I live in a remote, very dry area with little or no cellular coverage, so I'm concerned about staying connected during a power outage or wildfire emergency. I mainly want to keep my modem and Wi-Fi router running, with enough extra capacity to charge a few phones or power another small essential device. I'm not ready to buy a whole-house generator and would prefer something compact enough to store in a media cabinet. Would a UPS be the right choice, or would a portable battery power station make more sense? I'm also wondering whether my internet provider's equipment would remain operational during a larger outage.
4 Answers
Remember that keeping your equipment powered does not guarantee internet access. The provider’s neighborhood equipment, cable infrastructure, fiber terminals, or cellular towers may also lose power or become damaged. Underground lines can help, but there’s no guarantee during a major event. Ask your provider how long their local equipment typically stays online during an outage.
For longer outages, consider using a vehicle with a properly rated inverter to charge devices or run small loads, while following the vehicle and inverter safety instructions. A UPS is ideal for short interruptions, a portable power station is more flexible for hours, and multi-day backup usually moves into generator or larger solar-battery territory.
For a simple setup, start with a UPS. Add up the wattage of your modem and router, then choose a unit based on how many hours you need. A small UPS in the 350–750 VA range may keep those two devices running for roughly 30 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on their actual power draw. Make sure both devices are plugged into the battery-backed outlets, not outlets that only provide surge protection.
That sounds like the easiest first step. I’ll check the power ratings on the modem and router before choosing a size.
If you need emergency information rather than internet specifically, keep a battery-powered AM/FM radio as a backup. For connectivity in places without cellular service, satellite internet could help, but services such as Starlink generally require an ongoing subscription and can use a fair amount of power. It may not be economical if you only plan to activate it for rare emergencies.
That’s an important distinction. The backup battery may keep the home network alive, but the outside connection could still fail if the outage affects a wider area.