UPS for BT Home Hub?

[clockworks]

We get fairly regular power cuts. Got most things covered (make a cuppa on the woodburner or camping stove, couple of power banks for charging phones/tablets, a few battery- powered LED worklights), but the remaining issue is no internet. Only really worried about keeping a couple of tablets running via Wi-Fi.

Mobile signal is appalling here, 1 bar of 3g on a good day.

Thinking of getting a UPS to run the BT Home Hub. FTTC - will it work if I can keep the hub powered?
If so, is APC still the goto brand?

[tr7v8]

I sort of work for APC which is now owned by Schneider Electric via a day Job in Dell Technologies doing power & cooling. APC are definitely Tier 1.
A small APC UPS will be more than enough to keep the hub running. Output level will depend on how long you want to keep it running. Most hubs use very little power.
This will give over 5 minutes at full chat @ 240W.

https://www.apc.com/uk/en/product/BE400-UK/apc-bac...

[Trustmeimadoctor]

Also Eaton are just as good apc

[Sheepshanks]

tr7v8 said:

I sort of work for APC which is now owned by Schneider Electric via a day Job in Dell Technologies doing power & cooling. APC are definitely Tier 1.
A small APC UPS will be more than enough to keep the hub running. Output level will depend on how long you want to keep it running. Most hubs use very little power.
This will give over 5 minutes at full chat @ 240W.

https://www.apc.com/uk/en/product/BE400-UK/apc-bac...

That says min load 24W. If OP is just powering the hub it's (I'm guessing a bit here here) probably half that.

[Paul Drawmer]

Do you need the U of UPS?

I have a standby 12V battery on a proper maintenance charger, with an under voltage protection module. In the event of a power outage, I hook up the battery to the BT Hub (it's all 12V) and the low voltage module prevents discharge below the safe level for battery health.

It's low tech, not automatic, but cost per off grid hour is way better.

Also have rubbish mobile signal and we lose our phone with a power cut as it's now VOIP. Mind you if the local network loses power, we're offline anyway.

[clockworks]

Paul Drawmer said:

Do you need the U of UPS?

I have a standby 12V battery on a proper maintenance charger, with an under voltage protection module. In the event of a power outage, I hook up the battery to the BT Hub (it's all 12V) and the low voltage module prevents discharge below the safe level for battery health.

It's low tech, not automatic, but cost per off grid hour is way better.

Also have rubbish mobile signal and we lose our phone with a power cut as it's now VOIP. Mind you if the local network loses power, we're offline anyway.

I did think about just manually swapping over to a battery pack, but an article I googled said that this can be tricky with BT hubs - something about it using a non-standard power connector?

It would make more sense to use a separate, offline, power source. Running a UPS would waste a fair bit of electricity.

[camel_landy]

I had similar thoughts, so I've got a number of smaller UPS units dotted around my house... BT Hub...Mesh... TV... Etc...

I bought mine as refurbished units from these guys:

https://secure.ups-trader.co.uk

Very happy with them and their service.

HTH

M

[donkmeister]

Sheepshanks said:

tr7v8 said:

I sort of work for APC which is now owned by Schneider Electric via a day Job in Dell Technologies doing power & cooling. APC are definitely Tier 1.
A small APC UPS will be more than enough to keep the hub running. Output level will depend on how long you want to keep it running. Most hubs use very little power.
This will give over 5 minutes at full chat @ 240W.

https://www.apc.com/uk/en/product/BE400-UK/apc-bac...

That says min load 24W. If OP is just powering the hub it's (I'm guessing a bit here here) probably half that.

From my own experience of an APC Back UPS doing similar, there is a setting you need to change so it stays powered up with a low-load.

[Griffith4ever]

I have a small (sub £200) APC UPS - it powers my PC and monitor, plus, I've made a 4 gang extension lead with the relevant power socket (female kettle lead) that runs of it too - this 4 gang powers my Router, RAID NAS , and one led desk light.

Runs for about 20 mins on a power cut (which we have a fair bit).

I've replaced the batteries once so far in about 6 years (cheap to do)