hEX POE (RB960PGS) can't mix 802.3af/at with passive PoE

Hardware MikroTik hardware general
1

I am building a CCTV camera post with 2 or 3 CCTV cameras at take 802.3af/at.
Since the hEX POE doesn’t have any WiFi capability, I was going to use a spare SXTsq Lite2 to bridge the cameras.

Unfortunately SXTsq Lite2 requires passive 24v PoE only.
It seems there is no way to have some ports in 802.3af/at and others in 24v Passive. The hEX lacks the DC-DC converters needed to do so.
I have tried hAP AC, and even if it can take 57V as power input, it cannot take it via passive.

I wish I know this before I bought hEX POE.

Now I am stuck with pile of Mikrotik gear that can’t even work with itself.

Even worse, I am boosting 12V (from solar LiFEPO4 setup) to 48V just to get 48V out.
This all seems to be waste of money and time, as I might reconsider the whole setup due to deficiencies of the hEX PoE.
I could have just used spare hAP AC and just inject (or direct wire 12v) the power to cameras.
It is a massive step backwards.

https://mikrotik.com/product/RB960PGS

The ports 2-5 can power other PoE capable devices with the same voltage as applied to the unit.

I should have paid more attention to this.

I had similar issue with RB4011 and a disc lite (unable to use 48V).

The bizarre part is that there is a DC-DC converter in hAP AC for the power input via jack, which has wide voltage input, yet even hAP AC can’t take passive in with 48V.

2

https://mikrotik.com/product/rbgpoe_con_hp would solve your issue. Personally I prefer Ubiquiti’s equivalent a lot more,the INS-3AF-I-G, it is the only Ubnt product I use, I like its form factor a lot more.

3

The box on the camera pole is tight on space, I think I will inject the battery voltage (10 to 14.4V) into the SXT and use old hAP Lite for the local wifi access, powered via USB on the hEX PoE.
Although I might add DC-DC for generic 5V, as I am thinking of adding a micro (ESP32) for monitoring things.

Besides that PoE adapter is another $50 I shouldn’t had to spend if Mikrotik ditched the passive PoE way back when 802.3af was defined (that was over 20 years ago BTW).
Passive PoE needs to die.

4

Closer to $25 than to $50 (MSRP of $26 USD).. Mikrotik was less into passive PoE than other vendors have been but I too am glad it is nearly gone.. At least it is gone from new stuff now.

Cisco’s pre-802.3af was terrible too…

5

The outdoor AX unit. Passive POE.