Using Wifi during a residential power outage?

[Guy Etchells]

Thank you Girl Guide and Jamjar.  You replies indicate to me that this was indeed a stupid question!

Not at all just incomplete answers.

Do you have a mobile phone, many mobile phones can also be used as a modem these days, I have used mine when away and have had no access to standard internet access points.

For an Iphone

Tap Settings.
Tap Personal Hotspot.
Switch Personal Hotspot on.
Choose whether you'd like to connect using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or using the USB cable.

On other mobiles you may have to use what is called tethering.

An alternative would be to take a trip to somewhere like a MacDonalds or Library or car showroom etc where they have an internet hotspot (public internet).
Buy a coffee and enjoy the internet. You will not have to travel too far to be out of the local power cut area

Cheers
Guy

[PrawnCocktail]

You may have a number of options:

Ironing

Er, ..... In a power cut?

Of course, if you have one of those handy Victorian irons that run on coals out of the fire ....

 

[3sillydogs]

Asking probably another stupid question.  Your phone would then have to have data loaded onto it to use it as a modem during a power outage?

Probably not a feasable suggestion, but if you know someone who has a UPS (universal power supply) depending on the size it could power your modem for you.  We do that during black outs.  My son has one on the servers and only uses it to shut them down during a power outage and then plugs the modem into it and we get about 2+ hours with only the modem running off it so we at least have internet on our phones, all pc's are shut down.....

[jaybelnz]

I do have a mobile phone, but it's a very basic one.  The morning's not a problem, as I rarely drag myself out of bed to face the world before 8. 30am anyway, (particularly at the moment where here in NZ we are are experiencing mid winter temperatures and storms in SPRINGTIME! It's actually currently colder and wetter than winter was)!

Thank you all so much for your amazing suggestions - you're all so clever!  Unfortunately, I'm not too up with the play technology wise regarding most of them, but truly appreciate your input, (the idea of going to McDonalds is a good one - I could cope with that  .  Now I'm thinking I might just head off to bed for an early night and read my real book by torchlight for a while - be warmer that way too, having only electric heating!

Diplodocus, on the lighter side (pardon the pun) your suggestion for cleaning out cupboards made me laugh, for one thing it'll be too dark to do that, and for another, I am currently in the midst of packing to move house!  Most of my cupboard's contents are already packed into moving boxes! I do like your red wine suggestion though, a couple of those will probably knock me out and I'll sleep right through the outage and until the power goes back on!   

Thanks again everyone for your replies - you're all very kind!
Cheers
Jeanne 👏👏👍😄

[kiwihalfpint]

Jeanne, I sure do sympathise with your power outages ..... back track a couple of months, we received our letters of planned outages ... three planned one week, and another planned three weeks down the track.   Some didn't go ahead on the day, because of the weather but when they did go off ... it was for all day.

So with the times for you, have you thought of filling your thermos for the moment you want a cuppa?


Cheers
KHP

[jaybelnz]

Thanks KHP - that's certainly an essential!   .

I'm moving soon, so have already packed up most of my kitchen, but the big thermos is already sitting out on the bench, and a few other necessities are still in the cupboard. Would die without my cuppa!

All I have to do is remember to fill it before the power goes off!  It's big and red, so can't miss it!

Contact Energy have advised that they will notify any change due to weather etc, by email AND text, so that's good.   With a bit of luck, if it's delayed until after 8th October, that's my moving out day!

[3sillydogs]

Last year we had regular "load shedding" which meant that at least 3 times a week we were out for 2-4 hours.  Invested in paraffin hurricane lamps, some solar lamps and a gas hob.

Lots of books were read during that time.  Thankfully this year has been blackout free except for the few unplanned ones....

[kiwihalfpint]

It is the unplanned ones that take you by surprise, especially for Mr KHP, after a hard mornings work on the farm, to find that he can't have the lunch he was looking forward to


Cheers
KHP

[3sillydogs]

I know what you mean.  That's why I love the gas hob that we invested in.  Can still cook and have a cuppa even if it is in the dark.  Nothing worse than missing your dinner/lunch or cuppa.....