Patent ID: 8154147

Claim:
A network powering method in a system that supplies power to a plurality of powered devices via a plurality of ports in a power source equipment, comprising: obtaining one or more electrical measurements of a first network cable that couples a first powered device to a first power source equipment port, said first network cable being less than 100 meters:, determining a first individual power budget for said first power source equipment port using said one or more electrical measurements of said first network cable; obtaining one or more electrical measurements of a second network cable that couples a second powered device to a second power source equipment port, said second network cable being between 300 and 500 meters; determining a second individual power budget for said second power source equipment port using said one or more electrical measurements of said second network cable; controlling an assignment of portions of a total power budget available to said power source equipment to said plurality of power source equipment ports, wherein said control includes an assignment of said first individual power budget to said first power source equipment port and an assignment of said second individual power budget to said second power source equipment port; and powering said first powered device over said first Ethernet cable that is less than 100 meters and said second powered device over said second Ethernet cable that is between 300 and 500 meters.