What Size PoE Switch Do You Need for 8 Security Cameras?
Size an 8-camera PoE switch by ports, total watt budget, per-port standard, uplink speed and future expansion.
An 8-port PoE switch is not automatically the right switch for eight cameras. You need enough powered ports, enough total PoE watts and an uplink that can carry the combined camera traffic. If the eighth port is also needed as the uplink, an “8-port” product may already be too small.
Start with total power, not port count
If eight fixed cameras are rated for a maximum of 8W each, the camera load is 64W. Adding 20% planning headroom gives about 77W. A switch with only a 60W total PoE budget can have eight PoE ports and still be undersized.
| 8-camera example | Camera load | +20% headroom |
|---|---|---|
| 8 × 6W fixed cameras | 48W | 58W |
| 8 × 8W fixed cameras | 64W | 77W |
| 6 × 8W + 2 × 18W high-draw | 84W | 101W |
Check the per-port PoE standard
Total budget and per-port capability are separate. A switch may have enough total watts but still fail to power a PTZ, heater or high-output infrared camera if that port does not support the required PoE class. Use the camera datasheet's maximum power requirement.
Uplink bandwidth is rarely a problem at eight cameras
Eight cameras at 8 Mbps each create about 64 Mbps of recording traffic. A gigabit uplink has substantial room for that workload. Even a 100 Mbps uplink may work on paper, but gigabit is the better design because it preserves headroom for playback, traffic spikes and future cameras.
Leave a path for expansion
If you expect to add a doorbell, access point or ninth camera, buying exactly eight powered ports can force an early replacement. A 16-port switch or an 8-port PoE switch with separate non-PoE uplinks can be a cleaner long-term choice.
Use the PoE Switch Power Budget Calculator to test your exact eight-camera layout.