How to keep your router and WiFi running 24/7 on solar
Your router is the most constant load in your home. Here's the minimum solar kit that keeps it running all night.
The router is one of the few devices in your home that runs 24/7. The monthly bill is small, but over a year it's 50-100 kWh — a perfect target for a tiny solar setup that also protects you from outages.
How much your router uses
- Basic DSL/fiber router: 5-10 W (≈ 0.2 kWh/day)
- WiFi 6 multi-band router: 12-18 W (≈ 0.35 kWh/day)
- Router + ONT + mesh node: 20-35 W (≈ 0.6-0.8 kWh/day)
- 8-port PoE switch: +20-40 W extra
Minimum kit for 24/7 WiFi
0.8 kWh/day ÷ 4.5 PSH × 1.3 = 230 W of panel. Since it must also run at night, size the battery: 0.8 × 1.5 days autonomy ÷ 0.9 = 1.3 kWh. A small 1.28 kWh LiFePO4 battery (100 Ah at 12.8 V) is enough.
Trick: feed the router straight from DC
Your router runs internally on 12 V DC (check the brick). Skip the inverter and wire it to the battery bank via a DC-DC converter. You save 10-15% inverter losses and simplify the system.
Bonus: solar UPS for blackout-proof internet
Combine the small panel with a 12 V UPS of 80-150 Wh and you get uninterrupted internet for 4-8 hours during a blackout with no complex install. Total cost: $170-320.
To do the same for the fridge plus a TV, check the apartment kit guide.
Want to know how much energy your appliances use? Calculate it here.
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