Hikvision DS-3E0510P-E 8-Port Gigabit PoE Unmanaged Network Switch

A straightforward answer first: the DS-3E0510P-E is an 8-port unmanaged Gigabit switch that powers your IP cameras over the same cable that carries their data, so you don't need a separate power supply at each camera location.

What it's for

Each of the 8 PoE ports supports IEEE 802.3af or 802.3at (the two common PoE standards — af covers most basic devices, at covers higher-draw ones like PTZ cameras), delivering up to 30 W per port. The shared budget across all 8 ports is up to 110 W, so it's worth adding up your cameras' actual power draw before assuming all 8 ports can run at full 30 W simultaneously.

Getting back to the network

A Gigabit RJ45 uplink and a separate Gigabit SFP fibre uplink are both included, so you can run copper back to your recorder or NVR, or fibre if the run is long or you're linking buildings.

Build and setup

It's unmanaged — no configuration menus, just plug in and go — which suits small to medium camera installs where you don't need VLANs or monitoring. The metal, fan-free casing keeps it silent, and it's rated for desktop sitting or wall mounting in a cabinet. PoE ports carry 6 kV surge protection, useful where cabling runs outdoors or near entry points prone to spikes.