Power outages disrupt our lives. The longer they last, the more inconvenience they cause to our professional and personal needs. The good news is that with a battery backup, you can keep at least one thing up and running: fiber internet.
Internet connectivity may not seem like the highest priority when the lights are off and the house is cold. But if you run a business or need to check in on a critical matter, be it school or work or an update from the utility department, having that connection to the outside world makes a huge difference.
How fiber internet stays online even when the power’s down
It may sound surprising that fiber-optic networks can stay online even during electrical outages. As long as a fiber-optic line hasn’t been damaged (such as if a tree falls on power lines during a windstorm), fiber internet stays up, because it doesn’t rely on electricity between the source and your home.
At the source, in a building called a Central Office, robust diesel generators keep the network online in the event of an outage. Fiber connectivity travels all the way to its destination without the help of electricity, so the only other place where electricity is needed is—you guessed it—your home.
That’s where the battery backup comes in.
Read more: How to keep your fiber internet connection up during a power outage
Battery backup: a step-by-step setup guide
Battery backup units (BBUs for short) are available at hardware stores and online. They range in price and power supply. Keep in mind that batteries have limited life before they need to recharge, so if you’re buying a unit that you’ll want to use for more than one appliance or for a long period of time, you may want to go for one with longer life.
Don’t get stuck trying to figure out how your BBU gets your internet online after an outage occurs. We’re here to help by offering this quick step-by-step guide.
- Locate the Y-cord (the cord with two ends) that connects to the BBU.
- Locate your router. Unplug the power cord connected to the router. Plug one end of the Y-cord into the power input on the router.
- Locate your ONT, which should be close by. Unplug the power cord connected to the ONT. Plug the other end of the Y-cord into the power input on the ONT. Be sure not to unplug the green fiber-optic cord.
Now your BBU will be connected to the power sources on the router and the ONT. Wait for the lights to turn green. Once they are powered up, you can connect as usual to your WiFi.
Watch this video to learn more.
If you follow these steps and the internet does not connect, that could indicate damage to the fiber network somewhere in the field. You should get an SMS alert and/or an email about the outage with any information we have available.
We hope you don’t lose power for an extended amount of time. But if you do, have a BBU on hand and accessible to keep your fiber internet up and running.
