COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., March 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NetAlly, a leading provider of IT network test and analysis solutions, today announced its LinkSprinter, LinkRunner family, EtherScope and CyberScope testers can provide the Power Over Ethernet (PoE) testing needed to troubleshoot new PoE standards and growing deployments of smart devices.
KEY POINTS
- NetAlly’s handheld testers, such as the LinkRunner family, help IT teams troubleshoot PoE issues quickly and accurately for all PoE standards.
- The PoE++ standard delivers more power and is required by devices like Wi-Fi 6 and 7 access points, cameras, IoT devices, and smart building systems.
- NetAlly testers can perform standardized PoE tests that simulate real device load, measure delivered wattage and voltage up to 90W, and identify issues like power budget limits, cable faults, and misconfigured ports.
- NetAlly testers don’t require any specialized training, and the results can be shared to the cloud for easier team collaboration.
PoE allows Ethernet cables to deliver DC power to devices as well as transmitting data. This makes it simpler and less expensive to install networks and makes modern smart buildings possible. PoE was widely used in the past to power VoIP phones, wireless access points and security cameras in offices and corporate buildings. Now it powers many more smart devices including smart lightbulbs, IoT sensors for temperature, humidity or air quality, smart locks and badge readers, digital signs, and tablets for point-of-sale systems.
“As smart devices have become more common and more powerful, new PoE standards and equipment have evolved to support them. This has made troubleshooting PoE more complicated – and more important,” said Julio Petrovitch, Wireless Product Manager at NetAlly. “If PoE fails, Wi-Fi goes out, security systems go down, and building controls become unreliable or unusable – it creates real business risk. Understanding PoE standards and how to quickly test and validate PoE is fundamental for today’s frontline technicians and network engineers.”
PoE Standards
PoE standards have evolved to deliver higher wattage to power more energy-intensive devices. Here are the four most common types:
- Type 1 (IEEE 802.3af): Delivers up to 15.4W. Sufficient for basic VoIP phones and simple sensors. Not sufficient for most modern devices.
- Type 2 (IEEE 802.3at / PoE+): Delivers up to 30W. The standard for Wi-Fi 5/6 access points, VoIP and video phones, most IoT sensors, and pan-tilt-zoom cameras.
- Type 3 and 4 (IEEE 802.3bt / PoE++): Delivers up to 60W (Type 3) or 90W (Type 4). Designed for high-performance Wi-Fi 6E/7 APs, digital signage, smart building gateways and managers, and laptops. This is also called Universal Power over Ethernet or UPoE. It uses all four twisted pairs in the Ethernet cable to deliver more power.
7 Common issues with PoE++ deployments
- Powered Device and Power Source are incompatible – A PoE switch using an older standard cannot power a device using a newer standard. PoE standards are backward compatible, so a modern UPoE switch can power a UPoE device and an older PoE+ device, for example. But the reverse is not true.
- Incorrect port – Many switches have some PoE ports and some non-PoE ports. Powered devices must be plugged into PoE ports.
- Wrong cable type – Higher standards also require the correct cables. For PoE+ (30W), Cat6 is the minimum professional standard. For UPoE/PoE++ (60W and up), Cat6A is the requirement. Undersized cabling will not provide enough power to the device (and can be a fire hazard).
- Bad cabling – A powered device may not be getting enough power because the cable itself is damaged, defective, or was installed poorly. Poor quality cabling (such as Copper Clad Aluminum) can lead to excessive voltage drop and power loss.
- Cable is too long – The maximum length for reliable PoE delivery (according to the Ethernet cable standard TIA/EIA-568) is 100 meters or 328 feet. Testing the actual wattage available under real-world conditions is important for cables at or over this length.
- Misconfigured Power Sourcing equipment – The PoE switch or injector may not be configured correctly.
- Power budget limitations – Every PoE switch has a maximum wattage it can supply across all ports. If the total power requirements for all devices connected to the switch exceeds that budget, some devices won’t power on. This is a very common issue in new deployments. Avoid maxing out your PoE power budget – total device load should be no more than 75-80% of the switch’s total budget to allow for future growth.
NetAlly testers for PoE
NetAlly testers like the upcoming LinkRunner AT 1500, LinkRunner AT 3000, LinkRunner AT 4000, LinkRunner 10G, EtherScope nXG and CyberScope can test PoE configuration under real load conditions to ensure up to 90W power delivery. They mimic a powered device and negotiate and draw the exact wattage needed, testing switches, cabling and patch panels and measuring the voltage drop, actual power delivered and cable pairs used. Tests are standardized and do not require training to perform. Results can be shared via the cloud for easier collaboration and remote work. This gives network engineers and IT field technicians the information they need to diagnose PoE issues quickly and accurately.
About NetAlly
Since creating the industry’s first handheld network analyzer in 1993, NetAlly has been helping network and cybersecurity professionals better deploy, manage, maintain and secure today’s complex wired and wireless networks. The NetAlly® family of network test and analysis solutions simplifies network testing and cybersecurity assessments, provides instant visibility for efficient problem resolution, and enables seamless collaboration between site personnel and remote experts. To learn more and see how NetAlly helps network and security professionals get their jobs done faster, visit https://www.netally.com/, follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, LinkedIn, Instagram or YouTube.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0dc4314a-56bc-4700-8543-8588c00ccbc6
