Why Isn't My Lorex PoE Camera Getting Power?

Problem Description

Your Lorex PoE camera won't power on - no IR glow at night, no image, and a dead channel on the NVR. Because PoE cameras get power and data over the single Ethernet cable, this is almost always a cable, port, or run-length problem.

Why This Happens in Real Homes

A Lorex PoE camera with no power is a cabling puzzle, not a power-supply one, because the camera draws everything it needs through the single Ethernet cable from the NVR's built-in PoE ports. When it's dead - no IR glow, no image, a blank channel - the Ethernet path has failed somewhere: a loose or damaged cable, a bad port, a run past the roughly 300-foot PoE limit, or water in an outdoor connector.

Work the path methodically: reseat the cable at both ends, try a different PoE port on the NVR, and check the run isn't too long or made of thin, non-copper cable. Dry out weather-exposed connectors and mind the port's power budget if you're running many cameras. The clincher is a direct test - camera on a short known-good cable to a known-good port. If it powers there, the run is at fault; if not, the camera is.

Symptoms

• Camera has no power at all
• No IR glow at night from the camera
• Channel shows no video signal
• Camera dead after a cable run
• Camera works on one port, not another
• Camera flickers on and off
• New camera never powers up
• Camera lost power after weather

Recognize these? Here's what usually causes it.

Common Causes

• Ethernet cable damaged or not seated
• NVR PoE port faulty or overloaded
• Cable run longer than the PoE limit
• Poor-quality or non-standard Ethernet cable
• Water in an outdoor connector
• Camera drawing more power than the port supplies
• Loose RJ45 connector or bad crimp
• Faulty camera

Tools & Requirements

Step-by-Step Solution

1

Understand How PoE Powers the Camera

A Lorex PoE camera gets both power and video over one Ethernet cable - there's no separate power adapter. Lorex NVRs have PoE ports built into the back panel that power the cameras directly. So no power almost always means the Ethernet path is broken, not that the camera needs its own supply.

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2

Reseat the Ethernet Cable

Unplug and firmly re-seat the Ethernet cable at both ends - the RJ45 at the camera's pigtail and the PoE port on the back of the NVR. Listen for the click. A cable that's slightly out, or a bent pin, cuts power and data.

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3

Try a Different PoE Port

Move the camera's cable to a different PoE port on the back of the NVR. If it powers up on another port, the original port is faulty. If it still won't power up, the problem follows the cable or camera, not the port.

4

Check the Cable Run Length

PoE has a distance limit - roughly 300 feet on quality Cat5e or Cat6. A run longer than that, or a marginal cable near the limit, drops the voltage so the camera won't power. Shorten the run or add a PoE switch or repeater partway if you need the distance.

Still stuck? Ask Trunetto about this exact issue.

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5

Use a Quality Cable

Thin, copper-clad-aluminum, or damaged Ethernet cable can't carry PoE reliably. Use solid-copper Cat5e or Cat6, and inspect the run for kinks, staples through the jacket, or rodent damage that breaks the conductors.

6

Dry Out Outdoor Connectors

Water in an outdoor RJ45 connection shorts the PoE and kills power, often after rain. Open and dry the connector, re-make it, and seal it in a weatherproof junction box or with proper outdoor tape so it stays dry.

7

Watch the PoE Power Budget

Each NVR PoE port and the unit overall have a power budget. Loading many high-draw cameras, or using long runs, can exceed it so a camera won't power. Spread cameras across ports, or add an external PoE switch or injector to supply the extra load.

8

Test the Camera Directly

Take the camera to the NVR and connect it with a short, known-good cable to a known-good port. If it powers up there, the fault is in the original cable or run. If it still won't power on a good port and cable, the camera itself is faulty - contact Lorex.

Quick Solutions

Still having issues? This is usually the deeper cause below.

Need More Help? Lorex Support

Note: The contact information below connects you directly to Lorex's official customer support team, not Trunetto. They can help with warranty claims, device replacements, and advanced technical issues.