Network Switch Ports Calculator

Count every device before ordering network hardware. Reserve uplinks, spares, and PoE ports confidently today. Get clear recommendations for 8, 16, 24, 48 ports.

Calculator

Enter counts for your jobsite endpoints and reserves.
Each camera typically uses one port.
Include outdoor and indoor APs.
If a PC shares a phone, count both.
Include site office PCs and kiosks.
Gateways, sensors, PLCs, and panels.
Readers and controllers needing ports.
Shared printers and plan plotters.
Anything else needing a wired drop.
Applied to device ports only.
Router/core links and inter-switch links.
Keep spares for emergencies and testing.
Only if stacking uses regular ports.
Optional extra capacity for patching.

PoE device counts (subset of endpoints)

Use this to estimate how many ports must support power.
Reset

Example data table

Scenario Device ports Growth Uplinks Spares Total required Suggested plan
Small site office 18 20% 2 2 26 1 × 48-port
Mid-size jobsite 34 15% 4 4 48 1 × 48-port
Large perimeter coverage 92 25% 6 6 135 2 × 48-port + 1 × 48-port
Values are illustrative. Adjust uplinks and spares to match your topology.

Formula used

Device Ports = cameras + access points + phones + workstations + controllers + access control + printers + misc.

Growth Ports = ceil(Device Ports × growth%).

Total Required Ports = Device Ports + Growth Ports + uplinks + spares + stacking reserve + patch reserve.

PoE Ports Needed = PoE devices + ceil(PoE devices × growth%).

How to use this calculator

  1. List every wired endpoint planned for the jobsite.
  2. Enter counts for each device category in the form.
  3. Add uplinks for router links and switch-to-switch links.
  4. Set a realistic growth percentage for future additions.
  5. Enter PoE device counts to estimate powered ports.
  6. Press Calculate, then export results if needed.

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Important Note: All the Calculators listed in this site are for educational purpose only and we do not guarentee the accuracy of results. Please do consult with other sources as well.