Comcast Storm-Ready WiFi adds battery backup in case of a power outage

Shawn Knight

Posts: 15,296   +192
Staff member
In a nutshell: Comcast has become the first Internet service provider to introduce what it describes as a product designed to keep you connected when the weather gets rough and the power goes out. The new Storm-Ready WiFi device is a two-part backup connectivity solution consisting of the router itself and a battery backup unit. When there's a loss of power, the Storm-Ready device will automatically switch your Internet connection from broadband to its integrated 4G LTE cellular connectivity.

It is not fast, topping out at up to 30 Mbps download / 7 Mbps upload, but it is better than nothing. Comcast said actual speeds will vary and are not guaranteed, so take that for what it's worth. The battery backup can keep you online for up to four hours through network and power outages, and there is no additional charge for using the unit's cellular connection.

Of course, a connection to the outside world is of little use if your devices aren't charged as well. As such, we would recommend keeping an external battery pack or two fully charged and at the ready at all times.

When not serving as a last resort, the Storm-Ready WiFi device serves as a tri-band WiFi 6 extender to help eliminate weak coverage zones in your home. It also features two Ethernet ports, measures 110 mm x 110 mm x 160 mm (4.33 in x 4.33 in x 6.29 in), and weighs two pounds. The separate battery backup is a bit smaller at 98.5 mm x 41.25 mm x 110.25 mm (3.87 in x 1.62 in x 4.34 in) and tips the scales at 1.04 pounds.

Comcast said you will need an Xfinity Gateway and a speed package of at least 800 Mbps or faster to be eligible for its Storm-Ready WiFi device. Pricing is set at $7 per month for 36 months, which works out to $252 over the course of three years. It is available to purchase from today at Xfinity Stores and online.

Permalink to story.

 
That's what I do except I also acquired a bunch of UPSs that my work got rid of.
We had some donated ones at work that got thrown out. Took them home, put in new battery cells, now they work great!

Might try to swap out the cells for LiPo4 self contained cells at some point, being able to run a full desktop for several hours on battery sounds neat
 
We had some donated ones at work that got thrown out. Took them home, put in new battery cells, now they work great!

Might try to swap out the cells for LiPo4 self contained cells at some point, being able to run a full desktop for several hours on battery sounds neat
I thought about using the LiFepO4 in UPS because of the much better life span and such, but there are some issues with just swapping. Unless the UPS is designed for them. From my research, the 2 issues are the UPS charging the LiFepO4 and battery time indicator, since most of them go by voltage.

However, I did remember that you can refurbish the lead acid by refilling their cells with distilled water. I have done it on a few recently with great success.

If you do figure out how to mod the UPSs to work effectively with the LiFepO4, please let me know!
 
Let me guess... 4G router with a built-in lithium battery that is plugged 24/7.

no thanks, I'd rather use old 600VA APC UPS that's been modded to use 45-amp small car battery (civic/corolla). where I live such new battery only costs $60 (versus $20 for the original 8-amp battery) and can go at least 3 years before needing replacement. I used it to run 50" 4K TV with 8pcs of PoE security cameras and it ran for more than 2 hours during blackout. with that kind of juice you can use it to power 4G router and charge your phone for more than 3 days easily.
 
Back