Power bank with UPS: Uninterruptible power supply for home servers, cameras, etc.

If the power goes out while you are working on documents, the data can be lost instantly. The same applies to NAS, which can potentially be interrupted during the storage process. Although such devices are now getting better at handling power cuts, a sudden system crash is still not a good thing. This is where power banks with integrated UPS function come into play.

We have known about this feature of power stations for a long time, but there are also compact power banks with a really quick switching function. Of course, unlike larger batteries, you cannot power the whole house for a short time or supply power to a PC in the event of a power failure. However, smaller devices such as routers, NAS or surveillance cameras can continue to work for a certain period of time. In this guide we explain how it works and show suitable products.

A UPS function ensures an uninterrupted power supply, also known as UPS, which stands for Uninterruptible Power Supply – not to be confused with the similarly abbreviated American Logistics Company. This basically tells everything about the purpose of the function. In an emergency, when the power goes out, suitable UPS equipment ensures that the connected equipment can continue to run without interruption.

To do this, the UPS device is connected to the general household network via a socket and the corresponding consumer is connected to it. As a rule, power is routed through the internal battery and the mains power is supplied to the connected device. If the power fails, the UPS power bank switches to the integrated battery within a few milliseconds. This so-called pass-through function protects the battery. The switching speed is very relevant in practice, otherwise the end devices would already be switched off – and therefore uninterrupted continuous operation would not work.

The UPS power bank protects against spontaneous loss of power connection. In the smart home sector, for example, the smart home center (best list) or router continues to run locally and smart devices can continue to be controlled locally even if the Internet connection fails – not possible otherwise.

Thanks to the UPS, a connected surveillance camera (best list) continues recording even without an internal battery, so that thieves cannot feel safe. It can also save the recorded data completely, i.e. there is no data loss. In addition, thanks to the emergency power supply, a smart home alarm system (advice) can send a push notification to the home owner’s cell phone in the event of a break-in, for example if the IP camera reports activity even during operation.

But the use of a UPS solution is also recommended for home offices, if only for business reasons, so that the work done is not wasted due to a power cut. Also, some PC systems do not always forgive sudden shutdowns. To avoid resetting the BIOS, a UPS solution makes a lot of sense, although gaming PCs (guides) require a powerful UPS power station due to their high power requirements.

You can also use it as a USB power bank for classic consumers with USB, although the output is usually a bit lower at 5 watts. We wouldn’t want to charge a cell phone this way. Power banks can also be synonymously called mini-UPS or mini-UPS. They mostly rely on the classic DC round plug, but sometimes also on USB or Ethernet.

For this guide, we sought out a UPS power bank from Revolt (Pearl), which can supply either 9-volt or 12-volt devices via a round plug. With a somewhat cryptically named Revolt ZX-3540-675 You choose which voltage you want with a small switch on the back. In addition, the 8800 mAh mini-UPS supports power connection via PoE (Power over Ethernet). This connection is especially useful for connecting surveillance cameras (best list), which receive power directly via the Ethernet port. You can choose between 15 and 24 volt voltage on the power bank. The USB-A port on the front is 5 volts. The maximum output power therefore varies between 5 and 15 watts.

The battery level is shown by an LED display with four bars, representing a range of 25, 50, 75 or 100 percent. Two other LEDs indicate the selected voltage mode, another indicating the activity status (stand-by, off or active). So that you can use the mini-UPS with a variety of devices, it includes not only eight different sizes of round plugs as adapters, but also a Y-cable that has two different plug formats.

In tests with the affordable mini-PC GXMO N42 (test report), the switching works reliably and the mini-PC continues to work without problems even after the household power connection is cut off. This model is also available in addition to the Revolt model Non-branded OEM products for 43 euros ,Choose 10% Off Coupon) or from Technoware On Amazon – Apart from the color of the housing, the structure and function are identical.

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The second solution is much smaller, but also cheaper Revolt for the 33 Euros. It relies exclusively on a 12-volt round plug, so it offers no PoE and no USB ports. With a maximum output power of 22 watts, it is still sufficient for use on Fritzbox & Co.

Comes in a robust compact solution Shanqiu and offers 20,000 mAh (74 Wh). It can deliver up to 65 watts of power and, in addition to four DC outputs and a round plug input, also offers a USB-A socket. Cost of Xianqu Mini-UPS 80 Euros,

A small UPS solution also protects sensitive and expensive equipment such as a projector from possible damage, for example, from a fan failure. There are also systems in which the UPS function also serves as overvoltage protection, for example in the event of a short circuit or lightning strike. This absorbs the excess voltage and protects the connected consumer from damage.

If you are looking for something with more capacity and performance, power stations with integrated UPS function are ideal. Some of these devices can deliver a capacity of over 2000 Watts and are therefore also suitable for larger consumers, such as gaming PCs, home aquariums or refrigerators and freezers. The latter makes particular sense to avoid overheating food so that it does not spoil and does not have to be thrown away. The functionality is otherwise the same – in this case too, the power station is plugged in between the household power network and the consumer.

What is important here is a quick switch to island mode, which takes an interruption of only a few milliseconds – otherwise the UPS is useless, because especially end devices, such as PCs or 3D printers, cannot bridge the transition and may otherwise still go out. In addition to high performance and capacity, another big advantage is, above all, multifunctionality. If you do not use the power station as a UPS locally, you can use it as an XL power bank. In addition, compared to a power bank, it always has a classic Schuko socket and can therefore also be used with 230-volt devices from the home and garden. In most cases, power banks are limited to 9, 12 or 24 volts – which also limits the range of suitable consumers. Power stations also have their own connections for DC and USB, so they can also charge smartphones and other USB devices, for example. This can be done with 100 watts and power delivery. Connected devices usually show newer models on the display.

It is important that the power station has a so-called pass-through function. Otherwise the battery is permanently switched on when you connect the power station, so it is constantly charging. Not only is this not very efficient, it also degrades the battery. As a rule, the battery cells in solar generators are not replaceable. Classic lithium-ion cells only provide about 80 percent capacity after about 500 to a maximum of 1000 charging cycles, which is achieved quite quickly with continued use. Lithium iron phosphate cells (LiFePo4), on the other hand, usually only reach 80 percent after more than 3,000 cycles. Nevertheless, a UPS without a pass-through would be an unnecessary wear and tear that should be avoided.

The selection of power stations with UPS function is constantly growing larger. While cheap devices provide only a few hundred watts of power and low capacity, powerful models such as Zendure Superbase V6400 (Test report) Up to 3800 watts and high capacities of several kilowatt hours (kWh). The same applies to Mango Power E (test report) or Fosibot F3600 (test report). It’s cheaper and comes with a UPS Focibot F800 (Test Report) Therefore, which is available on Geekmax 269 ​​Euros id=’action_msg_1379’> (code T96Yj3sV) receives.

Every home should have a UPS power bank for uninterrupted internet operations. Plugged between the router and the household socket, in addition to maintaining operations in the event of a power outage, it also provides protection against overvoltage. This means that expensive equipment is protected from electrical death in the event of a lightning strike or short circuit.

Small batteries are also useful for monitoring your own property and household effects, as they provide energy to the recording surveillance camera even in the event of a power failure. This is particularly practical if the model in question also supports Power over Ethernet, as you can do without an additional power cable to the camera. Some also charge other connected devices, such as the classic USB power bank.

If it is about large consumers, it makes sense to use a more or less large and powerful power station. Between 200 and over 3000 euros you can find various huge batteries that can power everything from a gaming PC to a refrigerator or freezer. Depending on what you want to connect, a less powerful device will also work. The advantages should not be underestimated, especially with computers in the home office, where otherwise you will have to pay a bitter price for a possible crash due to data loss. Setup is extremely simple: plug it into the home network, connect the consumers and away you go. The next time there is a power outage, the investment will pay off very quickly.

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