Printable reference · P11F05
Ethernet: identity, link and PoE
Treat modular form, port service, data path and power roles as separate checks. A cable category marking is not a declaration about an unknown port.
Reference revision 2 · Assessed 2026-10-22. AI-assisted source reference; no independent review or hardware validation.
What is the port, what is the data link, and is power required?
| Clue or question | Supported distinction | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 8P8C / port service | An eight-position/eight-contact modular outline can appear on a serial console cable as well as Ethernet equipment. | S020 S021 |
| Cable / complete link | Check exact cable and intervening equipment limits; a named injector can constrain an otherwise faster endpoint path. | S124 S131 |
| Data / power direction | Ethernet data travels both ways; PoE separates power-sourcing equipment (PSE) and powered device (PD) roles. | S131 S132 |
| Documented PoE scope | The existing worksheet models af/at and selected profiles only. A shared reference standard is not actual hardware confirmation. | S131 S132 |
| Standards / proprietary power | Connector shape or the word PoE cannot establish standards-based powering or exact-product certification. | S646 |
| Injector topology | The cited TL-POE160S has a particular data-in versus power-plus-data-out arrangement. Read the actual model diagram. | S124 S131 |
Check the complete task
- Read device model and exact port label/function. Distinguish console, data input, data-plus-power output and other documented roles.
- Record required link task, cable identity/termination and every intervening component. Treat category and nominal link rates as separate evidence.
- If power is needed, obtain exact PSE/PD and powering-method documentation plus source/device requirements and the complete path.
Text and conceptual comparisons only. No specimen photographs, contact-position diagrams, measured geometry or actual-size templates.
Keep an evidence note
- Exact equipment + port roles
- Cable + intervening component models
- Data target / power needed?
- PSE / PD / supported standard + missing evidence
Sources and exact scope
- S020 · TE Connectivity · RJ45 connectors
RJ45 / 8-position modular product family · Recorded inspection 2026-10-01. 8P8C physical family; exact implementation remains product-specific.
- S021 · Cable Matters · USB to RJ45 FTDI console cable
Console cable description · Recorded inspection 2026-10-01. Scoped counterexample: an RJ45-shaped connection can be serial console rather than Ethernet.
- S124 · TP-Link · TL-POE160S version 2.6 product specifications
Interface / PoE power / Product diagram labels in accessible text · Recorded inspection 2026-10-03. The US version-path 2.6 page documents one 10/100/1000 Mbps data input and one 10/100/1000 Mbps power-plus-data output, af/at operation and up to 30 W. Only the documented data-in / power-data-out topology is modeled. No passive injector, splitter, multi-gig passthrough or mains-work advice.
- S131 · Ubiquiti · Intro to Networking: Power Over Ethernet
PSE and PD terminology / Active and passive PoE · Recorded inspection 2026-10-03. Publisher guidance distinguishes a power-sourcing device from a powered device and active standards-based PoE from passive power. Its terminology maps PoE to af and PoE+ to at. Manufacturer guidance, not a reproduced IEEE standard. Passive power and bt are outside this worksheet; no voltage or wiring prescription is provided.
- S132 · Ubiquiti · PoE Availability and Modes
PoE Modes: Type 1 and 2 / Lite family / Physical Security consumption · Recorded inspection 2026-10-03. The Type 1 and 2 rows distinguish source-side limits of 15.4 W and 30 W from device-side values of 12.95 W and 25.5 W. The Lite family table includes af and at. The G5 Bullet consumption row states 5 W. Only af/at rows are modeled; no bt values copied. G5 Bullet consumption conflicts with the exact datasheet's 4 W and remains unresolved.
- S646 · Ethernet Alliance · Q&A: The State of the Power over Ethernet Market
Questions 1, 6, 7; IEEE standards-based PoE, proprietary solutions and certification · Recorded inspection 2026-10-15. Standards-based vs proprietary powering and meaning of independently certified paired roles, not exact unidentified hardware A general article is not certification evidence for any unidentified port, PSE, PD, injector or supplied cable.
Inherited scoped research is reused; this sheet does not claim every source was freshly reopened. No manufacturer figures, manuals or logos are redistributed.