Hikvision PoE Switches for CCTV: The UK Installer's Guide
A Hikvision PoE switch is the quiet workhorse behind almost every IP camera install — it carries data and power to each camera down a single Cat5e/Cat6 run, so getting the right one matters as much as the camera itself. This guide is written for UK CCTV and security installers speccing the Hikvision DS-3E range: it explains the difference between unmanaged, smart-managed and Layer 2 managed switches, decodes the PoE standards and wattage, shows you how to size the PoE budget, and recommends the exact model for jobs from a 4-camera house to a 48-port site — every switch named here is in stock for same-day UK dispatch.
What this guide covers
- Unmanaged Pro series (DS-3E0…) — plug-and-play PoE for fast, simple jobs, from the 4-port DS-3E0106HP-E to the 24-port gigabit DS-3E0528HP-E.
- Smart-managed (DS-3E1…-EI / -SI) — a web interface, VLANs, QoS and PoE watchdog when a job needs network control.
- PoE standards — 802.3af (15.4 W), 802.3at/PoE+ (30 W) and Hi-PoE 802.3bt (up to 90 W) for PTZ and heated cameras.
- Long-range mode — power and data up to 300 m over copper, three times the standard 100 m limit.
- PoE budget — how to total your camera load and pick a switch with headroom to spare.
What is a Hikvision PoE switch, and why use one for CCTV?
A Hikvision PoE switch is a network switch whose ports deliver Power over Ethernet, so each IP camera gets both its data link and its power from one cable — no separate power supply at the camera. That single fact is why PoE switches dominate CCTV: you run one Cat5e/Cat6 cable to each camera position, terminate it on the switch, and the camera powers up. Hikvision builds these as the DS-3E family, splitting them into an unmanaged 'Pro' series for straightforward installs and a smart/managed series for sites that need network segmentation and remote control.
For most installers the switch sits between the cameras and the recorder: cameras plug into the PoE ports, and a non-PoE uplink (copper or fibre) carries the combined video stream back to the NVR or the wider LAN. Choosing well means counting ports, totalling watts, and deciding how much network control the job actually needs.
Unmanaged, smart-managed or Layer 2 managed: which do you need?
Pick unmanaged for plug-and-play simplicity, smart-managed when you need VLANs and a web interface, and Layer 2 managed for large or fibre-linked networks. The Hikvision range maps cleanly onto those three tiers: the DS-3E0 Pro switches are unmanaged (power on and go); the DS-3E1xxxP-EI Fast Ethernet switches and DS-3E1xxxP-SI gigabit switches are smart/Layer 2 managed, adding a browser interface, 802.1Q VLANs, QoS and SNMP.
The honest rule of thumb: a single-NVR domestic or small-commercial job almost never needs management — an unmanaged switch is faster to fit and cheaper. The moment you are separating camera traffic from an office network, running multiple switches, or want to reboot a frozen camera remotely, step up to a smart-managed model. Our managed switches for CCTV guide walks through the VLAN and QoS concepts in more depth.
Hikvision PoE standards: 802.3af, PoE+ and Hi-PoE explained
PoE comes in three power classes, and Hikvision switches state exactly which each port supports. IEEE 802.3af delivers up to 15.4 W at the port, 802.3at (PoE+) up to 30 W, and 802.3bt (marketed by Hikvision as Hi-PoE) up to around 90 W for power-hungry devices such as pan-tilt-zoom domes and heated housings. On the gigabit DS-3E0520HP-E, for example, four ports deliver up to 90 W under 802.3at/af/bt while the remaining twelve deliver up to 30 W (Hikvision DS-3E0520HP-E specifications).
Why it matters on site: a fixed turret or bullet typically draws 6–13 W, so any PoE port powers it. A PTZ camera with an integrated heater can need 30–90 W, so it must land on a PoE+ or Hi-PoE port. Always check the camera's rated draw against the port class before you commit a position.
How to size the PoE budget for your cameras
Size a switch by its total PoE budget — the sum of watts it can deliver across all ports at once — not just its port count. A 24-port switch with a 370 W budget such as the DS-3E0528HP-E comfortably runs 24 fixed cameras at ~10 W each (240 W) with headroom to spare (DS-3E0528HP-E 370 W budget); the same port count loaded with several PTZs at 60–90 W could exceed budget, so the maths — not the port count — decides.
The method is simple: list every camera, note its maximum draw, total them, then choose a switch whose PoE budget comfortably exceeds that figure with room for future additions. Our PoE switch sizing guide sets out the same budget calculation step by step and applies equally to the Hikvision range.
Long-range PoE: powering cameras up to 300 m
Hikvision's long-range mode pushes PoE data and power up to 300 m over standard copper — three times the usual 100 m Ethernet limit. Every DS-3E0 Pro switch supports it: the 8-port DS-3E0310HP-E, for instance, transmits up to 300 m in long-range mode and carries a 110 W PoE budget with a 90 W Hi-PoE port for a PTZ (Hikvision DS-3E0310HP-E specifications). The trade-off is speed: long-range mode drops the link to 10 Mbps, which is fine for one or two compressed H.265 camera streams but not for a high-resolution multi-sensor.
This is the feature that saves a job when a camera position is just beyond 100 m and there is no power nearby — you avoid a mid-span injector or a fibre run. The small 4-port DS-3E0106HP-E brings the same 300 m capability to single-camera outbuildings and gate posts, with a 60 W budget and one 60 W Hi-PoE port (DS-3E0106HP-E specifications).
The Hikvision unmanaged Pro-series range (DS-3E0106HP-E to DS-3E0528HP-E)
The DS-3E0 Pro series is the unmanaged, plug-and-play backbone of most CCTV installs — four models from 4 to 24 ports, all with Hi-PoE and 300 m long-range support. The two smaller units (DS-3E0106HP-E, DS-3E0310HP-E) are Fast Ethernet with gigabit uplinks; the two larger units (DS-3E0520HP-E, DS-3E0528HP-E) are full gigabit with two copper uplinks and two SFP fibre slots. The 24-port DS-3E0528HP-E carries a 370 W budget with four 90 W Hi-PoE ports and long-range support on ports 21–24 (Hikvision DS-3E0528HP-E).
| Model | PoE ports | PoE budget | Hi-PoE | Uplinks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS-3E0106HP-E | 4 × 100M | 60 W | 1 × 60 W | 2 × Gigabit |
| DS-3E0310HP-E | 8 × 100M | 110 W | 1 × 90 W | 2 × Gigabit |
| DS-3E0520HP-E | 16 × Gigabit | 225 W | 4 × 90 W | 2 × Gb + 2 × SFP |
| DS-3E0528HP-E | 24 × Gigabit | 370 W | 4 × 90 W | 2 × Gb + 2 × SFP |
Figures from Hikvision product pages and datasheets. All DS-3E0 Pro models support 300 m long-range PoE mode and 6 KV surge protection.
Hikvision smart-managed switches: VLANs, QoS and PoE watchdog
Step up to a smart-managed Hikvision switch when a job needs VLANs, traffic prioritisation or remote PoE control through a web interface. The Fast Ethernet DS-3E1318P-EI (16-port) and its 24-port sibling the DS-3E1326P-EI add 802.1Q VLANs (up to 4094), QoS, IGMP, a PoE watchdog that auto-reboots an unresponsive camera, and LLDP — all managed from a browser or remotely via Hik-Partner Pro, with up to 130 W of PoE and a 300 m extend mode on the DS-3E1318P-EI (Hikvision DS-3E1318P-EI specifications).
For gigabit throughput with full Layer 2 control, the -SI models step up again: the 16-port DS-3E1518P-SI (225 W), the 24-port DS-3E1526P-SI (370 W) and the 48-port DS-3E1552P-SI (470 W) all add SFP fibre uplinks and Layer 2 protocols — STP/RSTP, link aggregation, SNMP and QoS. The DS-3E1526P-SI runs all 24 gigabit ports at up to 30 W within its 370 W budget (DS-3E1526P-SI Layer 2 managed), and the DS-3E1552P-SI scales the same feature set to 48 PoE ports plus copper and SFP uplinks (DS-3E1552P-SI 48-port).
Comparison table: choosing across the range
Use this table to match a switch to the job, working from port count and budget first, then management level.
| Model | Type | Ports | Budget | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS-3E0310HP-E | Unmanaged | 8 FE | 110 W | Homes, small shops, 300 m runs |
| DS-3E0520HP-E | Unmanaged | 16 GbE | 225 W | Gigabit cameras, fibre uplink |
| DS-3E0528HP-E | Unmanaged | 24 GbE | 370 W | Large plug-and-play installs |
| DS-3E1318P-EI | Smart-managed | 16 FE | ~130 W | VLANs + remote PoE reset |
| DS-3E1518P-SI | L2 managed | 16 GbE | 225 W | Managed gigabit, fibre |
| DS-3E1526P-SI | L2 managed | 24 GbE | 370 W | Mid-large managed networks |
| DS-3E1552P-SI | L2 managed | 48 GbE | 470 W | Large multi-switch sites |
FE = Fast Ethernet (10/100); GbE = Gigabit. Budgets from Hikvision and distributor datasheets; the 24-port Fast Ethernet DS-3E1326P-EI is the smart-managed sibling of the DS-3E1318P-EI.
Fibre uplinks and SFP: when you need them
You need an SFP fibre uplink when the run from switch to recorder exceeds 100 m or crosses a building — copper Ethernet stops at 100 m, fibre does not. The gigabit DS-3E0520HP-E, DS-3E0528HP-E and all three -SI managed switches carry two SFP slots alongside their copper uplinks, so you can drop in a fibre module and link to a distant NVR or a core switch without a repeater. For a single building under 100 m, the copper gigabit uplinks are all you need.
Keep camera traffic on its own uplink back to the recorder rather than mixing it into a busy office LAN; on the managed models you can enforce this with a dedicated CCTV VLAN, which also stops camera multicast flooding the rest of the network.
Matching the switch to your Hikvision NVR and cameras
Decide early whether to power cameras from the NVR's built-in PoE or from a separate switch — on bigger jobs a dedicated switch almost always wins. A Hikvision NVR with built-in PoE (covered in our DS-7716 vs DS-7732 NXI guide) is tidy for small installs, but its PoE ports are capped in number and budget. A separate DS-3E switch lets you add cameras independently of recorder channels, place the switch nearer the cameras to shorten cable runs, and reuse the same network for EasyIP and AcuSense cameras alike.
Because Hikvision switches are standards-based 802.3af/at/bt, they also power non-Hikvision PoE devices — third-party cameras, wireless access points and intercoms — so one switch can serve a mixed-brand site. Browse the full Hikvision switch line-up and compatible cameras and recorders on our brands page.
Frequently asked questions
How far can a Hikvision PoE switch send power and data?
Up to 100 m in standard mode, or up to 300 m in long-range mode on the DS-3E0 Pro switches. Long-range mode drops the link to 10 Mbps, which suits one or two compressed camera streams per port.
What is the difference between PoE, PoE+ and Hi-PoE?
PoE (802.3af) delivers up to 15.4 W per port, PoE+ (802.3at) up to 30 W, and Hi-PoE (802.3bt) up to around 90 W. Fixed cameras use PoE; PTZ and heated cameras need PoE+ or Hi-PoE.
Do I need a managed switch for CCTV?
Not for a simple single-NVR job — an unmanaged DS-3E0 switch is faster and cheaper. Choose a smart-managed DS-3E1 model when you need VLANs to separate camera traffic, QoS, or remote PoE reboot of a frozen camera.
Can a Hikvision switch power non-Hikvision cameras and access points?
Yes. The DS-3E switches are standards-based 802.3af/at/bt, so they power any compliant PoE device — third-party cameras, wireless APs, VoIP phones and intercoms — not just Hikvision hardware.
Should I use the NVR's built-in PoE or a separate switch?
Use the NVR's PoE for small, tidy installs. Use a separate DS-3E switch when you need more ports than the NVR provides, want to add cameras independently of recorder channels, or need to place the switch closer to the cameras to stay within cable limits.
Which Hikvision switch is best for a 16-camera install?
The 16-port gigabit DS-3E0520HP-E (225 W, unmanaged) suits most 16-camera jobs, or the DS-3E1518P-SI if you need VLANs and managed control. Leave one or two spare ports for future cameras.
Order Hikvision PoE switches with same-day dispatch
Netview is an authorised Hikvision wholesaler and stocks the full DS-3E PoE switch range — from the 4-port DS-3E0106HP-E to the 48-port managed DS-3E1552P-SI — for fast trade dispatch from Leicester. Browse the range and order online at netviewcctv.co.uk.
Trade account holders get live pricing and stock on every Hikvision line at netviewcctv.co.uk.
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