Are you considering a second home with unreliable power and wondering if a UPS would help?
Are you considering a second home with unreliable power and wondering if a UPS would help?
I own a mountain home with harsh winter weather. Several smart devices like cameras, locks, and thermostats are essential. The power supply is unreliable, often shutting down unexpectedly. My broadband connection is strong, but not always available. I use a Motorola MB8600 cable modem and an Asus AX68u router. Since the power isn’t stable, both devices are connected to a small UPS for about an hour during outages. This worked because broadband doesn’t always depend on power.
However, during extended blackouts, the network fails to restart. I’m usually away when this happens, so I’m unsure if it’s the modem or the router that’s failing—likely the router. My concern is whether skipping the UPS would make more sense. Are there other ways to ensure the router resumes after a power failure?
The specific UPS make and model should be determined.
UPS units need to be appropriately sized to deliver the necessary wattage for the required duration.
Numerous manufacturers offer calculators to assist buyers in choosing a UPS that fits the wattage and time needs.
There may be concerns regarding the calculation techniques and how well a particular UPS performs under real-world conditions compared to lab or simulated tests.
If the severe power outages exceed what the UPS can handle, it will cease functioning and must be recharged once power is restored.
I believe the UPS configuration is not suitable for your specific environment or requirements.
It could depend on the UPS, but generally they operate until the battery is depleted before shutting down. Once power returns, the UPS usually restarts but keeps the power flowing, allowing the battery to charge. The modem and router should reconnect automatically.
Manually turning off the UPS disconnects everything temporarily, preventing it from coming back on until you restore the switch. I recommend keeping the UPS for these situations.
Most outages last only a few seconds, which helps avoid longer interruptions since the modem and router need time to restart. With a cable modem, full activation can take around five minutes.
I've never encountered a cable modem or ASUS router that fails to restart automatically after power is restored, suggesting the UPS might be the issue. A basic UPS with a physical switch would be ideal. More advanced units relying on software or soft-on switches often need some battery power to activate, whereas simpler models can turn back on even without a battery connected.
A remote location in the mountains should benefit from a solar system, at least to charge the UPS battery. It's worth noting that connecting the cable modem, router, and cameras directly to DC would be more efficient than forcing an inefficient UPS inverter to produce AC power. However, if you have sufficient battery storage, this setup could still function.
Be aware that the lead-acid batteries used in UPSes aren't designed for deep-cycling, so they shouldn't last more than a few full discharges. For regular cycling, consider LiFePO4 batteries.
It seems there were several issues at play. The network was problematic, and the cable from the pole to the house was damaged due to the harsh Tahoe environment—so the technician replaced the outdoor cabling. I also swapped out the cable modem, suspecting it was struggling. The technician advised using a UPS and found my existing one was dead, which I addressed. The original model is a CyberPower 825VA with a replaceable lead-acid battery; I wondered if an LFP battery could work as suggested by BFG-9000.