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

A power cut can shut down a home internet connection even when a laptop still has battery power, interrupting work calls or other online activities. A backup power source for networking equipment can keep the connection running, provided the internet provider’s service remains available.

The article recommends checking which devices your connection depends on: cable users typically need to power a modem and router or gateway, while fibre users need a router and optical network terminal (ONT). An uninterruptible power supply (UPS), which switches to battery automatically, can keep a router running for an hour or more and costs well under $100 for a modest model. Battery-powered tool inverters can cost as little as $30, but require manual changeover; either option should be reserved for networking gear, and tested in advance.