Guides
PoE Switch RFQ: Build a Port and Power Schedule Before Ordering
Prepare a PoE switch enquiry with device locations, per-port requirements, a shared power calculation and supplier checks for an office or project site.
DETIAN ICT · Tanzania & East Africa
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DETIAN ICT supports audiovisual, security, network and smart-building projects in Tanzania and East Africa, with design, equipment supply, installation and maintenance services.
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Check three limits before comparing offers
Before requesting a Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch, prepare a schedule of the devices it must connect and power. Check three things separately: how many suitable ports are needed, what each port must supply, and how much power all planned devices require together. Send that schedule with the site information so suppliers can explain their proposed configuration against the same requirements.
A switch can have enough sockets and still have an insufficient shared PoE budget. NETGEAR distinguishes the power available from an individual port from the total the switch can provide simultaneously. Its guidance also notes that power is lost in cabling. Keep the switch-side allocation and the power needed at the device as separate fields when reviewing specifications.
This worksheet is for an office, factory or project compound preparing a network enquiry. It helps procurement and site teams identify missing information; the selected equipment and installation still need a design review for the actual location.
Create one row for each device group and location
Give each group an identifier that matches the site plan, such as CAM-ENTRANCE or AP-OFFICE. Split devices into separate rows when their model, location, required operating mode or intended switch differs. A single row labelled “cameras” is difficult to check if several buildings or device types are involved.
Use these worksheet columns: group ID; building and room or area; quantity; proposed or existing device model; required function; PoE standard or class stated by its manufacturer; switch-side allocation per device; evidence document and revision; intended switch; information owner; and confirmed or unresolved status.
Ask the designer or supplier to explain the allocation used for each row, including the required operating mode and any negotiation assumptions. A momentary reading from an idle device is useful evidence of that moment, but does not establish the allocation needed for every intended condition. Leave an unknown value unresolved instead of replacing it with an average.
Add a separate connection list for equipment that needs a data port but receives power elsewhere, and identify the uplinks. Count these connections in the port plan without silently adding them to the PoE load. Mark future devices separately so the opening scope and expansion scope remain visible.
Work through a transparent power example
The following is an invented arithmetic example, not a DETIAN installation, product measurement or equipment recommendation. Assume a designer has already established compatible switch-side allocations of 15 W for each of eight cameras and 30 W for each of four access points. These numbers are example inputs, not typical ratings for those device categories.
Opening camera row: 8 devices multiplied by 15 W = 120 W. Opening access-point row: 4 devices multiplied by 30 W = 120 W. Opening total: 12 powered ports and 240 W of allocated PoE power.
Planned expansion row: 4 additional access points multiplied by 30 W = 120 W. With that specific expansion included, the schedule requires 16 powered ports and 360 W. Any further engineering reserve must be agreed and shown as another line; no universal reserve percentage is assumed here.
For a concrete illustration of why the full model number matters, Cisco lists the C1300-24P-4G with 24 PoE+ ports, up to 30 W per port and a 195 W budget. The C1300-24FP-4G has the same stated PoE port count and per-port limit, with a 370 W budget. These are manufacturer specifications checked on 11 October 2026, not measured output.
The 195 W budget is below the example opening total by 45 W. A 370 W budget is 10 W above the 360 W expansion total. That second comparison passes only the arithmetic check: it does not establish that the remaining allowance, device compatibility, uplinks, cabling or site conditions are acceptable. Do not turn the calculation into a purchase approval.
For multiple switches, assign every row to its intended switch and calculate each budget separately. Spare capacity in one equipment room should not be counted against devices connected to another switch unless the proposed design explicitly provides a supported arrangement.
Ask suppliers to return a completed compliance schedule
Include the worksheet revision in the request for quotation. Ask each supplier to return the same rows with proposed switch model, relevant power-supply configuration, suitable port assignments, documented per-port capability, total available PoE budget and its calculation. Require a source document for each specification and a clear explanation for any substituted device.
Use three response states for each requirement: confirmed with evidence, exception described, or information still needed. For example, “24 ports available” answers the count question only. Ask separately which ports support the required power and whether the submitted budget covers every assigned device in the agreed operating mode.
Request a list of included and excluded work: equipment, accessories, cabling assessment, installation, configuration, testing, documentation and operator handover. Have the supplier identify any necessary site inspection and the person expected to resolve each unknown. Brand names in this guide illustrate published specifications; they do not establish DETIAN stock, brand authorisation or a project quotation.
Keep site constraints and acceptance evidence with the calculation
Attach an annotated plan with device and equipment-room locations, existing cabling information, available rack space and access restrictions. Identify which records have been checked onsite and which came from an older drawing. Ask the project team to review cable routes, installation conditions and power arrangements before the equipment list is finalised.
If continued operation during a power interruption is a requirement, record the functions to retain and the required duration as project requirements. Request a separate UPS and power-design assessment for the agreed load. A switch’s PoE budget alone is not a UPS runtime estimate.
Before ordering, agree what evidence will demonstrate the proposed system. A useful acceptance record identifies the installed device and switch models, port map, relevant configuration, observed power information, test conditions, required functions, outstanding exceptions and the person reviewing the result. Include how the approved expansion allowance will be documented.
Keep the observations distinct from the design figures: an operating test at one moment does not replace the documented allocation calculation. Record discrepancies for the designer to resolve and retain the final schedule with the handover documents.
Send a project outline that can be reviewed
For an initial discussion with DETIAN ICT, provide the project country and town, site type, annotated layout, device schedule, any existing switch models, the intended opening date and the unresolved questions. Separate confirmed requirements from preferences and future expansion. These details connect the network enquiry to the actual site and scope.
DETIAN’s published services cover design, equipment supply, installation and after-sales maintenance for ICT projects in Tanzania and East Africa. Equipment selection, availability, installation scope and support arrangements need to be discussed for the project. Use the official contact page or email [email protected] to share your outline; keep passwords and administrative credentials out of the initial enquiry.
