Best UPS for Router and Modem

During a power outage, your cell phone keeps working. But the things it connects to at home do not. Your Wi-Fi router, cable or fiber modem, and any mesh nodes all need wall power. When they lose it, you lose your home internet, your VoIP phone, your smart home controls, and your ability to receive detailed weather alerts through apps that depend on Wi-Fi.

A small UPS solves this for a trivial cost. A router and modem together draw 15 to 30 watts. Even a modest 600VA UPS can keep that load alive for 45 to 90 minutes, which is longer than the vast majority of power interruptions in the United States. For the outages that last longer, those 45 minutes buy you time to charge devices, pull up maps, and make calls while you still have connectivity.

This is distinct from a UPS for your computer. A computer UPS needs higher capacity and pure sine wave output. A router UPS needs long runtime at very low wattage. This page covers the router job specifically. If you also need to protect a desktop computer, see our home office UPS roundup or the full UPS comparison.

The BE600M1 wins the router-and-modem job because it is sized exactly right for the task. A router and modem draw 15 to 30 watts. At that load, the BE600M1's 600VA battery delivers over an hour of runtime. In a real-world test by Legit Reviews, it kept a router, modem, and Arlo security hub running for 75 minutes before needing a recharge.

It does this without any of the features you do not need for the router job. No LCD display (the router is probably behind a bookshelf anyway), no Automatic Voltage Regulation (network adapters handle minor sags fine), no pure sine wave (wall-wart power adapters do not care). What it does have is a compact footprint with keyhole wall-mount slots, so you can hang it on the wall next to your cable drop or fiber ONT and forget about it.

The battery is a standard sealed lead-acid cell (replacement part APCRBC154) that swaps in under two minutes with no tools. When it wears out in three to five years, the replacement runs $20 to $35 on Amazon. APC backs the unit with a 3-year warranty and a $75,000 connected equipment guarantee.

The limitation is real: this is a standby UPS with simulated sine wave output. Do not plug a desktop computer with an Active PFC power supply into it. For that job, step up to the CyberPower CP850PFCLCD or see our home office UPS roundup.

A 600VA UPS is designed for one job: keeping a handful of low-wattage network devices running during a power interruption. It is not a substitute for a portable power station, a generator, or a home battery system. Do not plug a space heater, a laser printer, a coffee maker, or a window air conditioner into it. The UPS will either trip its overload protection immediately or drain its battery in under a minute.

The value proposition is narrow and clear: for the cost of two large coffees, you get over an hour of uninterrupted internet during an outage. That hour lets you receive severe weather alerts, communicate with family, look up the power company's outage map, and call for help if you need to. When the outage lasts longer than the battery, the UPS has already done its job.

The UPS itself runs in the $50 to $80 range depending on sales. It draws a negligible amount of idle power from the wall, typically under 5 watts, which adds less than $5 to your annual electricity bill.

The only recurring cost is the replacement battery every three to five years, running $20 to $35 for a compatible cell. Over a five-year ownership span, total cost of ownership comes to roughly $70 to $115 for uninterrupted internet during every power event in that window.

The CyberPower CP850PFCLCD costs more up front (typically $100 to $140) with a replacement battery running $35 to $50. The APC BE425M is the cheapest entry point at $40 to $55, with the same APCRBC154 battery used by the BE600M1.

Readiness tier: Survive. A router UPS is one of the earliest and cheapest steps in household preparedness. It keeps you connected to information during the window when information matters most.

Hazards where this matters:

• Severe storms and thunderstorms — brief power interruptions are the most common trigger
• Winter storms — ice damage to power lines causes outages lasting hours to days
• Power outages (general) — the primary use case for any UPS
• Earthquakes — grid damage can follow, and communication is critical in the first hour

Checklists: A UPS appears on the Power Outage Checklist, the Winter Power Outage Checklist, and the Energy Preparedness Checklist.

For a broader comparison of UPS units across both the router and computer use cases, see the full UPS battery backup roundup. For the buyer's guide covering how UPS systems work, how to size one, and what the terminology means, see the UPS Systems Buyer's Guide.

Set it and check it once a year. After the initial setup, a router UPS requires almost no attention. Plug in your modem, router, and any other network gear into the battery-backed outlets. Plug surge-only devices (a desk lamp, a charger) into the surge-only outlets. Walk away.

Annual self-test. Most consumer UPS units run a periodic self-test automatically. You can also trigger one manually by pressing the power button briefly (consult your model's manual for the exact procedure). If the self-test fails, the UPS will alert you with a beeping pattern or LED indicator.

Battery replacement. When the UPS signals a bad battery (rapid beeping, flashing LED, or LCD warning on the CyberPower), replace it within a few weeks. A UPS with a dead battery still passes surge protection, but it cannot hold the load during an outage. The swap is a slide-out, slide-in procedure on all three models listed here.

Placement matters. Keep the UPS in a well-ventilated spot away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Heat accelerates sealed lead-acid battery degradation. Behind a bookshelf or wall-mounted near the cable drop are both fine as long as airflow is not completely blocked.