Possible to use a switch on POE cam?

[reocam_448003255267488]

I have an NVR system with 16 channels/ports on the back. I have one camera on the far side of my house served with a long cat 6 cable. I would like to add a second camera in the same location facing a different direction and I was about to run a second long cable out to it and then I realized that I have a power outlet right next to it and I have a spare ethernet switch so ... is it possible to plug 2 separate cameras into the switch and then plug that switch into 1 single port on the back of the NVR and have it recognize both cameras?

So I guess the simpler question is ... is each "channel" of the NVR directly connected to each "port" of the back of the NVR, or can you plug multiple cameras into a single port with a switch as long as you don't go above the number of channels that the NVR can handle?

[joseph_1979]

@reocam_448003255267488 Yes you can. Check out this link https://support.reolink.com/hc/en-us/articles/900000537406-How-to-Connect-PoE-Switch-Router-and-Reolink-NVRs/

[reocam_448003255267488]

That is amazing. Exactly what I was looking for. Very much appreciated.

So then it looks like I can't use a regular switch. I need to get a POE switch. But that leaves 2 questions...

1. How much wattage is needed for the cameras, because it looks like POE switches can be various wattages.
2. Does it matter that the NVR is putting out voltage over the cable and that will plug into the "in" port on the POE switch? Could that damage the POE switch? Is the POE switch expecting there to be voltage there and is ready for that?

[joseph_1979]

@reocam_448003255267488 If both cameras are POE then you can use a POE combiner/splitter as illustrated in https://support.reolink.com/hc/en-us/articles/20057468511897-Introduction-to-Reolink-PoE-Combiner-and-Splitter/

Normally we do not connect the cameras directly to the NVR (even if it is hybrid) but rather through a POE/Normal switch. This gives us the possibility of accessing the cameras directly and if the NVR becomes faulty we are still able to connect to the cameras. One more advice. Install high endurance SD (say 64G) and enable event recording on them. Don't forget UPS.

[reocam_448003255267488]

@joseph_1979 I had no idea this splitter thing even existed. I got one and it worked great. Exactly what I needed and worked like a charm. Saved me from having to make another long run of cable out to that farthest camera. I'm buying another one for the other side. Thank you so much.