port is limited by its PoE standard and the whole switch by its total PoE budget, which is usually lower than the ports times their maximum.
What about long cable runs?
PoE is specified up to 100 m. Power lost in the cable is already included in the difference between switch and device power for each class.
