APC - Back-UPS, 425VA/255W, Tower/Wall Mount, 6 Outlets, LED Indicator - Black

APC backup gives peace of mind that ll equipment will be protected.

As a techie, I feel required to give an added level of protection to the tech that lives in my home. That tech also supports the family here and any time that I can add an accessory that lessens the need for me to give tech support at home, I embrace it. I’ve had APC UPS’ that range from $800 to $80. Rack mount, to free-standing. Additionally, I’ve had smaller Back-UPS devices to handle my Linksys Velop base station, Philips Hue Bridge, Ubiquiti switch and Arris/Moto Modem. The unfortunate part of that other device, was a limit of 3 protectable devices and I had to sacrifice one of the four things that supply services to the house. The Back-UPS 425 adds another three outlets to the protection scheme, however two of those six aren’t battery-backed. With the layout of the outlets, they only allow me to use the first four protected outlets. After that, the width of the plugs was too wide to allow the last two to be filled. With my previous UPS, a power flicker would allow a low that rebooted all of the devices that it was supposed to protect - and that was awful. When it happened at 2am and the house lit up like a Christmas Tree, the wife let me have it (even though the default Hue power state was ‘off’ … hmmm). So, my first test after rebooting all my network devices and getting them on this UPS, was to pull the power. Fast. And then put power back. This thing didn’t even flicker the hub, switch or router; solid power the whole time. So, I did it again. Then a third time. Flawless. I didn’t give it a timer to see when the battery would fail, however -- if a fully loaded PC was around 10 minutes - a few network devices should get me wayyyyyy more than 10 minutes. The power cord is off to the left, which doesn’t work for me, so I laid it down on its back. The power light isn’t too overwhelmingly green and bright, especially since it’s in a closet with a but(t)-tonne of other blinky lights. But, if you hate lights, check out the photos for what you should expect. So, if you want reliable power through flicker situations, grab one of these; the price point is perfect!

---SETUP--- The setup for this back-up battery is easy. It comes with a disconnected battery connector that must be plugged in before use. The manual is clear on the process. After that, plug in the back-up battery for 24 hours before first use. After the 24 hour period, you can begin using it as a back up. ---FEATURES--- The key feature of this back up unit is that it’s meant to last about 2-3 hours and it seamlessly switches over to the battery backup in case of a blackout or brownout. Of the 6 outlets, 4 work with the battery back-up. All 6 provide surge protection. ---PERFORMANCE--- The performance of this battery back-up system is good. This is meant to be used as a means to safely turn off equipment that is meant to be turned off properly or give you time to save data. I tested this with my WiFi Modem/Router combo and it lasted me about 1 hour and 20 minutes. A clear audible alarm begins to beep when the back-up is close to running out of power giving you time to act. I simulated a power outage by unplugging the battery from the outlet and the transition from connected to back-up was seamless. I didn’t lose internet connection and all was good for the next hour and 45 minutes. ---EXPECTATIONS--- The product meets my expectations. The product isn’t too bulky but it will be noticeable if you have it out in the open. You can mount this unit if need be. The cable length is about 5-6 feet, though I would have liked if the cable could have been coiled neatly around the unit for storage or travel. Because it isn’t bulky, I found it easy to travel with for when I go out and need lighting for pictures or footage in dark areas. ---VALUE--- The price for the APC Back-UPS Battery system in terms of value is good for the peace of mind of your expensive electronics. ---APPROVAL--- I highly recommend this product for people who have expensive electronics that may need the additional level of protection from a blackout.

I tested this a few times by plugging my internet modem and WiFi router into it and then unplugging the unit. I tested it 3 days in a row and it powers both without interruption for a solid 2 hours before getting low. You don't have to do anything for setup other then connect the battery underneath with a simple connector (see pics) and then plug it into the wall and plug your devices into it. For reference I have an Arris Cable Modem and a Netgear Orbi WiFi Router. The real test though was recently during Hurricane Dorian when we lost power for about 45 mins - internet stayed up and we were able to keep watching the weather on our iPads via the internet! I also love that you can set it to be silent (no beeping) until it gets low so you don't have to listen to an annoying beeping for 2 hours while it's running. Great backup power for internet!

I have power outage occurs sometime during winter time. Actually, I have never though about getting a UPS until I decided to get one for my security system and internet equipments. This APC battery back-up system offers skim design, 7 outlets; 5 surge and battery, 2 only surge, and building wiring fault indicator. My hookup was fiber optics box, router, security cameras base station which is great to be powered when electricity is out. I have tried to shut down the circuit breaker to check how much time this thing can provide. During my testing period around 30 minutes, my connected equipments were operating without any trouble.