A campus that runs its access points and cameras from the network switches needs its power plan before its switch list. Every access point and camera takes its power from a switch port, so the switch has to deliver enough per port, enough in total, and enough bandwidth on the same cable. This guide covers how switches hand out that power under the standards, which of the Juniper and Ruckus switches we sell carry high power and multigigabit ports, and how to lay out the closets.
Power per port: the classes above PoE+
Juniper's PoE overview sets out the versions. Beyond PoE+, "IEEE 802.3bt (PoE-bt) Supplies up to 90 W of power", and "PoE-bt introduces two new power types: Type 3 and Type 4, which deliver up to 60_W and 90_W of power, respectively." Juniper's own four-pair mode, PoE-4P, "can deliver up to 60 W (high power PoE) or 90 W (ultra-high power PoE)."
The 802.3bt classes, with what leaves the port and what the device can count on after line loss:
| Class | Maximum at the PoE port | Power range of the powered device |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 45.0 W | 40 W |
| 6 | 60.0 W | 51 W |
| 7 | 75.0 W | 62 W |
| 8 | 90.0 W | 71.3 W |
Juniper explains the gap: "Because of line loss, the power range of the powered device is less than the maximum power delivered at the PoE port for each class." Read the class off each access point's and camera's data sheet before you size anything.
How the switch hands out power
Two modes decide the allocation. In class mode, "Power is allocated dynamically using the classification process. This is the default mode." In static mode, "Power is allocated based on the maximum power configuration."
Two details change the arithmetic. First, devices that skip classification are treated as class 0: "Powered devices that are not IEEE-compliant might not present a class signature. These will be assigned a default class of 0." Second, when a device negotiates power over LLDP, the switch keeps a margin: "This additional allocated power is approximately 15 percent of the requested value". And if a device draws more than it was given, Juniper says "the controller turns off power to the interface". Plan the total from the classes, then leave headroom for the margin.
Access switches with high power and multigigabit ports
Juniper EX4300-48MP. Per Juniper's EX4300 system overview, it has "24 built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet network ports, 24 built-in 100/1000/2500/5000/10000BASE-T Ethernet network ports, and four built-in Virtual Chassis Ports (VCPs)". Its multigigabit ports "support 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps, and 10 Gbps speeds", and "All network ports are equipped for PoE+ and provide up to 95 watts of power." The PoE overview lists it for "PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at), PoE+ in four-pair mode (PoE-4P), and PoE-bt (IEEE 802.3bt)." Closets can be joined: "You can interconnect up to 10 EX4300 switches to form a Virtual Chassis." Note that Juniper has announced its end of life: last order 12/29/2026 and end of support 12/29/2031, per the EX Series end of life page.
Juniper EX2300-48MP. For closets where PoE+ is enough, the EX2300 multigigabit model is lighter. Juniper's table shows the EX2300-48MP with PoE on "All 48 ports" and "740 W" of system power for PoE, and notes that "PoE is supported on EX2300-24MP and EX2300-48MP switch models, including multigigabit interfaces."
Ruckus ICX 7550. Ruckus describes it as built "for Wi-Fi 6 deployments and beyond with up to 48 ports of multigigabit connectivity and full 90 watts of 802.3bt PoE power per port", with stacking of "up to 12 switches (up to 576 gigabit, multigigabit or fiber ports) per stack" and "100 GbE uplinks". These lines are from the product list on Ruckus's support site.
Ruckus ICX 7650. Ruckus says it "is designed to meet the new challenges of the multigigabit wireless era", with "Multigigabit Ethernet access (2.5/5/10GbE), high PoE output with 802.3bt" support. It also "supports Ruckus Campus Fabric* as both a Port Extender (PE) and a Control Bridge (CB)".
Cameras and the cable
Cameras sit on the same budget as access points. Juniper's EX3400 guide describes PoE as power for "IP phones, wireless access points, and security cameras" over the network cable, "thus eliminating the need for separate power cords for those devices." Two cable rules come from the makers' text: Juniper's EX3400 overview says "IEEE 802.3at class 4 powered devices require category 5 or higher Ethernet cables", and the PoE overview says PoE-4P "delivers more power by utilizing all four pairs of wire in a standard RJ-45 Ethernet cable."
Laying out the closets
- Per closet: list every access point and camera with its class, total the port power from the class tables, add the LLDP margin, and pick a switch whose PoE budget covers it with room for the next phase.
- Per port speed: put the devices that need more than a gigabit on multigigabit ports, and the rest on gigabit PoE ports.
- Per building: stack or join the closet switches (Virtual Chassis on Juniper, stacking on Ruckus) and uplink each building to the campus core.
In stock at Townsend
We have the Juniper EX4300-48MP, the Juniper EX2300-48MP, the Ruckus ICX 7550 and the Ruckus ICX 7650 in stock, with Ruckus access points for the Wi-Fi side. The shelves: EX4300, ICX 7550, ICX 7650 and Ruckus access points.
When you ask for a quote, send the access point and camera counts per closet with their classes, and we will match the switches to the budget.
