LoveRPi Power-Over-Ethernet (PoE) HAT for Raspberry Pi 4 Model B and Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Professional red LRP-RPIHAT-POE-RPI4

I got a few of the compact PoE hats to go with both the 4GB and new 8GB Pi 4B models. I specifically wanted an aluminum case as well, and my searches led me to find the EleDuino Raspberry Pi 4 Mode B Aluminum Alloy Case with Cooling Fan (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VSCQQDG/) as the best match for this setup. Other reviews mentioned the case working fine, so I went with it. In my experience, I was unable to use the case in its intended manner with the fan inside of it - it does not clear the components on the PoE hat properly. It makes it impossible for the top of the case to be aligned north/south perfectly, as it cannot be centered due to the largest component on the PoE hat being in the way. Further, even with the screws for the fan mounted backwards (e.g. nuts on the outside of the case, flush screw heads on the inside fan) - it still presses down too much on the hat, and causes something to short which prevented my Pi from powering on at all with the case closed. It did not cause damage that I can tell, but it was a "crunchy" install for sure. With the fan installed on the outside of the case, and the power wires for it running alongside the SD card's slot, everything appears to be working just fine. I have tested this with 802.3at ("PoE+) output from both a UniFi Switch 24 POE-250W, as well as via the PoE passthrough port on a UniFi Switch 8 (powered by the 24 port switch, upsteam) with no issues. Based on what I see with this case, I think the professional/isolated Hat would also work fine with the fan mounted externally. Enjoy!

These things are great. They do exactly what they say they do with no fuss. I got a few of these for running a few RPi 3B+ outside in a remote enclosure. They fit nicely on the 3B+, nicer than the official HATs. Cheaper too, good value there. They don't interfere with the RPi mounting holes, so they aren't really a HAT, per-se, but more a module. They do prevent using other HATs, which is kind of expected, but for my use case wasn't a big deal. Power came from my Cisco switch, everything worked great together. Very versatile. I would strongly recommend using a fan on the RPi to keep everything cool. I used these with the "MakerFocus Raspberry Pi Case with Fan, Raspberry Pi 3B+ Aluminum Alloy Case with Heatsink and Screw Driver for RPi 3B+, RPi 3/2, RPi B" metal case. That case included a fan, which I was able to connect to the pin headers on this HAT easily.

I have not powered it on quite yet but I'm sure it will work. I am using it with a Argon NEO Raspberry Pi 4 case. It's a VERY VERY tight fit but it does fit. The pins obvious do not sink as far down as they would be they do sink down enough to make solid contacts. So excited I just had to share right now. This is a solid metal case so that helps with passive cooling. It has a hollow magnetic cover compartment where all pins and connections are accessible. A great prototyping case rather than a permanent install. I highly recommend it for prototyping. This POE shield makes it all that much more convenient.

A couple of things I'd like to mention before going into my opinions of this PoE hat: I've used PoE hats as well as PoE-to-micro-USB power adapters for the past four or five years to power various RasPis. PoE is something I've worked with since about 2003 or so in a wide variety of implementations and environments, so I feel that I have a reasonably decent grip on the subject. With that out of the way: This is hands-down the best PoE hat I've bought for the RasPi. That's not a knock on ones I've used previously by any means - but this one really is just that good at what it does. Granted, at this time it can only be used with the 3B+ and 4B - but that's OK. It means that these units are likely to have a decent usable lifespan, so the cost of the hardware should be able to be spread out over a decently-long period. Get the electrically-isolated version. Even if you're powering this from a switch or PoE injector that's hanging off of a UPS, there's no telling what could happen if either of those upstream devices fail. For the extra $5, it's cheap insurance against frying your RasPi. Once attached to the RasPi, the hat is extremely low-profile. However, there are components on it that stick up (slightly) above the height of the RasPi's Ethernet and USB ports. It does impact airflow and heat escape from the RasPi mainboard, so a fan (sold separately) is pretty much mandatory if you're going to use it with a RasPi that sits in a case or enclosure, and is recommended just for the sake of being safe. It does use the +5V and GND GPIO pins typically used to power a fan. However, there is a separate 8-pin connector on the PoE hat that makes these available. One big advantage to this approach: the 8-pin connector is parallel to the RasPi's mainboard, so fan power connectors can be attached to it without taking up any additional vertical space. One thing to be aware of: the hat only accepts 802.3af or 802.3at PoE input. If your switch, injector, etc. only supports passive PoE, this hat is not what you want to buy. Overall, I'm very impressed: this is an adapter that has been well thought-out and Just Works. Highly recommended (again, get the isolated version!) if your hardware supports it.

I have a UCTRONICS 1U pi rack with 4 raspberry pis' in a home lab. It sits below a large PoE switch. Each pi has this hat and none have failed so far. Plus it cuts down the added wiring necessary to plug them into some power strip buried in the back.