How to Keep Your Wi-Fi and Smart Home Running During a Power Outage

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Last reviewed: November 2026. Sources last checked November 2, 2026. We have not tested these devices: power figures are what each maker states, and the runtime below is our arithmetic, not a measurement.

To keep Wi-Fi on in a power outage, every box between the wall and your devices needs its own backup power: the modem or fiber terminal, the router and any mesh nodes, and the hubs your smart home depends on. Your provider's network also has to stay up, which no battery at home can fix. A modem and router draw little power, around 18 W at idle for one NETGEAR pair, so a small UPS or a portable power station can carry them for a while. Your provider's own backup batteries usually cover phone service, not internet, and since September 2025 no federal rule requires providers to offer them.

What needs backup power

AT&T puts it plainly for its own equipment: "each piece of equipment used to provide voice service to your home needs its own battery backup," listing Wi-Fi gateways, modems and optical network terminals. The same goes for internet. In a typical home that chain is:

• The modem, gateway or fiber terminal (ONT) that connects to your provider.
• The router and every mesh node you want to keep working.
• Smart home hubs wired to the router, such as a Philips Hue Bridge or an Apple TV or HomePod used as a home hub.

Even with all of that on battery, your connection still depends on your provider. Xfinity's voice backup keeps phone service up "for up to 24 hours, provided that the network remains available."

How much power a modem and router use

Device	Figure stated by the maker
NETGEAR CM1000v2 (DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem)	7.24 W idle
NETGEAR Nighthawk BE9300 (Wi-Fi 7 router)	10.66 W idle
NETGEAR C7000v2 (cable modem-router in one box)	18.13 W idle
eero 15 W USB-C power adapter (eero 6, 6+, 7 and others)	5.0 V, 3.0 A output: a 15 W maximum, not what the eero actually draws

NETGEAR's figures are idle power from its energy disclosure, so real use with traffic is higher. For your own gear, look for an energy disclosure or check the rating on the power adapter, which is a ceiling rather than a typical draw.

A UPS or a portable power station

Both work. They differ in how long they last and how they switch over.

• A small UPS sits between the wall and your gear and switches to battery on its own. APC's Back-UPS BE600M1, for example, is rated at 330 W, switches over in "6 ms typical," and runs on a lead-acid battery that APC expects to last 3 to 5 years. APC describes its output as a "stepped approximation to a sinewave," not a pure sine wave. APC publishes runtime as a chart, so check it at the load you will actually run.
• A portable power station holds far more energy. EcoFlow lists "10ms UPS" switchover for its DELTA 3 Classic (1,024 Wh), so it can sit in line like a UPS. Using the 0.85 efficiency allowance that Jackery applies in its runtime formula, 1,024 Wh gives about 870 Wh usable, which at the 17.9 W idle draw of the NETGEAR modem and router above is roughly 48 hours. That is our arithmetic at idle; with traffic and more devices it is shorter.

If the same station also has to keep a refrigerator going, see what size power station a refrigerator needs.

→ UPS battery backups on Amazon · EcoFlow DELTA 3 Classic

What your internet provider's backup covers

• Verizon Fios: the battery backup unit gives "up to 8 hours of backup power for voice services, including 911 calls," and Verizon adds that "backup power does not support Internet or TV service during an outage."
• Xfinity: "Xfinity Voice service won't operate during a power failure without a backup power source." Its battery case is for certain rental equipment only: "Xfinity doesn't offer backup power solutions for customer-owned equipment." Separately, an optional battery keeps the Xfinity Pro WiFi Extender "running for up to four hours during a power outage."
• AT&T: "a single PSI Battery Kit can power your Wi-Fi gateway for up to four hours or more," and an external fiber terminal needs a separate backup.

The FCC rule that no longer applies

From 2015, FCC rules required providers of home phone service that is not powered over the phone line to offer backup power for sale, first an option "with a minimum of eight hours of standby backup power" and later a twenty-four-hour option. The FCC set an end date when it adopted them: "we will sunset the requirements adopted in this Report and Order on September 1, 2025." A January 2026 Federal Register notice confirms the rule "has sunset by operation of law and ceased to be effective on September 1, 2025." The FCC's expectation was that "consumers will then be empowered to assume primary responsibility over their backup power." In a 2026 order it noted that internet phone service "will continue to work during a power outage if Internet service is operational and the end user maintains a backup power supply." In short, backup power is now your job.

What your smart home does without power or internet

• Philips Hue: Hue's Matter guide lists local control as working offline, both through the Hue Bridge and, for Thread bulbs, directly over Matter. The Bridge is wired to your router, so both need power for app control at home.
• Apple Home: Apple describes a home hub as what lets you "control your smart home accessories while you're away from home," share control and run automations. Away-from-home control and automations need that hub (an Apple TV or HomePod) powered.
• Ring Alarm: on battery, Ring says "there is enough battery power for up to 24 hours," and when the base station loses internet "a cellular backup system kicks in," though "this feature requires a compatible Ring subscription." If the base station goes offline entirely, "you will be unable to access or control your devices through the app," but it stays armed and "the Ring Alarm siren will still function."
• Ring Alarm Pro: its internal battery "can last up to 24 hours in Low Power Mode," but in that mode the Alarm Pro "turns off most functions and wifi to save energy." Ring sells Power Packs as extra backup, and "each Ring Power Pack provides up to eight hours of backup power." If your system uses a Ring Bridge, see which Ring devices need it.

Choosing a router with an outage in mind is one more reason to read what to look for in a router for a smart home.

FAQ

Will my Wi-Fi work during a power outage?

Not unless your modem or fiber terminal and your router have backup power, and only if your provider's network in your area is still running.

Does my internet provider's battery keep my internet on?

Often not. Verizon says its Fios battery backup covers voice only, not internet or TV. AT&T's PSI Battery Kit powers its Wi-Fi gateway for up to four hours or more. Check what your provider's unit actually powers.

How long will a UPS run a modem and router?

It depends on the UPS battery and your load. Makers publish runtime charts, such as APC's for the BE600M1; read the time at about 20 W, the idle draw of a typical modem and router pair, and expect less with heavy use.

Sources

FCC: backup power report and order (FCC 15-98) and FCC 26-19; Federal Register: January 14, 2026 notice. Providers: Verizon battery backup, Xfinity voice battery backup and Storm-Ready WiFi, AT&T battery backup. Devices: NETGEAR energy information, eero power adapters, APC Back-UPS BE600M1 data sheet, EcoFlow DELTA 3 Classic, Jackery runtime formula. Smart home: Philips Hue and Matter, Apple home hubs, Ring: Ring Alarm offline and Ring Alarm Pro in outages.

Sources last checked November 2, 2026.

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