Ruijie (Reyee) switches have become one of the most widespread solutions when designing surveillance camera networks, as they combine affordable prices with strong specifications.
Ruijie switches belong to the Chinese company Ruijie, which specializes in networking equipment. The company developed the Reyee product line specifically to meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses and surveillance camera projects that require sufficient PoE ports to power the cameras without separate power sources.
In this article, we review the most important Ruijie switch models available, how to choose the right switch according to the number of cameras, distances, and project type, along with a comparison between the most prominent models.
What are Ruijie Switches and Why Are They Used with Surveillance Cameras?
A switch, in general, is the device that connects multiple devices on a single network and allows them to exchange data and connect to the internet or a recording device (NVR). In the case of IP surveillance cameras, the switch becomes the central element that connects the cameras to the recording device. In most cases, it is also required to provide electrical power to the cameras through PoE technology — that is, powering the camera through the network cable itself without separate power cables for each camera.
What specifically distinguishes Ruijie switches in this use case:
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Automatic detection of connected surveillance cameras and NVR devices, which facilitates monitoring and troubleshooting when any problem occurs.
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The ability to extend PoE distance up to 250 meters in some models via Extend Mode. This is an important feature in large projects where cameras are far from the server room.
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Support for remotely restarting any individual port. If a specific camera hangs, it can be restarted alone without affecting the rest of the cameras.
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Full management via a mobile app or Ruijie cloud, which is a practical feature for those who want to monitor the network status from anywhere without needing a permanent network specialist on site.
Factors for Choosing the Right Ruijie Switch for a Camera Network
Before choosing a model, you must determine the network requirements to avoid buying a switch that is larger or smaller than needed.
First: Number of cameras. Small projects are suitable for switches with 8 ports or fewer, while large projects need 24 or 48 ports or more.
Second: Total PoE power budget. Camera power consumption varies according to their type and features, so the total consumption must be calculated and compared with the PoE budget provided by the switch.
Third: Uplink ports, which are used to connect the switch to the NVR, router, or another switch. These are available as Gigabit ports or SFP ports for fiber and long distances.
You should also consider port speeds. Gigabit ports are sufficient for most surveillance cameras, while higher speeds such as 2.5G or 10G are used in projects that rely on a large number of 4K or 8K cameras.
It is recommended to choose a switch that provides an additional 20–30% ports to accommodate any future expansions without needing replacement.
Most Important Ruijie Switch Models
ES Series: Economical Entry-Level Switches
The ES series is one of the most widespread Reyee series and is suitable for small and medium projects such as commercial shops, villas, and small companies.
The Reyee RG-ES08 is the simplest model in the series. It provides 8 unmanaged ports and requires no configuration, but it does not support PoE, so it is suitable only for simple networks.
For projects that need PoE, several models are available:
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RG-ES205GC-P: Five ports, including 4 PoE ports — suitable for connecting up to 4 cameras.
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RG-ES206GC-P: Six Gigabit ports, including 5 PoE ports and one uplink port — suitable for connecting up to 5 cameras.
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RG-ES208GC: Eight Gigabit ports without PoE, used as a network distributor only.
The Reyee RG-ES209GC-P is the most popular model in the series. It features 9 Gigabit ports, including 8 PoE ports with a total power budget of 120 watts, plus one uplink port. It supports automatic camera detection, disconnection detection, port restarting, and PoE extension up to 250 meters, making it an ideal choice for connecting 8 cameras.
The series also includes 10-port models:
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RG-ES210GC-LP: Supports low-power PoE and is suitable for low-consumption cameras.
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RG-ES210GS-P: Provides 10 Gigabit ports with one SFP fiber port. It is a middle option between the ES209 and larger fiber-supported models.
NBS Series: Advanced Network Switches
The NBS series is the highest in capabilities from Reyee and is dedicated to medium and large projects that need higher performance and greater scalability.
The series starts with the Reyee RG-NBS3100-8GT2SFP-P model, which is equipped with 8 Gigabit PoE ports and 2 SFP ports. It is suitable for small projects that rely on fiber connections.
The most commonly used models in surveillance projects are Reyee RG-NBS3100-24GT4SFP and Reyee RG-NBS3100-24GT4SFP-P. Both have 24 Gigabit ports and 4 SFP ports. The difference is that the first version does not support PoE, while the P version provides PoE support with a total power budget of up to 370 watts, support for up to 30 watts per port, and a data switching speed of 56 Gbps.
For large projects, the Reyee RG-NBS3100-48GT4SFP-P offers 48 Gigabit PoE ports and 4 SFP ports with a total PoE power budget of 370 watts. Therefore, the total camera power consumption must be taken into account.
The NBS3200 series is distinguished by SFP+ ports with 10 Gigabit speed instead of 1 Gigabit SFP ports, and includes models such as:
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Reyee RG-NBS3200-24GT4XS-P
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Reyee RG-NBS3200-48GT4XS-P
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Reyee RG-NBS3200-48GT4XS
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Reyee RG-NBS3200-24SFP/8GT4XS
These series suit projects with a large number of 4K cameras or those that need high data transfer rates. The RG-NBS3200-24SFP/8GT4XS model provides direct optical SFP ports and Combo ports for greater flexibility in network design.
NIS Series: Industrial and High-Power Switches
The models Reyee RG-NIS2100-4GT2SFP-HP and Reyee RG-NIS2100-8GT2SFP-HP are designed for the harshest operating environments. The letters HP refer to High Power, meaning this series provides higher PoE power per port compared to regular series. They are suitable for cameras that require high power, such as PTZ cameras with strong zoom, or cameras operating in harsh outdoor environments that need internal heating in winter.
Professional Large Series: S5760 and S6120
At the highest levels of Ruijie switches come the models RG-S5760C-24GT8XS-X, RG-S5760C-48GT4XS-X, and RG-S6120-20XS4VS2QXS. These series are primarily used in the distribution or core layer (Core/Distribution Layer) for very large networks, such as smart cities, huge factories, and large hospitals. They contain high-speed fiber ports reaching 10 Gbps and more. They are usually not used for direct connection with cameras, but rather to connect multiple access switches together and route large data traffic between them, servers, and storage rooms.
Comparison Between the Most Prominent Ruijie Switch Models
|
Model |
Total Ports |
PoE Ports |
Uplink Ports |
Total PoE Power |
Most Suitable Projects |
|
Reyee RG-ES08 |
8 ports |
Without PoE |
No dedicated uplink |
None |
Simple projects without cameras needing power |
|
RG-ES205GC-P |
5 ports |
4 ports |
1 regular port |
About 60 watts |
Small shops up to 4 cameras |
|
RG-ES209GC-P |
9 ports |
8 ports |
1 regular port |
120 watts |
Most common for projects up to 8 cameras |
|
RG-ES218GC-P |
18 ports |
Multiple PoE ports |
Regular uplink port |
Hundreds of watts |
Medium projects up to 16 cameras |
|
RG-NBS3100-24GT4SFP-P |
28 ports |
24 ports |
4 SFP fiber ports |
370 watts |
Large projects up to 24 cameras with high power |
|
RG-NBS3100-48GT4SFP-P |
52 ports |
48 ports |
4 SFP fiber ports |
370 watts |
Huge projects up to 48 cameras |
|
RG-S6120-20XS4VS2QXS |
Advanced fiber ports |
Not used for direct connection |
Very high-speed ports |
None |
Core layer in very large networks |
Important Note: The numbers for total PoE power budget are approximate and vary according to the exact model version (such as the presence of V2 or US in the product name). Therefore, it is always recommended to review the official specifications sheet for the specific model before final purchase.
How to Choose the Right Switch for Your Project?
In a practical and simplified way, the selection method can be summarized according to project size:
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Small project with no more than 8 cameras → The RG-ES209GC-P switch is the best choice in terms of price and capabilities.
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Medium project with 16 to 24 cameras → Models such as RG-ES218GC-P or RG-NBS3100-24GT4SFP-P are the most suitable.
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Large project exceeding 24 cameras in the same location → It is preferable to go directly to the NBS3100 or NBS3200 series with 48 ports.
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Project with more than one building or floor → You can add an aggregation switch from the NBS5200 series to connect the secondary switches together.
From the electrical side, you must always ensure that the expected total camera consumption is less than the total advertised PoE budget of the switch, with a safety margin of no less than 20%, to avoid any fluctuations in camera operation during sudden load increases, especially with cameras operating at full night lighting power for long periods.
Conclusion
Ruijie switches offer a wide and diverse range of models that cover all needs of surveillance camera projects, starting from small 5-port switches suitable for small shops, up to large switches with more than fifty ports dedicated to big projects and smart cities.
The correct choice remains dependent on the actual number of cameras, their expected power consumption, the distances between the cameras and the network room, and the need for future expansion. With multiple series available, any technician or network engineer can find the model that precisely fits their budget and project requirements, while benefiting from additional features such as automatic camera recognition and cloud management provided by all Ruijie switches.
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