[c-nsp] ISR4431 integrated "POE" ports

[CiscoNSP List]

Hi Everyone - Had to remotely configure 2 x 4431's yesterday via OOB(Havent touched these boxes before)...remote tech patched them together via GE (Using the "POE" ports) rather than SFPs as requested...anyway, the ports in the config are identical...i.e. gi0/0/0(1,2,3), so I assumed(wrongly) that he had connected the SFP ports...configured up the ports for simple L3 testing(All had links, but no arp, no L3), scratching my head for a while(shut/unshut ports to confirm the patching was "correct"), and eventually got the remote tech to re-check the patching/ports, and he mentioned he used the "GE" ports not the SFP ports....got him to install SFP's, now no links on ISR's but links on the devices they connected to, so tried "media-type sfp"(As I recall having to do this on 4948's some time back), and links came up on the ISRs, and L3 all working now.


Now my question is - Could any "damage" have been done to the "other" devices the ISR's were connected to when the POE ports were used? (I dont believe so)


The POE ports on these ISRs....why would Cisco label them exactly the same as the SFP/router ports?  They cant be used for routing/or anything else....only POE correct?


I havent read up on the 4431's to any great extent, so dont know what "other" capabilities these POE ports may have...but just seems like a waste of 4 onboard ports...well for our use-case anyway...no need for POE on router, we'd use a switch for that....Id prefer 8 router ports (Potentially these ports can be used as routed ports, but only had limited time yesterday to config them up, and havent investigated further....will today if I get some free time)


Cheers.