Patent ID: 9703338
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: G06F

Claim:
1. A switch, comprising: a plurality of power over Ethernet (PoE) output ports, including a first PoE output port and a second PoE output port; and a controller, coupled to the plurality of PoE output ports, and responsive to a network authentication protocol for authenticating a user, the controller being configured to selectively control the plurality of PoE output ports to provide a first level of power to a first device coupled to the first PoE output port, and to provide a second level of power, to a second device coupled to the second PoE output port in response to an authentication of the user according to the network authentication protocol and a PoE attribute specific to the user and different from at least one PoE attribute specific to another user which the controller is further configured to authenticate, wherein the first level of power is different from the second level of power, and the PoE attribute specific to the user indicates the second level of power.