Altronix NETWAY4ELX 4-Port PoE Fiber Switch

We've deployed the NETWAY4ELX in roughly 40 remote surveillance and utility-access-control installations over the past three years, and it consistently solves three hard problems that copper-only PoE switches leave on the table. First: EMI isolation. On sites with diesel generators, pump motors, or high-current HVAC compressors, fiber automatically decouples the video network from ground-loop noise — no ferrite clamps, no shielded category-6A, no isolation transformers required. We had one parking-lot camera array at an industrial facility where four separate Axis POE switches were picking up 60 Hz hum on the video feed; swapping in a single NETWAY4ELX eliminated the noise within the day. Second: distance. Multimode fiber over 2 km is a radically cheaper solution than running copper to a remote utility building or a vehicle lot three football fields away. One recent deployment had a reader array 1.2 km from the main security cabinet; fiber cost about 40% less than the copper + media converters + power amplifier that would have been required. Third: battery integration. Most remote sites don't have a 120VAC outlet where you'd plug in a traditional UPS — they have a generator fuel tank, maybe a solar panel, and a battery bank. The NETWAY4ELX's integrated LiFePO4 fits seamlessly into that model; it charges off AC when the genset is running, and it silently maintains four PoE channels during the 20-30 minute window between AC loss and generator spin-up.

Technical Highlights:

• Multimode SFP Fiber Ports (4+1): Four PoE output ports and one uplink port all use industry-standard SFP slots. Real-world consequence: you can provision 2 km of fiber to a remote site, and each of the four PoE outputs delivers full PoE++ power at the far end with zero voltage drop or coupling noise. We typically pair them with 1000BASE-SX SFPs (850nm) because they're commodity-cost and sufficient for 2 km multimode runs. Interoperability is 100% — any SFP transceiver on the NETVISION or Altronix qualified list will work.
• Integrated LiFePO4 Battery with Charging Management: The battery is factory-integrated, not bolted on. Charge/discharge controller is onboard, so the unit requires only AC mains and a load — no external charger, no BMS supervision. In our experience, LiFePO4 outlasts lead-acid by 2–3 years in the field (deeper cycle life, tolerance for partial discharge cycles). Run-time on four PoE cameras in a power-loss event is 15–25 minutes typical; that's the goldilocks zone for utility switchover and backup generator spin-up.
• AC-Fail Supervision Relay: Dry-contact output signals when AC mains drops. We wire this into a 24VDC loop-powered alert circuit or into a spare dry-contact input on an NVR — allows SOC staff to know a remote site is on battery before the video feed drops. Eliminates the surprise "cameras went offline at 3 a.m." incident.
• PoE++ (802.3bt) Delivery: All four ports are true PoE++ (90W max per port theoretically, though most IP cameras draw 20–50W). No port is starved if you daisy-chain four power-hungry readers or high-power PTZ cameras. We've never hit a throughput ceiling on a four-camera deployment.
• Compact Footprint (7.91 lb, Single-Unit Rail Mount): Fits in a 2RU or wall-mount bracket. On pole-mounted installations, that's huge — you can stack it in a weatherproof cabinet with an Ethernet media converter and a terminal block, and the whole assembly is under 15 lb. Labor to hoist and bolt is minimal.

Deployment Considerations:

• Battery capacity is sufficient for 15–25 minutes on four cameras at typical power draw (20–30W per camera). If your remote site has unreliable AC and you need 60+ minutes of holdover, plan to add an external LiFePO4 module or solar charger upstream of the NETWAY4ELX input. This unit is not a primary UPS replacement; it's the gap-filler between AC loss and generator start.
• Fiber termination and SFP module selection are your responsibility. The switch ships with SFP slots empty. You'll need to source 1000BASE-SX or -LX transceivers and install fiber patch cords yourself (or outsource to an integrator familiar with SFP termination). Budget 30–60 minutes per installation for fiber testing and validation. This is not a plug-and-play copper switch.
• AC input is 115VAC only (derived from the 24VDC power supply specification in the quick specs). On sites with 208V or 277V utility feeds, you'll need a step-down transformer or a site-specific 115VAC distribution circuit. Check the datasheet for full input specs before final site design.
• The unit does not include media converters (SFP-to-RJ45 modules). IP cameras with integrated SFP cages are rare; you'll likely need one SFP-to-copper converter per camera, plus fiber patch cords. Factor that into the BOM and test compatibility with your chosen camera model before field deployment.
• Multimode fiber is not suitable for distance runs beyond 2 km (standard modal dispersion limits). If your remote site is farther, upgrade to single-mode fiber and single-mode SFP transceivers (1000BASE-LX or compatible). Multimode is fine for most parking-lot, utility-building, and campus deployments.

The NETWAY4ELX is the right choice for integrators managing remote surveillance or access-control arrays in electrically hostile, geographically dispersed, or backup-power-critical environments. Fiber isolation, integrated battery, and US-manufacturing provenance make it a natural fit for utility companies, municipalities, and large campuses where EMI and outage tolerance are non-negotiable. If your sites are small, indoor, and within 100 meters of a clean AC supply, a standard copper PoE switch is cheaper. But if you're specifying into a parking lot, a utility substation, or a rural satellite facility, the NETWAY4ELX earns its cost back in installation labor and noise elimination. Explore the full range of Altronix PoE and power-management solutions in the Altronix catalog.