How to view the Ethernet and optical ports on a PoE switch

You can view Ethernet PoE port status and optical module information using CLI commands or switch management interfaces, depending on your switch model.

Viewing Ethernet Po

E PortsCLI Method (Cisco example): Connect to the switch via console, Telnet, or SSH and log in with administrator credentials. Enter privileged EXEC mode with enable. Use the following commands to check PoE status:show power inline – Displays PoE status for all interfaces, including power allocated and consumed, and whether PoE is enabled or disabled.show power inline interface – Shows detailed PoE information for a specific port.show power inline consumption – Displays the power consumption of connected PoE devices.

GU

I Method (Meraki example): Log in to the switch dashboard. Navigate to Switch > Monitor > Switch ports. Select a port to view or edit PoE settings.

Ports supplying power are indicated with a lightning bolt icon.

Real-time Po

E consumption and budgeted power are displayed per port. Aruba Switches: Use the command to display all PoE-capable ports, their status (Yes/No), power priority (Low, High, Critical), allocated power, and actual usage. Viewing Optical Ports and ModulesCLI Method (Netgear example): To check interface status: show port status – Displays link status, interface rate, duplex mode, and module type.

To view module identification: show fiber-ports optics-info – Shows module type, part number, vendor, serial number, and transmission rate. To monitor digital diagnostics: show fiber-ports optics-diag – Provides real-time optical power, temperature, alarm thresholds, and other diagnostic data. Notes: refers to the specific slot and port number of the optical module.

Ensure the link is up before checking module diagnostics, as some data requires an active connection.

Summary

Ethernet Po

E ports: Use show power inline or switch GUI dashboards to monitor power allocation, consumption, and port status. Optical ports: Use show port status, show fiber-ports optics-info, and show fiber-ports optics-diag to view module type, link status, and diagnostics. Methods vary by switch vendor, so consult your switch's CLI guide or management interface documentation for exact commands.

This approach ensures you can monitor both PoE power delivery and optical module health effectively on your PoE switch.