I scored a Cisco WS-C3550-24PWR-SMI on eBay.

Once it arrived I gave it a quick test with a Panasonic VOIP handset, the handset was power cycling its self on and off and this was appearing on the console of the switch:

%ILPOWER-3-CONTROLLER_PORT_ERR: Controller port error, Interface Fa0/9 : Power given, but link is not up

I thought to myself, damn, the POE is stuffed on this switch... However after some reading, I discovered that the switch is actually pre-802.3af standard. The IOS image above a certain versino, however, has been fixed so that the switch can provide power to compliant devices. The reason the pana didn't work correctly is because it doesn't boot and bring the link 'up' fast enough for the switch. The switch hits a timeout and turns off the POE on that port. The timeout can be adjusted like this:

power inline delay shutdown 20 initial 300

The switch looks like it's had a hard life though! It came pretty poorly wrapped - but it made it through in-tact. The thing is full of dust.

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