Are PoE specs universal?

[Dr. Righteous]

We have several devices that operate as PoE. We have to use power bricks in line with the ethernet cable. As you can guess this adds up to a wiring mess behind desks, etc. The whole idea with PoE was to eliminate this kind of thing.
I've since found that PoE network switches have become very affordable now. If I can switch to a PoE switch for powered devices that would be a win-win. The only question I the power demand and output is a universal thing. I believe it is 45v delivered over the ethernet cable to power a IP phones and that sort of device.
Is this a universal standard for PoE devices?

 

[Foxyridge]

PoE+ will give you 30watts per port and that is enough for the vast majority of devices. There are some cameras that use up to 60w that you might need a very high end poe switch to use or just power it power brick in line with ethernet cable.

I'm using an HP 2920 24port poe switch for the past 3 years powering 10 cameras with no issues. These can be had used in the $200-$300 range

 

[Dead Parrot]

Too many vendors have implemented proprietary POE to trust that vendor A POE ps will power vendor B end device. Likely that if you check your current devices, you will find several different voltages of power injectors. If you are lucky, you might find a POE switch that matches most of your current devices. Otherwise you may need to repurchase new end devices to match whatever POE switch you go with. Possible you might find some DC-DC converters that would switch your POE power output to whatever your current end devices expect.

 

[Eickst]

If they are IP phones then chances are good they use standard POE specs and not proprietary like the old unifi access points.

It's easy to check if you have the ip phone model, look at the specs, see if it lists POE as 802.3

 

[EniGmA1987]

802.3af is a "48v" and 15 watt spec. It actually injects closer to 57 volts onto the lines, but that is designed so that the thin ethernet cables will create losses and end up around 48v after a distance. Really the "bricks" you are using should not be near end devices but towards the switch end of things. All devices that conform to 802.3af are supposed to require support of voltage up to 57v so that they dont fry when a user puts the injector near the device, but they usually list it as either 802.3af or 48v on the device. The spec allows up to 350ma/.35A, so if your device lists higher than that you must use the 802.3at spec instead.