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You can easily keep your home network running during a power outage — here's how

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You can easily keep your home network running during a power outage — here's how

Stay online when the power goes out with the right backup hardware and a little planning.

If your power goes out, your laptop's battery will keep it up and running. It's a convenience that's not afforded to every electronic in your home. For example, networking gear, like a Wi-Fi mesh system or, more importantly, your router, will go dead silent in the event of an outage.

If you're on, say, an important video call for work, losing your connection could make for a rude interruption. It's even worse if you're mid-game, about to score that critical victory and secure bragging rights. Fortunately, there's an easy way to prevent interruptions in the event of a complete power outage.

The first step to keeping your network running in a power outage is a quick checkup on your networking equipment. If any of the devices between the wall jack and your laptop lose power, your connection goes with them. So, you'll want to understand that chain if you don't already. For cable internet, that means a modem and router, or a single gateway device that handles both.

If you have fiber internet, you'll have a router and an optical network terminal (ONT), or the box where the fiber line enters your home. Some providers install a battery backup on the ONT, although these are usually aimed at phone lines, not necessarily your internet connection. So check with your internet provider if you aren't sure.

Keep in mind that if your fiber ONT and router are in different rooms, you'll need two separate backup power units (or one with a long extension cord).


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