Support PoE Port Priority Management on USG FLEX H Series

Zyxel_Luna

In response to the feedback from @Maverick87 , we would like to propose adding a PoE Port Priority configuration feature to the USG FLEX H Series.

This feature allows users to define the order in which PoE power output is disabled when total power consumption exceeds the 30W PoE power budget.

For more context, you can check out the original discussion here:

https://community.zyxel.com/en/discussion/33928/usg-flex-h-max-wattage-poe-budget

Maverick87

Thank you Luna,
My request is to define a priority on PoE devices.

As explained by Luna

Currently, for the USG FLEX H series, if the total PoE power consumption exceeds 30W, the system operates as follows:

Scenario 1: When Port 3 and Port 4 are both supplying power (e.g., 13W + 13W), if a
power spike during operation causes the total power to exceed 30W, the
system will stop power delivery to Port 4 first to keep Port 3 running.

Scenario 2: When one port is actively supplying power (e.g., 20W) and a newly
plugged-in device on another port requests 15W, the system will maintain
power to the active port and deny power to the new device to ensure the
stability of the currently running equipment.

In this situation, the device priority are Port 3 is there is a power spike or the last powered device if the power exceeded the total power capacity.

This behaviour forces to plug the "priority" device as first device, and then plug the other device, but not explain how the priority works if both devices are already plugged in and the Flex H is rebooted.

So, define a PoE port priority it's essentially to manage better the PoE power between devices.

Zyxel_Luna

Hi @Maverick87 ,

Just to clarify, if two PoE ports are actively supplying power and total consumption exceeds 30W, the system will prioritize keeping Port 3 powered rather than whichever device was plugged in first. Therefore, we recommend connecting your highest-priority device to Port 3.

The "first-plugged device takes priority" behavior in Scenario 2 only occurs when a newly connected device immediately requests power that would cause total consumption to exceed the power budget.

Regarding the scenario where both devices are connected to the PoE ports and the USG FLEX H is rebooted, could you clarify what specific devices and models are connected to the two PoE ports (we know that one of them is the NWA130BE)?

Maverick87

Hi @Zyxel_Luna,

for now I've only the NWA130BE, on a future I can keep a PoE Camera, I don't know if the measurement can exceeded the 30W as maximum.

Zyxel_Luna

Hi @Maverick87 ,

The reboot behavior of the USG FLEX H series is similar to "Scenario 1" (where both PoE ports are in use simultaneously): if the total power demand exceeds 30W after powering on, the system will cut off power to Port 4 and prioritize Port 3.

However, exceptions may still occur depending on the characteristics of the powered devices (PDs). For example, after the USG FLEX H reboots, subtle timing differences in hardware detection and PD response between Port 3 and Port 4 can create a sequence variation. If the PD connected to Port 4 completes negotiation first and has the characteristic of immediately requesting high power upon connection (e.g., 25W), the USG FLEX H will allocate the power budget on a first-come, first-served basis.

We understand your requirements and have submitted the feature request regarding 'PoE port priority management' to our product team for future consideration.

Thank you for your feedback.

Maverick87

Thank you @Zyxel_Luna

I'll wait the response from product team.

Thank you

Zyxel_Luna

Hi @Maverick87

We are considering this feature for future evaluation. Please note that we will not provide a separate individual response, but we will monitor the votes and comments as part of our review process.

If anyone else likes this idea, please feel free to leave a comment or vote!

Maverick87

Hi Luna,

yes thank you