Are you talking about 5 active connections for both POE power AND data? I believe Reolink uses 3 pairs of wires for a total of 6 out of 8 pins. I forget exactly but I remember that it was 2 pairs for one and 1 pair for the other, not sure if power or data. I was just commenting that pins 1,2,3, and 6 were used for POE, so I suppose that POE used 2 pairs and data uses 1 pair.
POE CAT6 Tests OK Yet No Camera Connectivity
- Thread starter BlaineBug
- Start date
Are you talking about 5 active connections for both POE power AND data? I believe Reolink uses 3 pairs of wires for a total of 6 out of 8 pins. I forget exactly but I remember that it was 2 pairs for one and 1 pair for the other, not sure if power or data. I was just commenting that pins 1,2,3, and 6 were used for POE, so I suppose that POE used 2 pairs and data uses 1 pair.
sebastiantombs
Known around here
I think you're mixing up watts and amps. If a camera used 8 amps it would be dissipating 96 watts, minimum, assuming it actually operates at 12 volts.
You are correct, that was a typo. That would be some kind of camera to be pulling 8 amps!
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
Just like another member here that had similar issue's, after all the hand wringing and trying to diagnose the original cable, a newly installed replacement cable solved the problem.
You mentioned, your cables having sharp bends....that is never good for Ethernet cables'. They also should never be pulled hard, or yanked while installing.
www.truecable.com
You mentioned, your cables having sharp bends....that is never good for Ethernet cables'. They also should never be pulled hard, or yanked while installing.
Obey the Bend: Calculating Wire Bend Radius
A long time ago, when I was first running Ethernet cabling, I was told by an older installer that the best way to determine how much you could bend a cable was with a DVD/CD. This was wise advice that I still follow today.
www.truecable.com
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
Just like another member here that had similar issue's, after all the hand wringing and trying to diagnose the original cable, a newly installed replacement cable solved the problem.
You mentioned, your cables having sharp bends....that is never good for Ethernet cables'. They also should never be pulled hard, or yanked while installing.
Obey the Bend: Calculating Wire Bend Radius
A long time ago, when I was first running Ethernet cabling, I was told by an older installer that the best way to determine how much you could bend a cable was with a DVD/CD. This was wise advice that I still follow today.
I can't say I yanked the ethernet cable and I was very gentle with it. But when installing in conduit with 90 degree J boxes there's no way around a tight bend.
If there's no other solution I'll just go without this camera. Running ethernet cable through my existing conduit would require removal from the home. I'm just not willing to go that invasive with it. If there's absolutely no solution I'll likely re-aim a nearby camera to try and pick up some of this view and just be satisfied with less cameras unfortunately. I will try a POE injector on this one camera as a final test and will report back with the results.
That diagram would be incorrect. With 100 MB links, POE mode A uses only 1,2,3,6. The DC power and data share the same wires. POE mode B uses all 8 wires. POE switches tend to use mode A, injectors tend to use mode B. There's a diagram here, scroll down to see it:
Power Over Ethernet: What Is "PoE"? — Everything You Need to Know
Can I use a POE injector in conjunction with my NVR to test this camera and see if there is any change? WITHOUT using a POE Switch, which I do not own, and for the sake of testing, do not find it worthwhile to buy one solely for testing purposes. A POE injector on the other hand is relatively inexpensive can in my opinion worth the cost for a final test.
As @looney2ns said, this sounds like my situation a few days ago. New cable run fixed the issue. If you're unsure the length of this run, then it may be beyond 300'. Check out this video, this device may be worth a try.
sebastiantombs
Known around here
Most CAT cable today has footage markers printed right on it. Have a look, you may be able to figure out how long it is.
I do not believe that this FastCat cable has distance markers on it. Regardless, when I ran the cables I ran a surplus of length for all 6 since I ran all of the 6 cables at the same time, and knew that the last part of the installation would involve the conduit. So I ran all of the CAT6 through my soffits/fascia, then ran it through the conduit, then trimmed it to length before it penetrated my basement. I have a few feet of spare cable tucked into my soffits for each camera on the exterior of the home and then have quite a few more feet coiled up in my basement, neatly zip-tied into spools and hung out of the way. It's a real OCD job I assure you...
But like I said even if this FastCat cable did have distance markers on it, I trimmed both ends of my runs so I don't feel as through it would be accurate.
I did buy 2 1,000 foot boxes and used one box entirely and some of the other, but then after trimming my cables I have a surplus of spare wire coiled up for future projects. And I also ran a variety of CAT6 within my home for 2 computers, a gaming console, a router, a switch, a television and a DVD player as well.
So even if I used 1,000 feet in total that would be less than 300 feet for each camera, as 1,000/6 = 166.66! MAYBE the trouble is that it's a satanic number!
Seems to me that this would require me to snip the cable somewhere in the middle. I'll try the POE injector first, as it's on order as of yesterday evening!
I received my POE injector in the mail the other day. Before attempting to supply power through it to my Camera, I first decided to run some tests with my meter.
For a baseline, I connected my meter in-between one of the other five working cameras and the NVR. Mind you I did this test in my basement a mere inches from the Reolink NVR, not on the exterior of the home where the other five cameras are mounted.
For a baseline, the Reolink NVR is putting out 49 volts at 11.5 Watts to power the camera, and POE is being supplied on ins 1, 2, 3, and 6.
I also tested the POE injector with no load on it. It's rated for 48 volts at 24 watts, however according to my meter, is putting out 53 volts at 5.0 watts with no load (no camera) connected. It is also supplying POE on pins 4, 5, 7, and 8.
Before I go a step further and connect my camera at the other end of the run, is this POE injector even safe to use, considering that it is putting out POE on entirely different pins than the Reolink NVR???? Also, why is it only putting out 5.0 watts? Is this because there is no load at the time of my testing or do you think this POE injector is pure crap?
For a baseline, I connected my meter in-between one of the other five working cameras and the NVR. Mind you I did this test in my basement a mere inches from the Reolink NVR, not on the exterior of the home where the other five cameras are mounted.
For a baseline, the Reolink NVR is putting out 49 volts at 11.5 Watts to power the camera, and POE is being supplied on ins 1, 2, 3, and 6.
I also tested the POE injector with no load on it. It's rated for 48 volts at 24 watts, however according to my meter, is putting out 53 volts at 5.0 watts with no load (no camera) connected. It is also supplying POE on pins 4, 5, 7, and 8.
Before I go a step further and connect my camera at the other end of the run, is this POE injector even safe to use, considering that it is putting out POE on entirely different pins than the Reolink NVR???? Also, why is it only putting out 5.0 watts? Is this because there is no load at the time of my testing or do you think this POE injector is pure crap?
Some light reading as it relates to Mode A vs Mode B
.
shop.poetexas.com
Lastly, as it relates to the 5 watts on the (POE Injector) its consuming five watts its not outputting the same. If the device is really consuming five watts and nothing is attached this simply tells you its a very basic design and isn't very efficient. In some cases not all you will feel the results of a (simple) power supply.
As it will get warm simply just sitting there at idle . . .
None of this really points to a danger per say but should note if you bought any of the Chinese specials from AliExpress, eBay, Amazon, etc.
99.999999999999999999999% it is not UL / cUL certified.
Most folks don't ask, don't know, don't care as to the why . . .
.
Mode B vs. Mode A: What's up with that?
Question: “I hear a lot of stuff about Mode A and Mode B when people are talking about Power over Ethernet. What’s up with that? Does it matter, and is one better than the other?” Yes, it matters which Mode you use. And no, one isn’t better than the other. The longer answer requires some...
shop.poetexas.com
Lastly, as it relates to the 5 watts on the (POE Injector) its consuming five watts its not outputting the same. If the device is really consuming five watts and nothing is attached this simply tells you its a very basic design and isn't very efficient. In some cases not all you will feel the results of a (simple) power supply.
As it will get warm simply just sitting there at idle . . .
None of this really points to a danger per say but should note if you bought any of the Chinese specials from AliExpress, eBay, Amazon, etc.
99.999999999999999999999% it is not UL / cUL certified.
Most folks don't ask, don't know, don't care as to the why . . .
Some light reading as it relates to Mode A vs Mode B
.
Mode B vs. Mode A: What's up with that?
Question: “I hear a lot of stuff about Mode A and Mode B when people are talking about Power over Ethernet. What’s up with that? Does it matter, and is one better than the other?” Yes, it matters which Mode you use. And no, one isn’t better than the other. The longer answer requires some...
Lastly, as it relates to the 5 watts on the (POE Injector) its consuming five watts its not outputting the same. If the device is really consuming five watts and nothing is attached this simply tells you its a very basic design and isn't very efficient. In some cases not all you will feel the results of a (simple) power supply.
As it will get warm simply just sitting there at idle . . .
None of this really points to a danger per say but should note if you bought any of the Chinese specials from AliExpress, eBay, Amazon, etc.
99.999999999999999999999% it is not UL / cUL certified.
Most folks don't ask, don't know, don't care as to the why . . .
You are correct, it is a cheaper $10 POE injector model although it did have phenomenal reviews through the roof. However I am not testing this device using a kill-a-watt electric device hooked up to 110 volt. I am using my ethernet continuity tester/POE tester hooked up to the POE output of the device, and it registers 53 volts, 5.0 watts.
I understand that there are POE A and B modes, apparently the Reolink NVR uses mode A and this injector uses mode B. Will the cameras function properly with EITHER mode A or B? I wasn't aware that there was a difference but I'm also not smart enough in regards to POE to understand if the devices will work on any mode or if they are mode specific and need to be appropriately matched to their equipment. Thanks.
That's a passive POE injector, not active. Excerpt below from here==>> Passive
"In a passive PoE system, the injector does not communicate with the powered device to negotiate its voltage or wattage requirements, but merely supplies power at all times. Common 100 Mbit/s passive applications use the pinout of 802.3af mode B (see § Pinouts) – with DC positive on pins 4 and 5 and DC negative on 7 and 8 and data on 1-2 and 3-6, but polarization may vary. Gigabit passive injectors use a transformer on the data pins to allow power and data to share the cable and are typically compatible with 802.3af Mode A. Passive midspan injectors with up to 12 ports are available."
Many things on Amazon have "phenomenal reviews thru the roof" LOL. Your Reo's come to mind LOL.
It will operate just fine no worries . . . As it relates to the five watts the reason(s) are going to vary depending upon what is happening and the environment. In a standard DMM (Digital Multi Meter) it simply puts a very small load on the line to give you the difference.
This could very be the load being drawn by the tester and its showing you the energy consumption. In other cases lets say its actually measuring a five watt output this normally indicates a passive POE system. It essentially means there is voltage on the line all the time but usually it would be the full 24 / 48 VDC.
Keep in mind this assumes everyone is following the POE Standards . . .
Ideally a device when connected will send a signal to the PSU and once it receives that hand shake it will active the line and begin powering the same. This insures the line is safe, doesn't waste energy, and won't damage something that isn't expecting to see power on the line.
Than, it could very be the POE tester isn't very accurate and this is just simple leakage.
Hmmm,
Been reading this from the start, had similar Issues with longer runs from Raysharp cams, worked good for a while, after 8 or 9 months, dropping in and out all the time. They were working off a dahua POE NVR. Chasing it down ate my lunch and dinner periodically for a few weeks. In the end, It turned out to be the cams, I replaced both of them with a few Of Andys dahua cams and never looked back. The Raysharp cams work fine under 150' over that the dropsy start. Nothing in the wiring changed on both. I read someplace I think perhaps on IPVM that Raysharp is the sister company pf Reolink(Not 100' sure about that). BTW I have those GoSwift raysharps came running here just fine on shorter runs. How did i test this? 2 half used boxes of cat 5e I had leftover Box A was just over 200'...FAIl Box B I think was 150' cat 5e..No issues. Go Figure.
Been reading this from the start, had similar Issues with longer runs from Raysharp cams, worked good for a while, after 8 or 9 months, dropping in and out all the time. They were working off a dahua POE NVR. Chasing it down ate my lunch and dinner periodically for a few weeks. In the end, It turned out to be the cams, I replaced both of them with a few Of Andys dahua cams and never looked back. The Raysharp cams work fine under 150' over that the dropsy start. Nothing in the wiring changed on both. I read someplace I think perhaps on IPVM that Raysharp is the sister company pf Reolink(Not 100' sure about that). BTW I have those GoSwift raysharps came running here just fine on shorter runs. How did i test this? 2 half used boxes of cat 5e I had leftover Box A was just over 200'...FAIl Box B I think was 150' cat 5e..No issues. Go Figure.
That's weird. Like I said my install was going strong for a solid 12 months. My Father has an identical system that I installed back in December of 2020. He had his house pre-wired while it was being built, that's the only difference. However the installers didn't use CAT6. They used CAT5 probably, from what I remember. Smaller diameter wire and no solid core copper. He hasn't had one failure while whole time. And I crimped all of his connections by hand WITHOUT having any sort of continuity tester at the time, and got everything working the very first try. Not bad for a first timer. The success of his system is what led me to procure the same exact model everything in 2021.