US Patent 7373528 Increased power for power over Ethernet applications

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for supplying power over Ethernet includes determining whether a first port of power sourcing equipment is supplying current to a power over Ethernet device in a predetermined current range. The method also includes logically connecting a second port of the power sourcing equipment to the power over Ethernet device in response to determining that a first port of the power sourcing equipment is supplying current to the power over Ethernet device. The method also includes supplying power from the second port to the power over Ethernet device.