24-Port PoE Switch — PS242 and 24G02GS-P

Not for camera traffic alone. A 5 MP channel at a realistic bitrate uses a small fraction of 100 Mbps, so twenty-four cameras never saturate the ports. Choose the all-gigabit model when the same switch also carries computers, access points or building systems, because that is where port speed and backplane capacity start to matter.

Up to twenty-four fixed 5 MP cameras with comfortable headroom, or a mixed load that includes a couple of PTZ domes, an access point and a door controller. As with the smaller models, budget the peak rather than the average — illuminators, heaters and cold-start surge are what the switch actually has to survive.

One 24-port switch is usually simpler if the positions are on the same floor and within 100 m. Two switches make sense when the cameras are in different buildings or different floors, or when you want a fault on one group to leave the other group running. Document either arrangement properly — cascaded switches are a common source of confusing faults later.

Because it is designed for a different job. The all-gigabit model sits in a floor communications room serving a mixed network, where 100 m is the normal expectation. The PS series with extend mode is the one to choose when a run genuinely exceeds 100 m, such as a distant gate or a camera chained along a fence.

Yes, that is their purpose. A fibre run between buildings is not affected by the distance limits of copper and is immune to the earth-potential differences that cause problems between separate structures. Use the SFP slots for the inter-building link and copper for the cameras inside each building.

A PoE switch converts and distributes a substantial amount of power, so it produces real heat and needs ventilation. In a small cupboard, leave clearance above and below, avoid stacking it directly on top of the recorder, and do not seal it in a closed cabinet without airflow. Overheating is a common cause of a switch that works in winter and fails in summer.