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How to pick
A cheap power strip is not a surge protector, it is just more outlets. If your computer or TV is plugged into one of those, fixing it is inexpensive and worth doing. The step up is a battery backup, which keeps things running for a few minutes when the power blinks. That matters most for your modem and router, because otherwise a two second flicker knocks your internet out for ten minutes while everything reboots.
What I recommend
APC surge protector power strip
Cheap insurance for a lot of equipment. If you buy nothing else on this page, and your gear is currently on a dollar store power strip, buy this.
- Rating
- 1,000 joules or higher
- Outlets
- 6 to 12
- Spacing
- Room for chunky plugs
- Warranty
- Cover on connected gear
APC Back-UPS BE600M1
A battery for your modem and router. When the power blinks your internet stays up instead of taking ten minutes to come back. Around here that is not a theoretical problem. Plug the modem, the router, and nothing else into the battery side.
- Capacity
- 600VA, 330W
- Outlets
- 7 total, 5 on battery
- Runtime
- Minutes, enough to ride out a blink
- Best for
- Modem and router
APC Back-UPS Pro 1500VA
Bigger battery, enough to keep a desktop running long enough to save your work and shut down properly. Only worth the jump if you have a tower computer that would lose something when the lights go out. Laptops already have a battery.
- Capacity
- 1500VA, 900W
- Outlets
- 10 total
- Extra
- Display and voltage regulation
- Best for
- A desktop computer
Related reading
Power goes out a lot where you are?
Common around here. I can set up your modem, router and computer so an outage is a non event.