FIOS during power outage?

[Jules89]

Hi! 

I know the battery backup unit is designed to keep the phone service during a power outage, but is there any way I can access internet during a power outage? We have a portable generator.. is there some way I can use that to provide the power needed for FIOS? 

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[tns]

Certainly.  Plug your the power supply into a line fed by your portable generator.  All services will then work.

[Jules89]

Thanks!

Not to be dense, but when you say "the power supply" are you referring to the electrical plug coming out of the verizon box that says.. telco use only, do not remove?

[weedeater1]

No, the BBU, the battery unit that is normally plugged into an outlet.  Just make sure the outlet is also powered by the generator.

[lasagna]

Be advised however the portions of the FiOS network outside your home also rely on utility power to operate.   The availability of power to this equipment is also necessary for you to have internet.   Some head ends may have power to the components driving the telephony portion of the network (so the phone works) but may not also be powering the switches and routers handling the internet traffic or the equipment handling the TV.

You also obviously need to have the ONT and your router on the generator.

[eljefe2]

Yes, the router would have to be powered by the generator,  but if the BBU is plugged in to the generator, doesn't that take care of the ONT? 

[smith6612]

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@eljefe wrote:

Yes, the router would have to be powered by the generator,  but if the BBU is plugged in to the generator, doesn't that take care of the ONT? 

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It does, if the BBU is plugged into or on a transfer switch that connects to the generator. Otherwise the BBU will just use it's internal battery to run the ONT. So, ultimately if you need Internet/TV/Phone service all running at the same time, the BBU, Router and anything else you need should be running off the Generator. The load the devices place is pretty much nothing, roughly the amount of a single light bulb (probably is an overstatement) so anything should be able to handle them.

[eljefe2]

Yes, I just thought it might be confusing to say the ONT had to be powered by the generator when tns and weedeater were explaining above that it's the BBU that needed to be generator powered.

Sorry if that was picking at a nit.

[Beh1621]

Okay so I have my router & ONT plugged into the generator.  My tv is working just fine but the WIFI signal shows up but it isn't connectable.  Could something else need to be adjusted or could that also be because of the downed lines & lack of power?

[smith6612]

Are you able to reach the router at http://192.168.1.1/ while on the Wireless, or are you able to for that matter connect a computer Wired to the router and get online? It's possible Verizon has the gear running Internet service off if their Central Office is running on backup power.