PoE+ is the common name for IEEE 802.3at, the second-generation Power over Ethernet standard. It delivers up to 30 watts of power per port (with around 25.5 W usable at the device after cable losses), roughly double the 15.4 W of the original 802.3af PoE standard.

In short: PoE+ supports higher-power devices that exceed the limits of standard PoE: pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras with motors and IR illumination, dual-radio Wi-Fi access points, video conferencing endpoints, and some IoT gateways. PoE+ is backwards compatible with 802.3af devices, so a PoE+ switch can power standard PoE devices alongside higher-draw ones.

For most current-generation security cameras and access points, PoE+ is the working baseline. Fixed-position cameras with onboard IR may still fit within standard PoE. PTZ cameras, especially those with heaters for outdoor enclosures, almost always need PoE+ or higher. Wi-Fi 6 dual-radio APs typically need PoE+ for full performance, even though some will run on standard PoE with reduced capability.

Specifying PoE+ switches across a site futureproofs the installation. The marginal cost over standard PoE is small, and the avoided risk of replacing a switch when device requirements grow is significant.