Uninterruptible Power Supplies

[miniConvert]

Hi,

I just wondered if many folk here had their Mac's hooked up to a UPS? If so, what has your experience of your make and model been and, if you know, what is it rated at?

I've just been installing several around the office as we're prone to power cuts. Now, theoretically, our entire network will stay up for a currently unknown period of time, allowing automated services to continue running and protecting OS X Server (on a Mac Pro).

Ours are a UK version of this I think: http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=153757

1200VA, providing up to 100 minutes backup time (though I can't see any details of what load that would be true for...)

Interested to hear of your experiences!

 

[janey]

I have a few UPSs floating around here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842101137 (never used with a mac..) and http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842101003 for starters.

I also have a couple (consumer grade) Belkins that are okay.

fwiw, the software that came with ALL of them sucked arse. i don't think it was universal when i got them, and I don't think either Belkin or APC have competent people creating software that actually works.

However, Mac OS X recognizes them just fine. My only gripe is that the battery indicator used in OS X sucks. I use SlimBatteryMonitor for that purpose.

 

[miniConvert]

I haven't actually tried hooking up the UPS's to machines via USB. I'll give it a go, I think I do think I'll give the software a miss, though, if OS X can recognise them without it.

 

[kuebby]

I have an Energizer one that I got for free (I think) a couple years ago through rebates. It has always worked fine when the power has gone out. It has a usb port for some sort of restore function but I never used it with my mac.

 

[cube]

MGE Pulsar EXtreme 3000VA is too noisy to use at home.

You can hook it up to the Mac using a serial/USB adapter, and use the NUT open source software, whose main supporter is MGE.

 

[mkrishnan]

However, Mac OS X recognizes them just fine. My only gripe is that the battery indicator used in OS X sucks. I use SlimBatteryMonitor for that purpose.

If all you want is to know how much backup power you have and have the computer be able to execute events like sleeping or shutting down on loss of power, then do you need to install the software, or can you get by with OS X's built-in features? It seems like OS X has enough options for me.

I've seriously been investigating getting one in the near future that would shield some of my consumer electronics (TV, etc) and provide continuous power to my computer, DVR, and router, so probably something more like the 1500VA range so I can just plug everything into it. Most things I just want to shield, but I'd like the DVR for instance (which is a "dumb" product) to stay live, consuming its relatively little power, and I'd like the iMac to power itself down or possibly stay awake sleeping.

Are most of these devices designed so that, if, say, the system went down to total power consumption on the order of 50W within about a minute (i.e. all the computers went to sleep mode, plus a couple of small current draw devices like router and cable modem, etc), they scale down to low level power distribution well (i.e., the power distribution curve seems non-linear, in the sense that a device rated at 7 minutes at 900W will be rated at 24 minutes at 450W... how would the device do at a much lower level, such as perhaps 50W? This would give one the more realistic option of keeping computers asleep for several hours during a home power outage without having to reboot them).

 

[Power Supply1]

Hi! I have my mac and other devices hooked up in a UPS. It's only about protecting your equipment/mac but as well as save files you are working on should there be sudden interruption in power.

 

[steve2112]

I have all my machines (except the notebook) connected to a UPS. I have a CyberPower 1200VA running my Mini and Windows 7 PC. I also have accessories such as the modem, router, and backup drives connected to a smaller model. I really like APC models, but you pay a bit more for the name. TrippLite is also a good brand. We use APC and TrippLite at work to run our data center and network equipment in remote offices.

Since I just got a shiny new TV, I really need to get one for the entertainment center. When I get the HTPC setup, I really want to protect everything. I may not have power for the fridge, but I will have internet and TV!

 

[Power Supply1]

That's cool! and that's right you really have to protect your devices especially if it's new. There are devices that you have to monitor the supply of power just to not to break it.