So you have all your computer equipment working in tip-top shape, up-to-date, and all of a sudden you get hit with a blackout. What do you do?

Since the recent surge in the market for laptops/notebooks/netbooks, chances are you have one of those at your place. So you could think along the lines of “Well, I’ll just use the laptop then, since it has a battery”.  True. But unless your laptop has a mobile broadband card attached to it (or you know how to use your cell phone as a modem AND the cell phone has the capability to act as one AND it has internet access enabled), you will lose Internet connectivity since your modem/router also require power to operate. So what’s the solution to that problem?

UPS = Uninterrupted Power Supply. Basically a rechargeable battery and some circuitry in a case, it can keep your electric hungry devices fed for a certain amount of time in the event of a general power failure. In the irreducible minimum case portrayed above, a small UPS can power an average modem/router for at least a couple of hours. Many UPS models exist that range from that to being able to power your whole set of computer equipment for hours. Of course the bigger the UPS the more expensive it is. But again in the case above, a small one should do.

One word of warning: when there’s a blackout, unplug any electronic equipment and only plug back in after power has been restored, especially if they are not connected to the power outlet through a surge protector. Why? When power is restored after a blackout, it is initially in the form of  a surge flow of electricity that can be damaging to your computer or electronic devices.