[PoE cables] Does all Ethernet cables support PoE?

PoE or Power over Ethernet is a method used for supplying electrical power to devices while being able to still transfer network data. There are several type of ethernet cables but not all of them support PoE, only Cat5 or higher will support power transfer.

Some lower level cables will also be able to do so but is not recommended. CAT5E or higher will support PoE on all voltages, while CAT5 will support mainly lower voltages (if you use CAT5 to power Class 3 or Class 4 PD devices it may overheat).