Exploring Inline Power Options
During our discussion earlier in this chapter concerning IP telephones, we discussed
how second-generation phones were superior to their first-generation
counterparts because they offered support for inline power. First-generation telephones
were limited in that they required an external power source in order to
function. Inline power allows second-generation phones to avoid this pitfall.
There are two ways in which inline power can be offered to second-generation
telephones, either by way of a power patch panel, or through the use of inline
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New World Technologies • Chapter 2 55
power modules installed directly in the switch. Let’s discuss these different power
options as well as their advantages and disadvantages.