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Battery wireless router
River 07
23-05-2011
Pardon my ignorance, but do these:

http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&xhr=t...fe7f6f85cbb9ba

only work in 3G reception area's, or can you connect them to a phone-line during a power-cut, which is really the device I am looking for.
Oldhippy
24-05-2011
Yes it looks like those are 3g only modems, which they tend to be. It could prove expensive to run at home as a main Broadband connection. Though you do have a Pay as You Go option.

They tend to have data packet limitations per month, so if you are watching videos you could use the allowance very quickly.
River 07
24-05-2011
Thanks Old Hippy.
alcockell
24-05-2011
If it's the Zoom one you're asking about - when paired with a PAYG dongle on a decent data tariff, they're a pretty nifty backup solution if the fixed broadband dies... It was expensive - but it kept me going when I moved flats back in Nov.. while waiting for my ADSL service to be warmed up on my new phone line.

Also means that the actual 3G service is handled away from the router... none of this hardware-lock crud..
PrinceGaz
25-05-2011
Originally Posted by River 07:
“Pardon my ignorance, but do these:

http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&xhr=t...fe7f6f85cbb9ba

only work in 3G reception area's, or can you connect them to a phone-line during a power-cut, which is really the device I am looking for.”

The device you're looking for is a cheap UPS (uninterruptible power supply) to power your router, which due to the very low power requirements of the router should be able to keep it going for quite some time. In fact the main problem could be that the router draws too little power for the UPS to work correctly in which case you might want to connect something else to take it up to the minimum load.
TheBigM
25-05-2011
If there's a power cut in your area, good chance your telephone exchange will be hit too in which case a battery powered ADSL router isn't much good.
River 07
25-05-2011
Originally Posted by TheBigM:
“If there's a power cut in your area, good chance your telephone exchange will be hit too in which case a battery powered ADSL router isn't much good.”

The phones never go off during a power-cut.
I guess they use their own generators.
TheBigM
25-05-2011
Originally Posted by River 07:
“The phones never go off during a power-cut.
I guess they use their own generators.”

No but the DSLAMs powering the ADSL side of things may well do.
PrinceGaz
25-05-2011
Originally Posted by TheBigM:
“No but the DSLAMs powering the ADSL side of things may well do.”

Yes and no. Unless the exchange is located very close to you, most powercuts are unlikely to be widespread enough to affect both you and the exchange, so keeping power available for the router at your end whilst your mains supply is down is likely all you will need (as the powercut is unlikely to affect the exchange as well). If the power does go down at the exchange too, there is nothing you can do about that short of an alternative communications route.

A battery-powered 3G wifi router (such as a MiFi) would be an option provided the local 3G masts nearby still have power, which some of them within range probably will unless it is a really serious power outage covering a significant area (most power outages are quite localised).

A Virgin Media cabled area I'm guessing would be unaffected by a powercut locally, as the phoneline and data services both come together from a nearby box on the street connected to their fibre-optic network, so presumably they have some in-built battery backup to maintain service should the mains supply be unavailable.

Failing either of those, a dial-up modem could always use the analogue phone line which should still work through your exchange if the power is down, for the cost of a local-call for a connection speed of probably around 48kbps maximum. Which is enough for email provided no one has sent large attachments. There are parts of Britain where dial-up is the only option, so it is still in use

The real final option for someone who must always stay connected, satellite internet, is so expensive that I won't say any more about it.
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