POE and Wired networking?

[kpfleming]

Standard PoE (802.3af) is 48-56V at the PSE (power source equipment, usually a switch), to compensate for voltage drop along the cable run.

I wasn’t aware that PoE devices could negotiate the voltage at all; I thought the negotiation only referred to the current they are asking to consume so the PSE can decide whether it can provide that much power or not. Every PoE receiver I’ve seen expects to receive 48V and then uses a switching power supply to provide the desired output voltage.

Passive PoE is an entirely different thing and is getting pretty uncommon on off-the-shelf switches. I wouldn’t design a new device in 2024 which uses it.

[Hrglad]

I second this. It would be nice to have the product PoE powered – today you can get Switches that deliver 60 watts (PoE ++) and Unifi even have PoE +++, which is 100 watts. So when doing PoE, you could drop the WiFi module.
An advantage of PoE is that it’s possible to remote reboot the device, simply by turning off and on the power.

[kpfleming]

Those wattage numbers aren’t really relevant here, as these devices draw less than 5 watts

[Hrglad]

Thank you for clarifying. I did not know the power consumption. So I agree, that it’s not a constraint.

[nickf1227]

While I would love to see native POE support, I think I would be more than happy to settle for a “first party” or “supported” POE->USB adapter like this one form Ubiquiti, as a quick example.

PoE to USB-C Adapter - Ubiquiti Store

[gabrieLL]

When conversion happens from 48V down to 5V ,losses occur , which means heat. PoE circuitry inside the main enclosure might mess with the temperature and humidity readings. Ubiquiti has a PoE to USB-C adapter as mentioned by @nickf1227 but doesn’t have sufficient IP rating to be used outdoors. Indoors fine, alas the price is ridiculous.

Once you plan to use PoE you need an Ethernet IC , PoE IC and what not … hmmmm , wifi solution is cheap that’s right

Other options:
Uctronics Gigabit Micro USB PoE Splitter
type in aliexpress.com - PoE splitter USB-C
POE10R (TL-POE10R) - soldering two wires DC+ DC- for powering the AG

[Bill1]

I would like to see airgradient offer outside and inside AQI monitors wth built in support for connection to a wired network. For my situation, considering where I would like to mount an outside monitor, a wifi link would be marginal. A wired connection would be the most cost effective and reliable solution for my situation.

I appreciate the ability to own the data that my equipment generates. I plan on purchasing an indoor and an outdoor airgradient monitor if and when there are models which support wired connections.

[Al_ag]

Yes, it would be great to include a wired network connection in the next hardware version along with a hardware switch on the back that allows changing between wifi/wired/offline modes, that can be switched with a finger instead of a paperclip.
This can also allow for easier initial setup where the unit can be simply plugged into the router for connection and updates. RF radiation is also a source of pollution that some people like to remove from their environment.

[Bill1]

With regard to my earlier suggestion of using eithernet instead of wifi, where a wifi signal is marginal for the outside AQI, I have since thought of a better idea.

I would like to see an inside AQI unit with the option to connect a wired outside AQI sensor to the inside AQI unit. With a suitable display on the inside AQI unit, you could see both inside and outside AQI

For sharing outside AQI data, the inside AQI unit (which also has outside AQI data when an outside AQI sensor is connected) could be connected to a router by an eithernet connection.

Advantages, Flexibility and Reliability

1. If the Internet went down, you could still see displayed both the inside and outside AQI

2. The system could be used independently to display inside and outside AQI at locations where there is no internet

Note, some high risk of smoke areas have no internet as well as no cell phone coverage.

[Mike_14.7]

FWIW, as network security, wireless traffic and reliability become more of a general consideration / concern, I now always opt for the device that offers wired / PoE connectivity.

I would have paid more for this as an option (have purchased 5x Indoor units so far for work, home, gifts).

[Tai_AirGradient]

Hey guys! Thank you all a lot for commenting on this. We noted all your suggestions.

@Bill1, what you suggested is interesting. Actually, we have a plan on something quite similar (but no information about the Ethernet connection yet). I heard a rumor (yeah, I didn’t sign an NDA, and I hope my bosses won’t find ways to sue me anytime soon) that we are experimenting with something called a satellite. The idea is like a smart home hub (parent device) with child devices connected to the hub. I believe this feature has been added since firmware version 3.6.0, but it has not been used yet. Maybe you can take a look at some code here (from version 3.6.0 and newer): GitHub - airgradienthq/arduino: Firmware of open-source hardware air quality monitors AirGradient ONE (indoor) and AirGradient Open Air (outdoor). · GitHub
Still, this seems to be in its early stages.

For the display-related topic, I also heard that a refreshed version of the AirGradient ONE will have a better and larger display (with a lot more possibilities to show data there).

I will try to bring up the idea of PoE and/or wired connection to the team as well.

@Mike_14.7, thanks for your insights. As a smart home enthusiast myself, I also prefer products with an Ethernet connection. Most of the time, the wireless devices work great, but when something goes wrong, it goes wrong. Especially my Wi-Fi cameras, which sometimes disconnect or have latency, while the stream from an ethernet-connected camera is always solid, with very little downtime since I’ve implemented it.

@Al_ag I agree, using a paperclip or a toothpick is a real pain. I sometimes test the product, which requires pushing the reset button to operate the stuff. It’s quite fine when you have to press it just once, but it’s quite a headache when you have to push it several times a day. I already gave some feedback about the accessibility of the button to the engineering team. Anyway, it seems there is some valid logic behind this (prevent unintentional push, etc.). I think we’ll have to take some time considering and discuss about this.

[Bill1]

Thanks Tai for your interest. Unfortunately I lack any skill in writing software.

As a user, I have experience with a weather station. Its monitor is connected by wire locally to a data logger. The data logger is connected by ethernet to my local router and reports a burst of data once every minute over the internet. In addition, I can download historical data from the data logger locally via LAN to my computer and archive the data if I wish to.

I have also used a camera connected by Ethernet using POE.

As more and more people find themselves living in a more polluted environment, and as internet connections become less secure and perhaps less reliable, the ability to have and maintain reliable local monitoring is an important advantage.

It is great to hear that there is interest in being able to connect via reliable ethernet and I do hope to see this option soon.

Bill

[Tai_AirGradient]

Thank you for sharing your experience as well @Bill1!

If you have something to share, please feel free to let us know whether you have the skills or not. We are open to knowing all kinds of your thoughts and feedback. Thanks!

[ffitz]

I would love this especially with the order sensor. getting an outdoor rated ethernet is common vs having to get creative or run conduit for a USB. Please consider doing this

[Tai_AirGradient]

Hi @ffitz, welcome to our community, and thank you for your feedback!

I have had several discussions with our teams, and it seems we don’t have a plan for implementing PoE in our products in the very near future. We considered that PoE is currently quite a niche feature among all groups of customers we have (we try our best not to add to the price, so the products are more accessible for a wider public).

However, we are always happy to hear your feedback!

[Bart_Netherlands]

Too bad there’s no plan for it in the near future. I would also love an outdoor and indoor unit with PoE. Data and power through one cable makes for a clean install. Another benefit is PoE opens up the possibility to remote reboot in case of a crash/unresponsive device. I would think a lot of customers are quite tech savvy? Certainly your customers that use home assistant? I can also see PoE very useful for large installs in schools and offices for example.

I do understand you don’t want to increase the price for a feature not everyone will use. Maybe it would be possible to offer it as an add-on feature which customers can order separately and install in the device themselves?

[tadawson]

This would seems pretty easy at quick glance. The (iirc) ESP32 in the AG units has the wireless embedded. There are also ESP32 variants with POE wired connections as well as wireless, and considering the common base, one would think that the SW changes needed to detect/support both would be pretty trivial (esp. considering that the wireless is the hard part - POE is hardware, leaving a simple IP interface.)

One example:
https://wesp32.com/

[Tai_AirGradient]

Yes! The add-on idea is interesting. We’ll reconsider that when we are ready.

Currently, we have quite a diverse group of users. While a lot of our users are quite tech savvy and have their own Home Assistant, like all of us in this thread (me too!), some users prefer a simple wireless setup.

Anyway, we are always open to your opinions. An idea that is not implemented today doesn’t mean we close the door for it forever. Thanks again to all of you!

[tadawson]

Seems like the biggest task/expense would be reworking the case for the connector.

And if there is a plug on POE module, that could always be offered as an option.

[Tai_AirGradient]

@tadawson you’re right! Adding PoE may require a whole redesign. The refreshed version of the AirGradient ONE (AirGradient ONE v.10) seems to be based on the existing enclosure design as mentioned in AirGradient Product Survey 2025 - #10 by Tai_AirGradient .