With the smart home technology industry booming, more consumers are investing in security camera devices and the Wyze Cam V2, V3, Pan & Outdoor models are some of the most popular cameras for home or business use due to their low cost, competitive features and great performance.
One question that I see asked a lot in the Wyze community is whether you can run their affordable camera line using Power over Ethernet (aka POE), so this article will dive into this topic and explain the answer to this question clearly.
- Do Wyze Cameras Work Over PoE (Power Over Ethernet)?
- How to Use a Wyze Cam With a PoE Connection
- What Are the Benefits of Using PoE to Power Your Cams?
- Final Thoughts
Do Wyze Cameras Work Over PoE (Power Over Ethernet)?
Wyze Cams don't natively offer POE support in their hardware and design, however, they can work with power over Ethernet via a third-party POE adapter in conjunction with a POE injector or switch. This may or may not void the warranty, but you shouldn't have anything to worry about as long as you use a POE adapter and injector that support the voltage of a Wyze Cam (they are also cheap to replace).
There has been a spike in interest in using POE for these cameras since the launch of their Wyze Cam V3, which is rated for outdoors. Wyze does appear to be considering the potential of adding this to a future model or selling their own official POE adapter according to their website.
NOTE: When using PoE with Wyze cams, it will NOT supply an Internet connection to your cameras, and it will only provide Wyze devices with power. You will still need an active and adequate Wi-Fi signal in your target installation area to be able to use your Wyze cameras properly when coupled with a PoE power source.
How to Use a Wyze Cam With a PoE Connection
There are a lot of different POE accessories that will work with Wyze Cam products, but below I'm going to touch on our top three recommended PoE adapters, injectors and enclosures for us with Wyze's product lines.
Per Wyze camera, you'll need one dedicated PoE adapter and one or multiple injectors depending on the setup as a dedicated switch can supply power to a single Wyze Cam as long as it is a compatible PoE port. An example of this would be if you had a five port switch with four PoE ports and one non-PoE port, you would be able to power four Wyze cameras total.
Depending on your installation location, you may want to consider an exterior enclosure if your PoE adapter will be outside facing the elements as all of the PoE adapters here are not natively weatherproof (nor are any that I know of).
Top 3 PoE Adapters for Use With Wyze Cameras
- Ubiquiti Instant 802.3AF USB Adaptor is a POE Charger designed to power...
- Input 48V 802.3af
- ESD/EMP Protection: +-15KV
Ubiquiti Networks Instant 802.3af to USB Adapter
The Ubiquiti Networks Instant 802.3af to USB Adapter is a device that allows you to connect a variety of USB devices to an 802.3af switch. This adapter is compliant with the 802.3af standard and has a power rating of up to 48V and helps keep connected devices protected against ESD and power surges.
This is the exact PoE adapter that I use for powering my Wyze V3 cams outdoors when coupled with my Unifi USW 24 PoE Switch, but I've also used it to power an iPad which displays my Wyze camera feed outside my network closet.
- POWER SOLUTION - The Wasserstein PoE Adapter continuously powers security...
- IDEAL FOR OUTDOOR CAMERA โ Our PoE Adapter eliminates cable mess. With a...
- WEATHERPROOF CABLE - Made of high-grade materials, the cable and pogo pin...
- EASY SET-UP - Simply connect the micro USB cable to the V3/Outdoor camera....
Wasserstein PoE Adapter
The Wasserstein PoE Adapter is a USB Ethernet adapter power solution for Wyze security cameras. It continuously powers the security camera and is ideal for use with their outdoor compatible V3 model. The weatherproof cable is made of high-grade materials and the ethernet port is not weatherproof. The easy set-up is simple to connect the micro USB cable to the V3/Outdoor camera. The LED indicator will turn yellow while powering your security camera constantly.
- Output Power: DC 5V 2.4A 12watts Max., full IEEE 802.3af compliant.
- Input Power Voltage: DC 44-56V
- Data Rate: 100/100Mbps; DC Jack: Micro USB
- Available with Tablets, Dropcam or Raspberry Pi, IPC, IP Camera and more
ANVISION Active 5V 2.4A PoE Splitter Adapter
The ANVISION Active PoE Splitter adapter is a device that splits the PoE signal into an 5VDC power and 10/100Mbps Ethernet data source. This device allows you to run Ethernet cables from a POE Switch over long distances, with the ability to split the PoE signal into separate data and 5Vdc power sources, so you can use for devices without POE support.
Top 2 PoE Injectors for Use With A USB Ethernet Adapter & Wyze Camera
- ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฑ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐-๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐...
- ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฒ: Easy setup with no software...
- ๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ: With PoE...
- ๐๐ฑ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐๐: Up to 250m data and power PoE...
TP-Link TL-SF1005P V2 PoE Switch
The TP-Link TL-SF1005P V2 PoE Switch is a very reliable switch that supports up to five ports, four of which are PoE+ and one of which is Non-PoE. The TP-Link TL-SF1005P V2 PoE Switch is easy to set up with no software installation or configuration needed. This is probably the best combination of reliability and affordability to continuously power up to 4 Wyze Cams over PoE.
- Remotely power PoE Device Thru CAT.5,6,7 Cable up to 328.1 feet(100 meters)
- IEEE802.3af Power over Ethernet with 48V Power Supply, US wall plug type.
- Input 100-240VDC, Output: 48V 24W passive PoE Output
- Short Circuit, Over Current and Over Voltage Protection
iCreatin Wall Plug POE Injector
The iCreatin Wall Plug POE Injector is a device that can remotely power PoE devices through a CAT.5, 6, or 7 cable. The injector has an IEEE802.3af Power over Ethernet output of 48V at 24W. The device also has short circuit, over current, and over voltage protection. The injector is compatible with most 10/100Mbps IP cameras (such as the Wyze), IP phones, and other PoE devices.
Recommended External Weatherproof Enclosure (Optional)
- Product Name: Junction Box ; Waterproof Rating: IP65 ; Qualification:...
- Project Box Cable Entries Number: 8; Mounted Type: Surface Mount;Electric...
- Product Dimensions: Outer Size :7.9" x 3.9" x 2.8"/200 x 100 x 70mm(L x W x...
- Features: Moisture proof, sunscreen, anti-corrosion, durable for years...
Sunnyglade Plastic Waterproof Dustproof Junction Box
The Sunnyglade Plastic Waterproof Dustproof Junction Box is a product made for use outdoors. It is waterproof and dustproof, making it resistant to rain and water splash back. It is easy to install and an easy way to keep your PoE injector safe from the elements while powering up your Wyze Cam.
What Are the Benefits of Using PoE to Power Your Cams?
There are a lot of reasons why someone would seek to use POE over a traditional power outlet for powering their Wyze Camera, so I'll go over a few of the most popular ones below:
Highly Flexible & Ideal for Powering Over Long Distances:
POE offers a high degree of flexibility when it comes to powering devices as it doesn't require an AC outlet nearby like traditional power does. This also makes it ideal for powering devices over long distances as there is no need to worry about running power cables all the way to your device as long as an Ethernet cable is already supplied from the target location to your PoE injector or switch.
Eliminates the Need for a Multitude of Power Sources
When you use a PoE switch, you can power your Wyze Cams by plugging it into the switch. This eliminates the need to supply power from a separate source like multiple AC outlets, so you only really need Ethernet cables and a POE injector to use this solution.
The beauty of this is that you can hook all the power from one location at the same time, so you only need to buy one POE injector/switch to power everything, and you can run a UPS unit (uninterruptible power supply) to back up the functionality in the event of a power loss.
More Aesthetically Pleasing Installation
Since many homes are already run with Cat5 or Cat6 cabling, you'll be able to achieve a cleaner installation without cables running everywhere throughout your house, which makes it more aesthetically pleasing and safer than leaving a bunch a cable mess exposed.
Better Suited for Outdoor Environments
If you have a Wyze Cam setup outdoors, chances are you're using a long power cable to supply it with power and are relying on the need for an exterior electrical outlet. Using PoE will help extend the range of your outdoor camera while allowing you to use long ethernet cable that is more easily hidden and offers greater weatherproofing.
Network Reboot Potential
In some cases, such as in my usage, where I have a PoE switch that is connected to the internet and accessible while away from my network, I can reboot the PoE components remotely, which in turn would power cycle any of my Wyze cameras that may not be responding. I wouldn't say this ability is common as it often requires more advanced networking knowledge and more expensive PoE switches.
Final Thoughts
While Wyze's camera line-up does not support PoE or power over Ethernet natively, it is entirely possible to work around this by using a third-party POE injector or switch. The benefits of using PoE are plentiful. I hope this article has helped to show some of the more popular reasons why people choose to use it and how you can take advantage of powering your Wyze Cams via PoE.
