Cabling

There are four options to power your AP. The options depend on whether or not your AP receives power from a power supply or if it receives inline power. The four connection options are:

• A switch with inline power (such as a Catalyst switch).

• An inline power patch panel between the switch and the AP.

• A power injector between the switch and the AP. A power injector is a device that plugs into a wall socket, and then connects into the Ethernet line to provide power to one port (in this case, the AP).

• A local power supply.

Of these power methods, the first three use PoE to supply power to the AP.

Note

If you use the AP's 5-GHz radio, make sure your switch and patch panel provide enough power to the device. The 2.4-GHz radios are widely covered, but there might not be enough support for the 5-GHz radio.

PoE is a technology that eliminates the need for a separate power supply to plug into the AP. That is, power is deliveredas the name suggestsover the same Ethernet cable used to deliver data. This is ideal for places where it might be difficult, if not impossible, to provide a separate power source.

Note

You should not use PoE in conjunction with a separate power supply. This can cause the powered Ethernet switch port to shut down.

You must also consider the distance between the AP and the switch. The maximum range for 100BaseT Ethernet is 100 meters.