Buying guide
UPS for your router: what actually works
A plain-English comparison of the ways to keep your broadband hub and landline on in a power cut.
What a router UPS needs to do
Most UK hubs run on 12V DC. A good router UPS (uninterruptible power supply) should switch over instantly so the hub never restarts, last long enough to cover a real power cut, run silently in a living room, and fit without an engineer.
Option 1: Your provider's battery backup unit
Providers such as BT offer a battery backup unit. It's free if you depend on your landline. Otherwise it costs about £85, and it's built to the 1-hour minimum.
Option 2: An office computer UPS
These are the size of a car battery, often beep and hum, and are designed for a PC rather than a 12V hub. You typically get about an hour on a hub.
Option 3: A generic mini UPS
Cheap mini UPS units vary widely. Check the voltage matches your hub, that it includes the right tips, and that it can feed a separate fibre box if you have one.
Option 4: LineKeeper™ Hub Battery Backup
Built specifically for UK broadband hubs: 74 Wh for 4+ hours, zero-second handover, silent, splitter lead for a fibre box included, and it fits in 60 seconds. From £89 with free UK delivery and a 90-day money-back guarantee. See full specifications.
Why not a phone power bank?
Phone power banks put out 5V USB, which is the wrong voltage for a hub, and they don't switch over automatically when the mains fails.
Keep your line on through the next power cut
From £89 (was £178). Free tracked UK delivery, 90-day money-back, fits in 60 seconds.
Choose your pack