topic Re: Back Up Power Supply in Broadband

Back Up Power Supply

Proz — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 20:30:52 GMT

Hello everyone

I'm probably not going to explain this properly but here goes ..

We're quite rural and do suffer occasional power cuts. Especially recently after the storms.

So I do not get any phone signal at all in the house unless I'm on the sky wifi.

I'm thinking about buying one of these home back up power banks.

During a power cut if I plug my sky hub into the power bank to power it up will I get Internet or will the phone exchanges be dead as well.

The last power cut lasted around 10 hours. It's a long time to have no Internet or phone service. But there's no point buying a battery back up solution if I still won't get Internet for phone service. We don't have fibre to the premises. We have fibre to the cabinet then I believe it's copper to the premises.

I hope that all makes sense.

Re: Back Up Power Supply

mae-3 — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 20:27:26 GMT

@Proz

If you are fed a twisted pair of telephone wires into the house or an ONT, both these devices need a UPS, and that is about it. All BT exchanges have battery and/or UPS power supplies to protect against outages for a period.

Re: Back Up Power Supply

TimmyBGood — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 20:39:47 GMT

@Proz

The Openreach kit in cabinets, exchanges and elsewhere is supposed to be more resilient. Whether it actually is or not is entirely outside our control, but having a domestic UPS still isn't unreasonable.

Ten hours runtime for router, ONT (if on an FTTP connection) and handset would require a reasonably chunky cell, though, and remember these need replacing every few years as they progressively lose their ability to hold charge.

Re: Back Up Power Supply

mae-3 — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 20:48:50 GMT

@Proz

Just to clarify the exchanges also have backup generators as well as UPS the cabinets only have UPS equipment, and sustain a cabinet power outage for about 8-10 hours the exchanges for as long as there is fuel.

Re: Back Up Power Supply

Proz — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 21:25:33 GMT

Normally our power cuts are short but that last one was a pain not being able to let anyone know or contact anything in the outside world.

I think I'll look for a battery back up solution. Even if it's only to give us a short time or a couple of hours. Just so we can let everyone know what's going on.