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.