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Do you have the battery backup unit? Does it keep your phone working if your electricity goes out?

Snowwhite123
Snowwhite123 Posts: 2 Spectator

A tech told me the battery backup only powers my modem, and not my phone.

I can't see where this would be helpful at all.

What has been your experience? Thanks!

Best Answers

  • Snowwhite123
    Snowwhite123 Posts: 2 Spectator
    Answer ✓

    Thanks, kbennett65. All of my phones are the old fashion kind! Do you mean I'd take the phone cord that has the little plastic snap thing on both ends, and plug that into the modem? The phone nearest the modem is too far to reach....And if I did that, only the phone that's actually plugged in would work, right? My modem's in my office, and I also want the phone in my bedroom to work in a power outage. Thanks. :)

  • Julia_R
    Julia_R Posts: 4,661 Contributor
    Answer ✓


    Hello All.


    I do want to add that this back up power will not keep the line up if our network is also without power.

    This back up is intended when it is your home without power not when the cable network is down.


    It works well in my neighborhood as our electrical can be iffy during the winter.


    Julia_R

  • catchtwentytwo
    catchtwentytwo Posts: 138 Contributor
    Answer ✓

    That may be true for a Spectrum provided battery backup. However, if you buy a decent APC or other freestanding UPS system and plug your modem and router into them, you will have both phone and internet available until the UPS battery is exhausted. How long will depend on of the VA rating of the UPS and usage.

    You can use any hardwired telephone that doesn't require power to work and touchtone works fine. Many hardwired phones may use power for speakerphone and other functions but still work for incoming and outgoing calls. You can easily test that by unplugging the phone power and see what happens.

Answers

  • kbennett65
    kbennett65 Posts: 4 Spectator

    That is correct. The phone itself is powered separately from the phone modem so if you have a standard cordless phone it will not work in a power outage. There is a solution that is really old school though. If you have or can get your hands on a working old fashion phone that doesn't require electricity to work you can plug it right into the modem as long as you have the battery backup keeping the modem on. I keep an old, and I mean OLD rotary phone that was stuffed in a closet in my parents house near my phone modem and can confirm it works during an outage. as long as the modem maintains power with the battery backup.

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