Author Topic: Using Wifi during a residential power outage?  (Read 4064 times)

Offline Aulus

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Re: Using Wifi during a residential power outage?
« Reply #27 on: Monday 26 September 16 16:27 BST (UK) »
I think you've had the basic answer that wifi that comes from a hub/router connected to your phone line won't work in a power cut as the hub needs electricity too.

Someone's mentioned using a mobile phone as a modem to connect to the internet.  That would depend how wide an area is affected by the power outage.  The mobile phone masts need electricity too, and if the only ones within range of your 'phone are off, then you can forget that too.

During the storms that hit northern England last winter, Storm Desmond knocked out power where I am for about 4 days (though it felt much longer). This took out all the mobile phone masts too.  The only link to the outside world (apart from driving to an area with power - though as there were impassable floods on the main roads out that wasn't much of an option) was a wind up radio, the landline telephone (once I'd unplugged my modern cordless 'phone and plugged in an old-fashioned one that got all the power it needed from the telephone network) and the car radio. 

After a while the power company were able to set up a number of massive generators, though predictably my house wasn't covered by any of them, but I could as a BT Broadband customer wander the streets where there was power, looking for BT-WIFI access points.

Otherwise I read a few books, used up a lot of candles and simply went to bed when it got dark.

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Offline jaybelnz

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Re: Using Wifi during a residential power outage?
« Reply #28 on: Monday 26 September 16 21:30 BST (UK) »
I think that's probably what I will be doing as well Aulus, it's still pretty cold here, and with no heating, bed's going to be the best place to keep warm!  I can make sure my iPad battery is fully charged so I can at least read on the kindle app!

Thank you.
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Offline groom

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Re: Using Wifi during a residential power outage?
« Reply #29 on: Monday 26 September 16 21:52 BST (UK) »
Are you all electric, or do you have a gas hob so you can heat water?
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Offline jaybelnz

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Re: Using Wifi during a residential power outage?
« Reply #30 on: Monday 26 September 16 23:00 BST (UK) »
I wish I did Jan!  All electric! Have a good Hot water storage cylinder though that stays pretty hot -  enough for a couple of days.

  Just have to remember to fill the big thermos with boiling water for cuppas, and charge up the iPad and mobile phone before the power goes off on the evening cut.

The morning cut isn't a problem, by the time I haul myself out of bed, it will be back on again hopefully, but I will do a thermos and charge up just in case it goes on longer than anticipated.
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Offline groom

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Re: Using Wifi during a residential power outage?
« Reply #31 on: Monday 26 September 16 23:05 BST (UK) »
Have you got a hot water bottle in case it is cold - you could fill that from the hot water tank.
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Offline jaybelnz

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Re: Using Wifi during a residential power outage?
« Reply #32 on: Tuesday 27 September 16 02:32 BST (UK) »
Thanks Jan, yep I'm a hottie girl from way back! Still using it at the moment actually, still a bit nippy at night here! 😄
"We analyse the evidence to draw a conclusion. The better the sources and information, the stronger the evidence, which leads to a reliable conclusion!" Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk.

MATHEWS, Ireland, England, USA & Canada, NZ
FLEMING,   Ireland
DUNNELL,  England
PAULSON,  England
DOUGLAS, Scotland, Ireland, NZ
WALKER,   Scotland
WATSON,  England, Ayrshire, Scotland, NZ
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