Spectrum just revealed its new 'Invincible Wi-Fi' system, combining a standard home internet router, battery backup, and 5G backup into one package.It's available to Spectrum customers starting today, and it might be cheaper than existing options.Internet access at home requires your router to be powered, and the internet service provider to be working as normal.
Unfortunately, storms and other outages can cause the power to go out, and Spectrum's home internet service can be unreliable at times.The new Invincible Wi-Fi system handles both scenarios, and it could be cheaper than a separate uninterruptable power supply (UPS) and 5G hotspot.The new package includes a Wi-Fi 7 router with an integrated backup battery, which Spectrum says should last "up to eight hours" in the event of a power outage.
If your fiber/cable internet goes down, or your power fiber/cable internet dies, the router switches to a 5G connection.Spectrum didn't mention which cellular network is being used, but the company's existing LTE/5G backups are a mix of AT&T and Verizon.There are already solutions for power and internet outages, regardless of your home ISP.
You can buy a UPS and connect your router and/or modem, so power outages won't immediately take out your network.That usually allows your internet connection to continue working—it does with my UPS in my apartment building—but that depends on your ISP substations still being powered.For 5G backups, there are services from T-Mobile, Verizon, and others that aren't tied to any specific home ISP.
Even though other solutions exist, Spectrum giving customers the option of an all-in-one system is helpful.It could also be cheaper than other options, depending on which internet plan you have.Spectrum will offer it for free on 2 Gig internet plans in certain areas, and for everyone else, it's an extra $10-20 per month.
The full price breakdown is below.Spectrum Invincible Wi-Fi pricing $20/mo more with Internet plans without Advanced WiFi $10/mo more for current customers with Advanced WiFi $10/mo more with 1 Gig Internet plan $10/mo more with Premier or above Internet plans bundled with Spectrum Mobile line Free with 2 Gig Internet plan (in available markets) For comparison, a UPS that will keep most routers and modems running for a few hours start at around $100.My CyberPower ST625U keeps my Spectrum modem/router and 4-bay Synology NAS powered for about 50 minutes and costs $80, but it would last longer without the NAS.
T-Mobile's standalone Home Internet Backup and Verizon's Wi-Fi Backup both start at $20/month.A separate UPS or 5G backup gives you more flexibility—the UPS can power other things too, like a NAS.This seems like a great choice for people interested in DIY networking and backups, though, especially since weather-related power outages are only increasing.
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If you're a Spectrum customer, you can check availability for the Invincible Wi-Fi system from the company's website.Source: Spectrum (1, 2)
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