Product category

Gigabit PoE Switches

Quick answer

A gigabit PoE switch gives every powered port 10/100/1000Base-T instead of 100M. For cameras it changes little on the access side — a 4 Mbps stream fits either way — but it changes the uplink and it changes what the same cable can carry later. 7 models here run 65–400 W, from 4 to 24 powered ports.

The difference between a 100M and a gigabit PoE switch is not the picture quality. It is what happens when more than one stream shares a port, when a 4K or multi-sensor camera is fitted, and how long a firmware push takes across a site of twenty cameras.

The 7 gigabit models here run 65–400 W across 4 to 24 powered ports, with gigabit copper uplinks and, on most of them, a 1000Base-X SFP slot. Models with 100M access ports and only a gigabit uplink are deliberately excluded — and explained below.

Compare all 7 models

Every figure below comes from the current product data. Click a model to open its full specification page.

ModelNetwork PortsUplink PortsPower
HX-0403PEG4+2+1-Port Gigabit PoE Switch4 × 10/100/1000Base-T(X) adaptive PoE Ethernet ports2 × 10/100/1000Base-T(X) adaptive Ethernet ports 1 × 1000Base-X SFP fiber port65W
HX-0803PEG8+2+1-Port Gigabit PoE Switch8 × 10/100/1000Base-T(X) adaptive PoE Ethernet ports2 × 10/100/1000Base-T(X) adaptive Ethernet ports 1 × 1000Base-X SFP fiber port120W
HX-1603PEG16+2+1-Port Gigabit PoE Switch16 × 10/100/1000Base-T(X) adaptive PoE Ethernet ports2 × 10/100/1000Base-T(X) adaptive Ethernet ports 1 × 1000Base-X SFP fiber port330W
HX-2404PEG24+2+2-Port Gigabit PoE Switch24 × 10/100/1000Base-T(X) adaptive PoE Ethernet ports2 × 10/100/1000Base-T(X) adaptive Ethernet ports 2 × 1000Base-X SFP fiber port400W
HX-X0803PEG8+2+1-Port Gigabit PoE Switch8 × 10/100/1000Base-T(X) adaptive PoE Ethernet ports2 × 10/100/1000Base-T(X) adaptive Ethernet ports 1 × 1000Base-X SFP fiber port120W
HX-X1603PEG16+2+1-Port Gigabit PoE Switch16 × 10/100/1000Base-T(X) adaptive PoE Ethernet ports2 × 10/100/1000Base-T(X) adaptive Ethernet ports 1 × 1000Base-X SFP fiber port200W
HX-X2403PEG24+2+1-Port Gigabit PoE Switch24 × 10/100/1000Base-T(X) adaptive PoE Ethernet ports2 × 10/100/1000Base-T(X) adaptive Ethernet ports 1 × 1000Base-X SFP fiber port300W

How to choose

  • Check which ports are gigabit. A "gigabit uplink" with 100M access ports is a different product from gigabit access ports. Only the models on this page have 10/100/1000Base-T on the camera ports; the comparison table above shows it column by port group.
  • Gigabit matters most at the uplink. Sixteen cameras at 4 Mbps is 64 Mbps — comfortable on 100M, but NVR playback and a firmware push change the pattern. A gigabit uplink removes that argument.
  • 4K and multi-sensor cameras produce 12–25 Mbps each. Two of those on one 100M port is already near the limit; on a gigabit port it is nothing.
  • Budget still decides the model. Gigabit changes speed, not power. A gigabit switch with a 65 W budget still cannot power four PTZ heads.

How many devices will each model actually power?

Calculated from the published budget of each model with a 20% reserve kept for PoE start-up surge, IR load at night and ageing. The figure is capped by the powered-port count, so it never promises more devices than there are ports. Budgets are pooled — one 25 W PTZ takes what several 6 W domes would.

ModelPoE portsBudgetFixed dome6 W labelWireless AP8 W label802.3af device15.4 W classPTZ / 802.3at device25.4 W class
HX-0403PEG4+2+1-Port Gigabit PoE Switch465 W4432
HX-0803PEG8+2+1-Port Gigabit PoE Switch8120 W8863
HX-X0803PEG8+2+1-Port Gigabit PoE Switch8120 W8863
HX-X1603PEG16+2+1-Port Gigabit PoE Switch16200 W1616106
HX-1603PEG16+2+1-Port Gigabit PoE Switch16330 W16161610
HX-X2403PEG24+2+1-Port Gigabit PoE Switch24300 W2424159
HX-2404PEG24+2+2-Port Gigabit PoE Switch24400 W24242012

Method: floor(budget × 0.8 ÷ device draw), capped at the powered-port count.Run your own numbers in the PoE budget calculator →

All 7 models

All products

Gigabit uplink or gigabit access: the distinction that costs money

Suppliers describe both arrangements as "gigabit", and the difference only shows up in the field. A unit with 100M access ports and a gigabit uplink is a perfectly good switch — the aggregate of several 100M camera ports can leave through one gigabit link — but each individual camera is still capped at 100 Mbps, and any device that needs more than that on a single port will negotiate down.

On this page the filter is applied to the access ports only, which is why some models with a gigabit SFP or copper uplink do not appear. If what you need is the uplink rather than the access speed, the PoE switches with SFP uplink page lists the larger set.

RequirementWhat to look forWhere to go
Each camera port must be 1 GbpsNetwork ports marked 10/100/1000Base-T(X)This page — 4, 8, 16 and 24-port gigabit models
Only the backhaul must be fast100M access + gigabit copper or SFP uplinkPoE switches with SFP uplink
Long or inter-building backhaul1000Base-X SFP slotPoE switches with SFP uplink
More powered ports at gigabit24-port gigabit, 300–400 W24-port PoE switch

When 100M is enough — and when it is not

A 1080p camera at 4 Mbps uses 4% of a 100M port. On a twelve-camera site where each camera has its own port, 100M access is not the bottleneck and the saving is real.

It stops being true in four situations: 4K and multi-sensor cameras on a single port; several cameras behind one port through a non-PoE switch or a daisy chain; NVR playback over the uplink while live traffic continues; and large firmware updates pushed across a site at once. Any one of those is an argument for gigabit at the point where the traffic piles up — which is usually the uplink, not the camera port.

Frequently asked

Is a gigabit PoE switch worth it for IP cameras?

For the camera ports, usually not — a 1080p stream is a few Mbps. For the uplink, yes: sixteen or twenty-four streams plus playback exceed what a shared 100M link handles comfortably. Buy gigabit where the traffic aggregates.

What is the difference between a gigabit PoE switch and one with a gigabit uplink?

Access speed. A gigabit uplink switch with 100M camera ports gives the aggregate a fast path out of the box, but each camera stays at 100 Mbps. A gigabit PoE switch gives every powered port 10/100/1000Base-T. Both are legitimate products; they are not the same specification.

Do gigabit PoE switches consume more power?

The data side adds a little, but the PoE budget is unchanged — it is set by the power supply, not by the port speed. A 400 W gigabit unit powers exactly what a 400 W 100M unit powers.

Which gigabit models have the largest budget?

The 16-port and 24-port gigabit units reach 330 W and 400 W. The 4- and 8-port gigabit models run at 65 W and 120 W, which is the same power as their 100M equivalents — gigabit does not buy watts.

Can I mix gigabit and 100M cameras on one switch?

Yes. Every port auto-negotiates, so a 100M camera connects at 100M on a gigabit port without configuration. The uplink runs at the speed both ends support.

Do I need Cat5e or Cat6 for gigabit PoE?

Cat5e carries gigabit and PoE over 100 m and is the minimum. Cat6 gives more headroom for long runs and future 2.5G, and is worth it in new installations where the cable is the expensive part rather than the switch.

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