The Power over Ethernet (PoE) can transport both power and data to the camera. The power source doesn’t have to be present next to your birdhouse. However, most of the IP cameras only can reach 100 meters far which is the same as the PoE IP bird box camera. While the birdhouse has to be installed beyond 100 meters, it requires an extra device to extend the POE network. The PoE extender is a handy tool to deal with the situation. Each PoE extender can repeat 100 meters PoE network. If there is 200 meters between the birdhouse and your home, you should add one PoE extender in the middle, you will have another 200 meters in total. The daisy chain setup allows the PoE network to have 500 meters of maximum distance with the PoE extender.
As we mentioned, there is both data and power we have to deal with. The PoE usually employs DC48V. During the power transmission, there is always voltage drop, that is why DC48V comes in, but not DC12V for PoE. The voltage drop margin has been reserved. Technically, there is not much to deal with for voltage while extending the POE. The voltage is good enough to transmit up to 800 meters in ultra PoE power systems. The PoE extender is an inline power solution which doesn’t require external power supply. It will pull the power inline and forward the rest to the next device in the daisy chain.
Unlike the power, there is always a data booster built in the PoE extender. According IEEE802.3 specification, the network only can reach 100 meters in cat5/cat6 Ethernet cable. The data booster can repeat the network without breaking IEEE802.3 specification.
There are some practical advice for setting up a long distance PoE bird box camera system. The first thing is the waterproof especially while you plan to bury the cable under the ground. Make sure you follow the instructions to fasten the waterproof cap on both sides of the PoE extender. You should use the wrench to close the gap, so the water will not lead back to the RJ45 connector. The next thing is that you may consider adding the surge protector next to the camera. The cat5e or cat6 is the copper cable which could absorb the surge in the environment, and the surge will go to the camera. If the camera is not strong enough to take up the surge, it could be damaged. The pigtail of the camera is easy to forget. Making sure the water will not lead back to the pigtail connector is important to be quick as well.
