By modifying the Ethernet port of a Mac mini M1, an engineer ensured that it was powered directly by the RJ45 cable and no longer by the classic power cable plugged into a wall outlet.
If there is one thing that we cannot completely eliminate despite technological advances, it is the power cables for our electrical appliances. Failing to be able to hide them, they hang or drag unsightly. A finding that is all the more frustrating when you specifically get a small, discreet and “designer” model, like Apple’s Mac mini. Perhaps this is what motivated Ivan Kuleshov, systems engineer. He managed to transform a Mac Mini M1 to be powered by an Ethernet cable.
In detail, Ivan Kuleshov made the Ethernet port of the device compatible with PoE (Power over Ethernet). This protocol allowsroute the electricity needed to operate a device via the Ethernet cable, along with the data. There are many advantages: no more need for an electrical outlet and an additional cable, possibility of placing the machine where you want it… Besides, you may already be using this system on a surveillance camera or VoIP landline phone.
An engineer manages to power a Mac Mini M1 over the Internet
To succeed in his feat, the engineer removed the Ethernet port from the Mac mini M1 and then modified it by adding components. Once transformed, the port is ready to deliver energy. As can be seen in the demo video, the computer works by only being connected to a standard RJ45 cable. Ivan Kuleshov announced that he would go into the details of his “tinkering” soon.
Demo of Mac mini with PoE and power redundancy.
The project has gotten a serious response, 7 times higher than I expected.
I think it’s better to put everything on the site, I’m working on the article, and after that, I’ll do the video.
I promised more details, and I’ll drop… pic.twitter.com/JSxB71TvF2— Ivan Kuleshov (@Merocle) July 31, 2023
Beyond the technical performance, this kind of modification shows thatit would be possible to democratize the power supply by Ethernet cable for a few years already. The protocol is currently restricted to certain types of devices. Upstream, it would certainly be necessary that the territories are 100% covered by very high speed. Not to mention that it would make the existing electrical network obsolete. We hope all the same that this will give ideas to certain manufacturers.