Altronix NETWAYSP8WPX3 8-Port PoE+ Managed Switch with NEMA 4X Enclosure and Battery Backup

Overview

The Altronix NETWAYSP8WPX3 is a hardened, 360W managed PoE+ switch built specifically for outdoor and harsh-environment surveillance deployments where a standard rack-mount switch would fail within a season. Housed in a NEMA 4/4X, IP66-rated enclosure rated from -30°C to 70°C, this unit ships ready to mount on a wall, pole, or in a utility cabinet — no additional weatherproof housing required. Eight PoE ports, two fiber SFP uplinks, onboard battery backup capacity for four 12V/4AH batteries, and a broad dual-voltage AC input make the NETWAYSP8WPX3 a self-contained edge node for surveillance cameras, access control panels, and IP intercoms at locations where pulling a conduit run back to the IDF isn't practical.

Key Features

• 360W Total PoE Budget: With 360W available across eight ports, you can run eight 30W PoE+ devices simultaneously at full draw — think eight PTZ cameras or heated dome enclosures — without load-shedding. Two of those ports can be configured for Hi-PoE at 60W each, which covers pan-tilt drives, high-power outdoor PTZs, or multi-sensor cameras that exceed standard 802.3at limits. That Hi-PoE headroom is what separates this unit from a generic 8-port switch in a gray box.
• NEMA 4/4X and IP66 Enclosure: NEMA 4X certification means the enclosure resists corrosion, windblown dust, rain, and direct hose-down — the standard most integrators actually need for parking structures, loading docks, and perimeter fence lines. IP66-11 independently confirms dust-tight and high-pressure water jet protection. You are not adding a separate outdoor housing to this switch; it is the housing.
• -30°C to 70°C Operating Range: Most commercial switches are rated to 0°C or -10°C at the cold end. The NETWAYSP8WPX3 stays operational at -30°C, which means it handles northern-climate winters, rooftop cabinets, and unheated utility spaces without a thermostatically controlled enclosure heater as a workaround. The 70°C upper ceiling also covers sun-exposed metal cabinets in summer.
• Dual AC Input Voltage (115VAC / 230VAC): The unit accepts either 115VAC/60Hz or 230VAC/50-60Hz, so the same hardware ships to North American and international sites without a line transformer. A 5A/250V input fuse protects upstream wiring. This is a logistics detail that matters when you are deploying across multiple regions or when the available feed voltage at a remote cabinet is 208VAC rather than 120VAC.
• Onboard Battery Backup for Four 12V/4AH Batteries: The 48VDC battery charging circuit can condition four sealed lead-acid or gel-type 12V/4AH cells wired in series — providing local UPS functionality without a separate battery module. For a camera node running 8 × 10W average draw (80W total), that 192Wh pack delivers over two hours of runtime. This is directly useful on perimeter or gate deployments where a brief utility outage cannot be allowed to create a surveillance gap.
• Dual Gigabit SFP Uplinks: The two SFP ports allow fiber uplinks to the building MDF or to a fiber ring, which is the right architecture for long cable runs (beyond 100m copper) or electrically noisy industrial environments. Gigabit uplinks mean the switch does not become a throughput bottleneck when eight cameras are streaming simultaneously to an NVR or VMS.
• Mixed-Speed Ethernet Ports (6 × 100Mbps + 2 × 1Gbps): Six 100Mbps access ports handle the majority of IP cameras and readers without waste, while two 1Gbps ports are available for bandwidth-intensive devices or local NVR connections. This tiered approach keeps cost proportional to what each port actually needs to move.
• 802.1Q Tagged VLAN, Up to 10 Groups: VLAN support lets you segment camera traffic from access control or intercom traffic on the same physical switch — a meaningful security posture improvement for sites that have multiple system types converging on this edge node. Ten VLAN groups is sufficient for most multi-tenant or multi-system deployments at a single cabinet location.
• IEEE 802.3af / 802.3at / Hi-PoE Standards: Full backward compatibility means legacy 802.3af cameras and readers (up to 15.4W) work alongside newer 802.3at devices (up to 30W) and Hi-PoE devices (up to 60W) on the same switch without adapters or injectors. The switch negotiates power class automatically per port.

Integration and Compatibility

The NETWAYSP8WPX3 integrates with any IP-based surveillance system using standard 802.3af/at/Hi-PoE devices — IP cameras, network video recorders, access control hardware, and IP intercoms. The dual SFP slots accept standard single-mode or multi-mode SFP transceivers, giving integrators flexibility in fiber type based on site infrastructure. VLAN configuration allows co-habitation with existing network infrastructure without compromising traffic isolation between security subsystems. For PoE switch selection guidance across different deployment types, refer to the PoE planning resources available in the switch category. Battery backup wiring should follow sealed lead-acid series-configuration best practices; the unit charges four 12V cells to maintain a 48VDC float. CE agency listing confirms European market compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many devices can the NETWAYSP8WPX3 power simultaneously, and at what wattage per port?

A: The NETWAYSP8WPX3 provides 8 PoE-capable ports with a 360W total budget. In standard configuration, each port supports up to 30W (802.3at PoE+). Two ports can alternatively be configured for Hi-PoE at up to 60W each. All eight ports can run simultaneously as long as combined draw stays within the 360W total budget.

Q: Does the NETWAYSP8WPX3 require an external enclosure for outdoor installation?

A: No. The NETWAYSP8WPX3 ships in a NEMA 4/4X, IP66-rated enclosure designed for direct outdoor mounting. It withstands windblown dust, rain, corrosion, and direct hose-down without an additional housing. The operating temperature range of -30°C to 70°C covers most outdoor environments without supplemental heating or cooling.

Q: What battery type and configuration does the NETWAYSP8WPX3 support for backup power?

A: The unit accommodates four 12VDC/4AH sealed lead-acid or gel-type batteries wired in series. The onboard charging circuit maintains a 48VDC float charge. Battery backup duration depends on connected load — at lower average PoE draws, runtime exceeds two hours on a fully charged pack.

Q: What uplink options are available on the NETWAYSP8WPX3?

A: The switch provides two Gigabit SFP ports for fiber uplinks. These accept standard SFP transceivers (single-mode or multi-mode, sold separately) and support runs well beyond the 100m copper limit — suitable for connecting to an MDF across a large campus or industrial facility.

Q: Does the NETWAYSP8WPX3 support VLAN configuration?

A: Yes. The switch supports 802.1Q Tagged VLANs with up to 10 VLAN groups, allowing traffic segmentation between cameras, access control, and other IP systems sharing the same physical switch.

Q: What input voltages does the NETWAYSP8WPX3 accept?

A: The unit accepts 115VAC/60Hz (3.5A) or 230VAC/50-60Hz (2A), making it compatible with standard North American and international power feeds. A 5A/250V input fuse is included for upstream circuit protection.

Eden Phillips

The spec that drives most of my recommendations for the NETWAYSP8WPX3 is the -30°C to 70°C operating range paired with the NEMA 4X enclosure — that combination eliminates the separate weatherproof cabinet, the thermostatically controlled heater, and the humidity management hardware that would otherwise add cost and a second failure point at every remote node. For a perimeter or gate deployment with 6–8 PTZ cameras, this is a single-SKU edge solution rather than a multi-component assembly.

Technical Highlights:

• 360W / Hi-PoE Dual Mode: 360W total with two ports switchable to 60W Hi-PoE gives you headroom for high-draw PTZs (typically 40–50W under full movement) without dedicating a separate injector or mid-span to each one — a real wiring simplification on pole and gate mounts.
• Onboard 48VDC Battery Charging: Charging four 12V/4AH sealed lead-acid cells in series means backup power is built into the cabinet footprint. At a typical 8-camera perimeter node drawing 80–100W average, that 192Wh pack sustains the node through a 1–2 hour utility interruption — long enough to cover most grid blips without a generator start.
• Dual SFP Gigabit Uplinks: Two fiber uplinks allow both a primary and a redundant path back to the core — important on ring topologies common in campus and industrial layouts. Gigabit uplinks also future-proof the node if camera resolutions increase and average bitrates climb.

Deployment Considerations:

• The unit measures 17.53