Stay online when the power goes out. Personalized recommendations for back-up power in your home

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The network is critical to the way we live, work, and entertain ourselves. That’s why it’s essential to stay connected to your digital life, even when the power goes out. The following are personalized recommendations for battery backup power in your home from APC by Schneider Electric.

What kind of network user are you? Think of your most critical online activities. Now consider what you would do without them. What activities do you do that are dependent on a network connection? Do you work from your home? Have a VoIP phone? Communicate with friends and family through email, social media, or Skype? Are you a gamer? Stream content from Netflix, HBO Go, YouTube, or Pandora? Do you control your home security and settings from your smartphone? All of the above?

Chances are, like most people, you participate in not just one but many of the activities listed above. Despite this dependence on connectivity, many of us often fail to consider the necessity of the home network in our daily life– until we suddenly can’t connect. Weather-related events account for 44% percent of power outages, which can cause unexpected network downtime, impacting your work, family life, and safety. When the power goes out, you need to make sure your network connection is not interrupted.

Connecting your modem and router to a UPS will maximize the availability of your home network in case of a power outage. New products such as the Back-UPS Connect family provide hours of runtime for network equipment after the power has gone out, maintaining the connection when you need it most. The efficient Back-UPS Connect design maximizes runtime for low-power devices, even outperforming larger UPSes on equivalent low-power loads.  Back-UPS Connect offers up to 4.5 hours of network runtime – which means your family can continue to use and enjoy your networked devices even long after the power has gone out. OK, staying connected is critical, so it’s important to backup your network with Back-UPS Connect. But let’s go back to the original question – what kind of network user are you? It’s crucial to understand which devices you rely on in your home to ensure they are protected with battery power during an outage. We’ve developed four personas that describe different kinds of network users. Included are product recommendations for each type of user that will power your devices so you can stay active when the power is out.  Identify below what type of network user you are and the best ways to protect your lifestyle during a blackout.

Which of these personas describes you best?

Home Business User – As a dedicated home-based professional, your livelihood depends on your home network connection. Without access to your email, the cloud, or company network, you cannot get your job done. During a power outage, you risk missing deadlines, you can’t participate in web meetings, you can’t access shared documents, etc. In short, losing connectivity hurts your business! In addition to Back-UPS Connect for your network and mobile devices, you need a Back-UPS Pro model to provide back-up power to your computer, monitor, printer, and telephone. Consider the specific equipment you have to determine the correct size Back-UPS Pro. Remember to make sure the UPS you choose has enough outlets to support all of your computer equipment.

Savvy Home Manager – You pride yourself on being connected. Your calendar syncs with your home computer and mobile devices. Family photos are stored on the cloud, bills are paid online, and free time is spent catching up with friends on social media. Additional devices connect to the network, including a VoIP phone, home security system or thermostat. If you lose your connection to the Internet, it’s difficult to continue managing your life. You need battery backup power for your computer, telephone, and home security cameras. The Back-UPS Connect BGE90M will be critical for your network, VoIP phone, home automation/security, and mobile devices. Additionally, a Back-UPS model is a good solution for your computer equipment. Remember that larger monitors require more power, so if you have a big screen, you will need a higher-powered Back-UPS or Back-UPS Pro.

Social Gamer –Whether you’re gaming, streaming video or on social media, your digital life relies on your home network connection. Without it, you can’t stay in touch with your friends and family online – whether it’s checking Instagram or playing Call of Duty. If you lose power, all of the electronics you have for entertainment become useless. Keep playing when the power goes out by connecting your TV, game console, computer, Blu-Ray player, and cable or satellite receiver to a UPS. With all of those devices, you may consider an AV UPS for your TV and game console and a Back-UPS Pro for computer, speakers, etc.. Either way, a large TV will require more power, so be sure to size your UPS appropriately for the equipment you have.

The Multi-Screen Family – Your family is highly dependent upon your home network connection to keep everyone happy. Your household typically has multiple devices connected to the network at any given time and your usage can range from your kids submitting an assignment online, to a parent finishing a web conference, to a child watching Netflix on a tablet. To keep everyone in your household happy, you’ll want to connect as many of your home electronics to UPS power as you can. A Back-UPS in the home office for all of your computing equipment will keep you protected and working during an outage. Back-UPS Connect models will keep the network running and kids’ content for hours during extended blackouts.

No matter which activities you and your family do most online, protecting your network connection with a Back-UPS Connect BGE70 or BGE90M is important to your digital life. Additionally, depending upon the equipment you need to keep running during a power outage, one or more Back-UPS or Back-UPS Pro UPSes are an excellent choice. With so much equipment in our homes with different power requirements, it can be difficult to know exactly which size UPS to use, so we’ve created a simple UPS selector to help you choose. Battery backup and surge protection from APC by Schneider Electric protects your connected life, even when the power goes out.