UPS Question for VoIP system

[Kelemvor]

So maybe a UPS is considered Computer Hardware? Not like the mods bother to tell you why a post gets locked... *mutter*

Anyway,

I'm looking to switch to VoIP for home service since we currently pay $40/mo which doesn't even include any long distance. But the main concern is if we have a power outage, I'd want the phone to still be usable.

So I'm thikning that I could get some sort of small UPS system that would just run my cable modem, router, and whatever phone box I have.

Could anyone recommend anything that could do this? We have cell phones so it's not a huge deal but convincing my wife will take some extra info so I just thought I'd research this right away.

I'm mainly not sure what sort of power requiprement I"d need, what sort of life expectancy I could expect for just running a couple small items like that, etc.


Thanks.

 

[FoBoT]

yes, i do that ,i have a 300 VA UPS for the ISP modem thingy and my sunrocket "gadget" (router) and my wireless router

or course our wireless telephone base isn't on it, so we would have to use the one wired telephone in the house. you could plug your phone into the UPS also if its in the same physical location

any low cost UPS from anywhere will do fine, costco or newegg or whatever

the smallest UPS will power a router, etc for a couple of hours or more, that type of electronics uses very little power

 

[Kelemvor]

what brand/model do you have FoBoT? And have you ever actually had to use it because you lost power? Just wondering how long it actually lasted.

 

[Kelemvor]

Anyone else have any info?

 

[snoturtle]

Somewhere between 300-500va should give you plenty of time for small items like that

More important would be if your power goes out do you lose your cable connection aswell?
If so a ups isn't going to help

I have all of the routers and my main computer and monitor on a 1500va and get plenty of run time

 

[Kelemvor]

Originally posted by: snoturtle
Somewhere between 300-500va should give you plenty of time for small items like that

More important would be if your power goes out do you lose your cable connection aswell?
If so a ups isn't going to help

I have all of the routers and my main computer and monitor on a 1500va and get plenty of run time

We very rarely lose power and if we did, I don't currently have a UPS so I have no idea if the cable goes out or not. It's probably a moot point but just wanted to investiage it anyway.

 

[WackyDan]

I've got news for you.

Unless you have DSL, a UPS in most cases will not keep your VOIP phone up and running.

If your neighborhood loses power, the power supply for that part of the cable network goes down as well. (most large neighborhoods and high rises are split into their own "Nodes" and have their own supply).

So.... You lose power, UPS kicks in and keeps cable modem, and VOIP adapter, and rest of network up... and the phones.... but without power to the cable node you are hosed.

There's a small chance that you can lose power due to a transformer blowing, and perhaps your neighborhood is large enough to be off of two or more transformers... then the cable node might stay up.

I used to rebuild cable systems - not the house to house but pole to pole, I know what i'm talking about.

DSL stands the best chance of staying in service during a power outage. Nearly bullet proof... and that's where a UPS woul dbe handy.

 

[pkme2]

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