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Introduction

When Power over Ethernet ( PoE ) devices fail , the root cause is often difficult to find . This is especially true when it comes to physical security and life safety devices . Because of the criticality of these devices , all parties with a vested interest in maintaining their operational status must do what they can to identify PoE problems ahead of time . Failing to do so usually means getting bogged down with time consuming

In this paper , we will explore reasons why physical security and life safety devices must be treated with special care when it comes to PoE . We ’ ll also point out why PoE problems for these types of devices are often cable related . Lastly , we ’ ll show how PoE stakeholders can best test and troubleshoot for all types of PoE issues to quickly identify and remediate problems with the least amount of expense and downtime .

The importance of physical security and life safety PoE devices

More than ever , physical security and life safety Internet of Things ( IoT ) technologies have relied on PoE as an alternative to traditional power sources . Having the ability to deliver power and data needs over a single twisted pair cable allows for increased installation flexibility at a much lower cost . Yet , it ’ s important to remember that these technologies commonly push the capabilities of PoE far beyond traditional PoE devices . For example , physical security and life safety devices :

• Must be operational at all times . A failure to do so can be dangerous to those that rely on them .

• Are often deployed in harsh physical environments . These are locations with large swings in temperature , high humidity and are often difficult to gain physical access .

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