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Power over Ethernet (PoE) describes a design where electrical power is passed along twisted-pair Ethernet cables. This type of electrical engineering is great for convenience and practicality for a wide variety of small electrical appliances. Power over Ethernet can involve standardized or ad hoc systems.
Many power over Ethernet setups are used for relatively low power consumption for appliances that benefit from having a single cable transmit data and electrical power. One common example is the VoIP desk phone – while supplying the telephone line, the Ethernet line also supplies the minimal amount of power needed to light the display and serve the other power needs of the telephone handset.
In addition, power over Ethernet cable designs standardized by IEEE support other types of devices such as small IP cameras, network routers, network switches, and some types of wall clocks, as well as many access control and keyless entry systems.