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Does ONT reboot after a power failure?

Macnerd1948

I live in an apartment which has a utility room(AKA computer room). My computer & FIOS TV are in the computer room.

I want to reorganize the computer room & clear up the rat's nest of cables.

I have a surge protector & a UPS. Right now, the ONT is plugged into the battery backup of the UPS.

If I'm watching TV in the computer room & there's a power failure, there's no big deal. But if I'm on my computer, I want the UPS to supply power long enough for me to properly shut down my computer.

I assume that the ONT will reboot if there's a power failure, right? I know that the router will reboot after a power failure.

Should the router & ONT be plugged into the battery backup of the UPS or does it really make no difference whether the ONT & the router are plugged into the UPS or the surge protector?

Comments

gs0b

The ONT does not have a power switch. It turns on when power is applied to it, plain and simple.

The reason to put the ONT and router on a UPS is to provide internet service during power outages. If you don't care about having internet service during outages, plug them directly into the wall.

Note that power strip surge protectors are mostly useless. A surge protector is only as good as it's path to ground. Most power outlets have a long, convoluted path to ground through the wiring back to the main panel. Every wire nut in the ground path significantly reduces the ability of the surge protector to dump current. If you really want to protect your equipment, install a whole home surge protector on the main panel.

If your outlet happens to be directly connected to the main panel through a short run of low gauge ground wire, disregard the above statement.

Macnerd1948

I have 2 surge protectors. A Philips in the living room & an APC in the computer room.

I guess that they are better at protecting equipment from surges than power strips. I guess.

I think that read somewhere that surge protectors have metal-oxide varistors. According to Wikipedia, "When used as protection devices, they shunt the current created by the excessive voltage away from sensitive components when triggered."

I guess that power strips really don't provide protection. They just allow multiple devices to be plugged into 1 power strip.

I found this online: It is important to note that not all power strips are surge protectors. While they look very similar, the sole purpose of a power strip is to add extra outlet space. Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference if it does not come right out and say so. You can look at the packaging when you are figuring out what exactly you are purchasing. A surge protector should have a joules rating on it’s packaging.

I live in an apartment. I doubt if management would allow me to install whole home surge protector.

gs0b

All surge protectors work the same way - they shunt excess voltage to ground. It doesn't matter if we're talking about a panel mounted protector, a protector in a power strip or a stand alone plug in protector.

The problem is any protector is only as good it's ground. If the ground is a long run with lots of splices and wire nuts, it will not handle high current surges well. The result will be a lifted voltage on the ground at the protector, due to the resistance in the ground. When surges occur, the protector can shunts tens of thousands of instantaneous amps or more through the ground. It doesn't take much resistance to raise the voltage with that much current. That raised voltage can cause problems.

Panel mounted protectors work the best, as they have a very short connection to ground. They also protect all devices on panel, which can be a significant cost savings.

In short, a plug in surge protector is only slightly better than nothing. It will help with smaller surges, but it won't do much against a decent sized one. If you can't install a panel protector, these are the next best thing. But don't spend a lot of money on them.

Many protectors offer "connected device warranties." Be sure to read reviews of how the vendor handles claims before you put much value on them. Not all warranties and vendors are the same.

Macnerd1948

I don't completely understand what you are talking about.

I read online something about joules. The higher the joule rating the more voltage can be shunted to ground. And the more expensive the surge protector!

I definitely want to plug my computer & monitor into the battery backup of the UPS. If there's a power failure while I'm on my computer, the UPS will supply power long enough for me to properly shut down my computer.

So, from what you say, it's my decision whether to plug the ONT & router into the battery backup part of the UPS or into a surge protector.

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