PoE Power Budget Calculator – Switch Power Planning

Calculate Power over Ethernet budget for switches and connected devices.

PoE switch budget (watts)

Number of IP cameras (15W each)

Number of VoIP phones (5W each)

Number of APs (15W each)

Other devices (total watts)

About This Calculator

Calculate Power over Ethernet budget for switches and connected devices. Use the calculator above for instant results.

Worked Examples

Example 1: 370W switch, 8 cams + 10 phones + 5 APs

Used: 120+50+75 = 245W | Budget: 370W | Remaining: 125W
67% utilization — healthy

Answer: 245/370W — 67%

Example 2: 250W switch, 20 cameras

300W needed but only 250W budget — OVER BUDGET!
Need higher budget switch or fewer cameras

Answer: Over budget!

Example 3: 740W switch, 24 cameras + 20 phones

360W+100W = 460W | 740W budget | 62% utilized

Answer: 460/740W — healthy

Who Uses This Calculator?

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Network Engineers

Size PoE switches for deployments.

💻

IT Admins

Plan IP camera and phone installations.

📊

AV/IT Installers

Calculate power before purchasing.

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Facilities

Plan structured cabling infrastructure.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Plan for future expansion

Design for 70% utilization to allow adding devices later without replacing switches.

❌ PoE standards vary

PoE (802.3af): 15.4W. PoE+ (802.3at): 30W. PoE++ (802.3bt): 60W or 100W. Match standard to device needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

PoE standards?

PoE (af): 15.4W max. PoE+ (at): 30W. PoE++ Type 3 (bt): 60W. PoE++ Type 4: 100W. Choose switch matching your highest-draw devices.

IP camera power?

Standard cameras: 6-12W. PTZ cameras: 15-25W. 360° fisheye: 12-20W. Check specs before purchasing.

WiFi AP power?

Basic AP: 6-15W (PoE). Tri-band or enterprise AP: 15-30W (PoE+). Outdoor/large AP: 25-60W (PoE++).