[asterisk-users] Polycom power over ethernet (PoE) cables for 500/501, 600/601 and 650 sets

[John Marvin]

Stephen Bosch wrote:

> 
> 3. I thought I might save some clutter by putting these cables between
> the midspan and the patch panel, but then I discovered that the male end
> of the cable is keyed, just as in the default AC cables provided with
> the phones, meaning that they'll only work if plugged directly into the
> phone itself. The reduction in clutter with this set-up is,
> unfortunately, not what I had hoped, though anything is better than
> nothing. I imagine it would work if I sanded away the plastic post on
> the connector, but that says nothing about how it might behave if a
> non-compliant device were plugged into it. Better safe than sorry.
> 

Actually, I did exactly this with the default AC cables. I plugged my 
Polycom wall warts into my UPS near my household patch panel, filed off 
the tabs on the AC cables and used them as patch cables between my (non 
POE) switch and the patch panel. I use a standard patch cable for the 
phones.

I don't think this would be a good idea for an office environment. I'm 
not sure what would happen if I plugged something other than one of my 
Polycom phones (501's) into the non standard powered ethernet jack. I'm 
fairly safe in my home environment, since I am usually the only one 
messing with ethernet cables in the house, and I have told my family 
specifically not to ever unplug one of the phones in order to plug in 
something else (they can always plug into the back of the phone instead 
if they need a temporary connection).

John