Power over ethernet power harvester

A method comprising:

• receiving, from at least one power supply unit connected to at least one power connector of a communication device, an operating power for network modules in the communication device and a Power over Ethernet (PoE) power for ports of the network modules, the ports coupled to PoE devices over an Ethernet network, the PoE power comprising a consumable PoE power and a leftover PoE power;
• transmitting the consumable PoE power from the at least one power connector over a transmission line in the communication device through the ports and over the Ethernet network to the PoE devices;
• determining, by the communication device, whether additional operating power is to be provided for operating at least one additional network module;
• in response to determining that the additional operating power is to be provided for operating the at least one additional network module, converting, by at least a first PoE power harvester adapter of the communication device, the leftover PoE power into the additional operating power for operating the at least one additional network module;
• and
• providing failover redundancy using the first PoE power harvester adapter and a second PoE power harvester adapter of the communication device.

A communication device comprising:

• a power connector;
• network modules having ports, the ports to provide connection to Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices over an Ethernet network, the network modules to receive data from at least a first device over a network and to send the received data through the ports and over the Ethernet network to the PoE devices, the power connector to receive, from a power supply unit coupled to the power connector,
• an operating power for operation of the network modules of the communication device;
• and
• a PoE power for the ports, the PoE power comprising a consumable PoE power for powering the PoE devices, and a leftover PoE power;
• a transmission line to provide the consumable PoE power from the power connector through the ports and over the Ethernet network to the PoE devices;
• a first PoE power harvester adapter to harvest the leftover PoE power for converting the leftover PoE power into further operating power for operating at least one additional network module;
• and
• a second PoE power harvester adapter, the first and second PoE power harvester adapters providing failover redundancy.