Find out what sets a PoE lighting switch apart from a regular light switch.

What if your light switch could do more than just turn on and off the lights? What if it could control the dimmer, lighting color, or even change which light switch controls each device in your home? These ideas are becoming reality with the help of PoE lighting switches. PoE stands for Power over Ethernet, meaning your home lighting now receives electricity via Ethernet cable instead of a traditional network. Using Ethernet cords allows you to optimize and automate your home, which will save you time and money. But, before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s take a look at how power over Ethernet lighting switches differ from a regular network switch. 

How Does a PoE Lighting Switch Work?

Learn about how Ethernet cables exponentially increase the capabilities of single light switch

In the past when devices were connected to a central network they required two different inputs —  a power input and a network input. Now, when using PoE, the Ethernet cable carries both the power and network connection to each device and device control. This means that PoE connections simultaneously transmit data and provide your devices with electricity. In order to harness the power of PoE for your light switches, you need to install a PoE lighting switch and ensure it connects to your PoE capable controller. Once your Ethernet cable capable devices are connected, you can begin taking advantage of additional lighting control and automation.

What are Some of the Major Benefits of a PoE Lighting Switch?

Now that we know what makes PoE lighting the preferable option for home automation, let’s take a look at some of the other exciting benefits

There are a lot of ways additional connectivity can improve and streamline your home lighting. Let’s look at some of the major reasons homeowners are choosing to install PoE lighting switches. 

Safety

One of the major benefits of installing PoE lighting switches in your home is for increased safety. Ethernet cables have a much lower voltage than regular networks, meaning there is no risk of electrocution when performing maintenance on your PoE system. So, if you unscrew your light switch and touch one of the cables, you are not in danger of getting shocked. This is a major selling point for new families looking to upgrade their home safety and home automation.

Flexibility

Moving on from safety, let’s talk about flexibility and customization. With your standard wiring, if you want to change the controls on your light switches or make any lighting adjustments, you will have to both rewire your lighting. Needless to say, this is a major hassle and most people want to avoid changes like this whenever possible. Thankfully, when you upgrade to a PoE lighting switch, you will have a lot of control in what you can customize and change on your PoE light switch yourself. This includes simply reprogramming your lighting switches and fixtures via an easy to use software program.

Functionality

Speaking of home lighting adjustments, using that same software system you can customize and automate your home lighting. When you install a PoE lighting system, you can control the color, brightness, quality, and pre-settings for every light in your home. So, if you want mood lighting in the dining room, but bright lighting in your kitchen you can make that change just by using one centralized software system. Not feeling the current lighting set up? You can make a change in minutes without having to purchase different light bulbs.

Limitations of PoE Lighting Switches

Though there are a lot of benefits associated with switching to PoE lighting, there are still some situations that where a regular network is preferable

Despite all of the advantages of PoE lighting for your home, there are a few circumstances where it is still best to opt for traditional lighting. For example, PoE cables can only transmit data for 100 meters, so if you intend to use Ethernet cables to connect to far away outbuildings, you should reconsider.

There are also power limitations on Ethernet cables. As we mentioned, Ethernet cables transmit low voltage energy and data throughout your network. That means if you have devices with high power demands, you’ll be better off connecting them to a regular electrical network. However, as of recently, Ethernet cables are capable of powering devices as large as computers or TVs. 

Now that we’ve learned about how PoE Lighting switches and Ethernet cables can improve and automate your home lighting, the decision is up to you. For many, the advantages of PoE lighting greatly outweigh the costs. In general, more households are automating their lighting and other devices — meaning that PoE appears to be the preferred lighting choice for homeowners.