Loadshedding has become a fact of life, but it’s less of a pain when you can stay connected to your home or office internet. Having functioning Wi-Fi can at least keep you sane – and solvent if your business or career relies on it. Luckily, it’s easy to ensure that happens. Most internet routers consume little power, and you can attach an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to keep your fibre, 5G or LTE internet running through several hours of power outages.
You can buy a router UPS at major electronics retailers or check if your internet service provider (ISP) has some options. Many people avoid getting a UPS for their router because they mistakenly think it’s expensive, difficult to set up, or they’re unsure what to buy. Others grab the first UPS they can find, which may not be the best decision as the wrong one might not work, cost more than necessary, and at worst damage their router or fibre box.
What do you need?
Every home or office internet connection works through a Wi-Fi router. Most consumer routers have a similar power consumption of fewer than 20 watts (20W). Don't worry about the “watts” part – we'll explain in a moment.
You can work out your overall requirement by adding together the watts of each device.
Watts indicates how much power you need. To work out the wattage, look on the back of your router for the volts (V) and ampere (A). Multiply the volts with the amperes to get the wattage (W). A typical router is 12V x 1.5A = 18W.
Do the same for other equipment, then add the watts together. Your total is the number of watts you need. Depending on your fibre, 5G or LTE router, your total is likely to be between 20-30W.
What UPS to choose
An easy way to purchase the right UPS is to ask your internet service provider (ISP) if they have options to suit your needs. Vodacom Fibre customers can find a compatible UPS or we can recommend one.
Alternatively, go to an electronics retailer – they’ll have options for you. Find the UPS units that support your router’s voltage (9V or 12V). Do not get the wrong voltage, as this will damage your equipment. Check your router beforehand and take a picture with your phone to be sure. Then look at either 9V or 12V units, depending on which one is appropriate.
Some UPS models give their capacity in watt hours (Wh). This is how many watts the UPS provides in an hour. A 20Wh model will give you 20W of power for an hour. A 100Wh model will provide 100W for an hour or 20W for five hours (100 ÷ 20 = 5).
It’s becoming more common for UPSs and battery packs to use milliamp hours (mAh). To convert mAh to Wh, take the mAh number x volts ÷ 1 000. For example, 8 800mAh x 12V ÷ 1 000 = 105.6Wh.
Since most home internet equipment needs between 20-30W, a UPS with 100Wh (or 8 800mAh) will get you through two to four hours of load-shedding. Plug the UPS between your outlet and the equipment; it’ll kick in whenever the power goes down.
You don’t have to buy a large UPS costing thousands. A small UPS recommended by your ISP or local electronics store is a cheap and effective way to keep you connected even when the lights go out.
Find out more
Want to know more about how a UPS works? Click here for more info.
