GRID PoE & PoE++ Switches — The Core “Power Plant” for POE-Jack®
GRID PoE and PoE++ switches act as the central power plant for POE-Jack® in-wall PoE
switches, access points, cameras, touch panels and signage players. They concentrate PoE budget,
simplify UPS, and turn 23-AWG Cat6e cabling into a DC microgrid for Canadian homes,
suites, offices and light-commercial projects.
If you’re looking for a 48-port PoE switch, a high-power 3,600 W PoE++ switch,
or an industrial 8-port PoE switch for −40 °C conditions, this collection groups the
GRID Networking models designed to feed POE-Jack® plates and other PoE endpoints across your site.
-
High-power PoE++: Run multiple 90 W devices with headroom on GRID core switches.
-
Clean installs: Fewer home-runs and patch fields when edge switching happens at the wall with POE-Jack®.
-
Canada-ready: Plan to CEC; centralise UPS where it’s easy to service and monitor in real Canadian climates.
Quick answer: what makes GRID PoE switches different?
GRID PoE / PoE++ switches are built as a central PoE power plant for POE-Jack® in-wall PoE switches
and other PoE endpoints. Instead of scattering low-quality injectors and power bricks throughout a building, you
concentrate budget into a few high-efficiency switches and run 23-AWG Cat6e permanent links out to POE-Jack®
plates at the edge.
In practice, one 48-port PoE switch in the rack can feed dozens of
APOEJK2-WH Active POE-Jack® in-wall switches, each serving Wi-Fi APs, IP cameras,
touch panels and signage players. Industrial models like POEJK-S8-240 cover harsher
spaces such as mechanical rooms, warehouses and outdoor enclosures down to −40 °C.
For a deep technical dive on the 3,600 W core, see the
3600 W PoE switch “power plant” guide.
Featured PoE / PoE++ switches
-
POEJK-S48-3600 — 48-port Gigabit PoE++ switch with a
3,600 W budget. Ultra-high-power DC microgrid core for building-wide PoE lighting,
dense POE-Jack® plates and large AP/camera deployments.
-
POEJK-S48-750E — 48-port managed PoE+ / PoE++ switch
with 750 W budget and 10G uplinks. Ideal as a floor or campus PoE switch for IP cameras,
Wi-Fi APs and in-wall POE-Jack® plates.
-
POEJK-S8-240 — Industrial 8-port PoE+ switch
(240 W) with dual uplinks, IP40 enclosure and wide temperature range for factories,
parkades and harsh sites.
-
POEJK-S4-120 — Rugged 4-port Gigabit PoE+ switch
(120 W) for small industrial nodes, kiosks and compact camera groups.
-
POEJK-S4SFP-120 — 4-port PoE+ industrial switch
(120 W) with SFP fibre uplink for remote outbuildings and long-distance backhaul.
Which GRID PoE switch do I need?
Enterprise-class 48-port PoE for APs & cameras
Choose POEJK-S48-750E for most office, MDU and campus jobs.
It’s a 48-port Gigabit PoE+ switch with a 750 W budget and 10G uplinks, ideal for dense AP and camera networks
and floor-by-floor POE-Jack® power.
DC microgrid core & LEED-oriented buildings
Choose POEJK-S48-3600 as a building-wide PoE++ “power plant”
when you are feeding many POE-Jack® plates, PoE lighting, controls and higher-draw endpoints from a central rack.
Industrial PoE at −40 °C
Choose POEJK-S8-240 for mechanical rooms, warehouses and
outdoor enclosures with a 240 W PoE+ budget. For compact nodes, use
POEJK-S4-120, or
POEJK-S4SFP-120 when you need fibre backhaul.
Paired with POE-Jack® in-wall switches
For in-wall PoE switching, combine a suitable 48-port core (S48-750E or S48-3600) with
APOEJK2-WH Active POE-Jack® plates at desks, TVs and ceilings. This gives a clean,
POE-Jack® grid networking layout with fewer home-runs.
How to size your PoE power budget
-
List devices per zone: Count Wi-Fi APs, cameras, VoIP phones, touch panels, signage players and
any other PoE loads connected to POE-Jack® plates or directly to the switch.
-
Note PoE class / watts: For each endpoint, record its PoE class (802.3af/at/bt) and typical
watt draw. Camera heaters, PTZs and high-power APs add up quickly in Canadian winters.
-
Apply diversity: Not every port will draw maximum at once. Apply a realistic diversity factor,
then leave 15–25 % headroom so firmware updates and future devices don’t blow your budget.
-
Pick the core: Choose a switch with enough ports and budget:
S48-750E or S48-3600 for multi-zone POE-Jack® builds,
or S8-240/S4-120/S4SFP-120
for industrial edges.
-
Cable correctly: Use 23-AWG CMP Cat6e for permanent links to POE-Jack®
plates and APs, then keep patch runs short, labelled and serviceable at the rack.
To see project-specific savings and switch counts, you can also plug your desk counts and run lengths into the
POE-Jack® cost & cabling savings calculator.
Compare GRID PoE switch models
| Model |
Ports |
PoE type & budget |
Form factor |
Typical use |
| POEJK-S48-3600 |
48 × 1G PoE++ + high-speed uplinks |
Ultra-high-power 3,600 W PoE++ DC microgrid core |
Rack-mount, enterprise / LEED-oriented projects |
Building-wide PoE lighting, dense POE-Jack® layouts, large camera & AP networks |
| POEJK-S48-750E |
48 × 1G PoE+/PoE++, 10G SFP+ uplinks |
750 W PoE+ / PoE++ budget (higher power on select ports) |
Rack-mount, managed |
Campus edge, high-density AP/camera floors, floor-by-floor POE-Jack® “power plants” |
| POEJK-S8-240 |
8 × 1G PoE+, 2 × uplinks |
240 W PoE+ budget |
Industrial DIN-rail / wall-mount, IP40, wide temp |
Warehouse cameras, outdoor enclosures, small industrial PoE clusters |
| POEJK-S4-120 |
4 × 1G PoE+, 1 × uplink |
120 W PoE+ budget |
Industrial DIN-rail / wall-mount |
Compact industrial nodes, kiosks and small camera groups |
| POEJK-S4SFP-120 |
4 × 1G PoE+, 1 × SFP uplink |
120 W PoE+ budget |
Industrial DIN-rail with fibre backhaul |
Remote outbuildings, long-distance fibre backhaul with local PoE endpoints |
Frequently asked questions
Will GRID PoE switches work with my existing router?
Yes. Treat the PoE switch as your main network switch: connect your modem/router to an uplink port on the
PoE switch, then connect POE-Jack® plates, APs and cameras to the PoE ports. Your router still handles WAN,
firewall and DHCP; GRID switches provide power and switching.
What’s the difference between PoE, PoE+ and PoE++?
PoE (802.3af) typically powers phones and small devices up to ~15 W,
PoE+ (802.3at) covers many APs and cameras up to ~30 W, and
PoE++ / Ultra90 (802.3bt) supports higher-draw devices up to ~90 W on suitable ports.
GRID cores like S48-3600 support PoE++ for high-power loads in Canadian projects.
How much PoE budget do I really need?
Add up the typical watt draw of all PoE devices, apply a diversity factor (rarely more than 60–70 % of
nameplate at once), then choose a switch with at least 15–25 % extra headroom. When in doubt, a quick
review using the PoE cost & savings calculator
can help sanity-check your numbers.
Do I need industrial PoE switches for Canadian winters?
Use industrial models like S8-240, S4-120 or
S4SFP-120 when switches live in unheated spaces, outdoor enclosures or
harsher mechanical rooms. For conditioned telecom rooms and IDFs, S48-750E and S48-3600 are usually sufficient.
How do these switches fit into a POE-Jack® / DC microgrid design?
The PoE switch is the DC microgrid core: it concentrates power and control in a serviceable rack.
From there, 23-AWG Cat6e links feed POE-Jack® in-wall switches, APs and cameras. This reduces AC outlets,
scattered power bricks and copper home-runs while staying aligned with CEC and LEED-friendly cabling practices.
Technical guides & design inspiration
Need a second set of eyes on your PoE design? Share your switch counts, PoE loads and rough floor plan to get a Canada-ready GRID & POE-Jack® parts check.
Request a quick PoE power-budget review
Serving Canadian homes, suites and light-commercial projects with CAD pricing and fast shipping.
