Power station for Wi-Fi and satellite internet in an outage
Staying online is often the first thing people want in an outage: to work, check alerts or reach family. A router and modem sip power. A satellite internet dish draws several times more, and it runs all day. Neither has a start-up surge, so almost any power station can run them; the question is for how long.
Typical numbers
| Item | Typical running | Start-up surge | Per day (24 h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi router and modem | 20 W | about 20 W | 480 Wh |
| Satellite internet dish (such as Starlink) | 75 W | about 75 W | 1,800 Wh |
| Both together | 95 W | about 95 W | 2,280 Wh |
Typical values. A satellite dish draws more when it is heating to melt snow, searching for a signal or on some models; check the label or measure with a plug-in watt meter. Cable, fibre and cell hotspots differ too: a cell hotspot uses only a few watts.
Worked example: router and dish together, 24 hours a day
95 W × 24 h = 2,280 Wh a day. With 85% of rated capacity usable:
| Battery rating | Usable | Runtime at 95 W |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 Wh | 850 Wh | about 9 hours |
| 2,000 Wh | 1,700 Wh | about 18 hours |
| 3,000 Wh | 2,550 Wh | about 27 hours |
Good to know
- Fibre and cable outages often take the line down too, even with power at your house. A modem on battery only helps if the network outside is up. Satellite and cell service usually survive local outages.
- Run the internet only when you need it. 8 hours a day for router and dish is 760 Wh, about a third of the 24-hour figure.
- Many dishes and routers run from 12 V DC or USB-C power. A DC cable can skip the inverter and its idle loss; check the label and use the right fuse and cable (see DC cable and fuse).
- Add a laptop (about 60 W) and phones and the total rises quickly: build the combination in the calculator.
- Keep the dish outdoors with a clear view of the sky; run the cable through a window or a proper entry, not under a closed door.
Open the calculator with router, dish, laptop and phones filled in
Appliance figures are typical values, not measurements of your device: the label or a plug-in watt meter on yours wins. The sums assume 85% of a battery's rated capacity reaches your outlets (how the numbers work). We list no prices and have not hands-on tested any product.