Modem + Wi‑Fi router (+ ONT) during a power outage

• No invented modem / ONT / router watts. Combo gateways, mesh nodes, and fibre ONTs vary. QuietWatt will not invent “~15–30 W typical” as a fact for your kit. Read the brick label (or meter input watts) and plug that into the Wh formula.
• Home battery ≠ neighbourhood node. A full station cannot revive a dark ISP street cabinet / node. Your kit only helps when last-mile power is still up.
• Label watts × hours. Hours ≈ (station Wh × ~0.85 usable) ÷ average stack W. The 0.85 is a planning factor — confirm usable % and continuous W on the station listing. Method: what size power station.
• Phone hotspot often wins for short outages. If the cellular tower is up and you only need email / chat for an hour, a phone hotspot (or USB-C PD laptop tether) can beat buying a midsize station for modem+router alone. PD honesty: USB-C PD on power stations · phone charge: phone / tablet charge.
• Starlink is a different load class. Dish + router always-on (and heaters) is not the same as a cable modem brick — Starlink power station · blackout framing: Starlink backup.

Framing is planning honesty from manufacturer product-page patterns and QuietWatt sibling citations (checked Oct 2026) — not QuietWatt lab tests, ISP uptime guarantees, or electrical advice. Estimates labelled. Check listing / label.

1. Read every brick. Modem / cable modem, fibre ONT, Wi‑Fi router, and each mesh satellite you care about. QuietWatt will not invent those numbers.
2. Sum average W (or meter the strip). Mesh three-packs add up — power every node you need, or accept dead rooms.
3. Hours ≈ (nameplate Wh × ~0.85) ÷ average W. Overnight Wi‑Fi is usually a modest Wh job once you have real watts; the trap is stacking desk PC + monitor on the same pack without re-running the math.
4. WFH note: modem+router alone is light; Zoom day = laptop / dock / monitor too. Desk UPS vs station: office UPS vs power station · WFH kit: work-from-home outage · laptop PD: USB-C PD · apartment noise: best apartment.
5. Transfer / UPS mode claims matter for flickers so Zoom doesn’t drop — confirm ms on the card: EPS vs UPS mode · UPS vs portable.

• Small UPS: flicker cover for modem+router so sessions don’t hard-drop; tiny Wh — often not an all-evening plan. Confirm waveform / transfer claims on the listing.
• Midsize portable station: hours of Wh at light always-on draw; move to another room / job later. Prefer continuous headroom confirmed on the card — not brochure surge alone.
• Starlink contrast: dish + router (and cold heaters) is usually a heavier always-on class than a cable / fibre brick. Do not reuse a “modem-only” Wh plan for Starlink — Starlink power station.
• Security camera / NVR stacks add PoE switch + recorder always-on — separate math: cameras + NVR honesty · shortlist: security camera backup.
• Example mid / compact stations QuietWatt tracks (confirm live Wh / continuous W / UPS-EPS claims — not QuietWatt measurements): EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus, EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus, Anker SOLIX C1000, BLUETTI Elite 100 V2, Jackery Explorer 1000 v2.

• Read brick labels / meter first — then run Hours ≈ (Wh × 0.85) ÷ W.
• Try hotspot before buying a midsize station for a one-hour outage when cell is up.
• Small UPS for flicker-only Zoom survival; station Wh for evening / overnight home Wi‑Fi.
• Don’t confuse cable-modem math with Starlink — different always-on class.