Patent ID: 8898446

Claim:
A power over Ethernet extender comprising: a first input port arranged to receive a first power signal over a first set of 2 pairs of wires of a first communication cabling connected to said first input port; a second input port arranged to receive a second power signal over a second set of 2 pairs of wires of the first communication cabling connected to said second input port; a power type detection circuit arranged to detect if the first power signal supports power consumption in excess of 13 watts; a detection circuit arranged to detect if both the first power signal and the second power signal are present; a power sourcing equipment in communication with said first input port, said second input port, said power type detection circuit and said detection circuit; and an output port arranged to transmit a third power signal output by said power sourcing equipment to a second communication cabling connected to the output port, said power sourcing equipment arranged to: in the event that said detecting circuit has detected that the first power signal is present and the second power signal is not present, and said power type detection circuit has detected that the first power signal supports power consumption in excess of 13 watts, provide said third power signal derived from the first power signal over only a single set of 2 pairs of wires of the second communication cabling connected to said output port with a signature indicative that the third power signal does not support consumption in excess of 13 watts.