Networking / Beginners

Power Over Ethernet

Wireless access points need electrical power, but they're invariably placed into strange locations (like ceilings or high up on walls) where it's not convenient to provide electrical power. No worries! Better WAPs now support a standard called Power over Ethernet (PoE) where they can get their power from the same Ethernet cables that transfer their data. The switch that connects the WAPs must support PoE, but as long as both the WAP and the switches to which they connect support PoE, there's nothing you have to do other than just plug in Ethernet cables. PoE works automatically. As you might imagine, it costs extra to get WAPs and switches that support PoE, but the convenience of PoE for wireless networks makes it a popular option.

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In this tutorial:

  1. Wireless Networking
  2. Historical/Conceptual
  3. Wi-Fi Standards
  4. 802.11
  5. Hardware
  6. Software
  7. Wireless Network Modes
  8. Infrastructure Mode
  9. Speed
  10. BSSID, SSID, and ESSID
  11. Broadcasting Frequency
  12. Channels
  13. CSMA/CA
  14. 802.11b
  15. 802.11a
  16. 802.11g
  17. 802.11n
  18. Wireless Networking Security
  19. MAC Address Filtering
  20. Wireless Authentication
  21. Data Encryption
  22. Power Over Ethernet
  23. Implementing Wi-Fi
  24. Installing the Client
  25. Setting Up an Ad Hoc Network
  26. Placing Access Point
  27. Access Point Configuration
  28. Configuring Encryption
  29. Configuring the Client
  30. Adding a WAP
  31. Troubleshooting Wi-Fi
  32. Hardware Troubleshooting
  33. Software Troubleshooting
  34. Connectivity Troubleshooting
  35. Configuration Troubleshooting