When lightening strikes or the power grids fail, you'll be glad you invested in an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). Uninterrupted Power Supplies can save your system and give you peace of mind by providing secure battery backup for your essential computer equipment.

A UPS also provides surge protection to protect you against nasty power surges and spikes coming down the line. An Internet-ready UPS will protect your computer against power surges that can enter your equipment through your phone line.

Voltage variation can be the most damaging power problem to threaten your equipment. All electronic devices expect to receive a steady voltage (120 VAC in North America and 220/240 volts in many other parts of the world) in order to operate correctly.

Power failures (blackouts) can cause hardware damage and data loss. When the power returns, it often brings spikes and surges that cause even more damage.

Brownouts (low voltage in utility lines) place undue strain on power supplies and other internal components, forcing them to work harder in order to function. Extended brownouts can destroy electrical components and cause data glitches and hardware failure.

Surges (increase in the voltage) burn out power supplies and other components and can cause massive damage to your electronic hardware. Extended overvoltages can even cause fires as electronics "fry" in the extra electricity. Overburdened power grids can generate powerful surges as they switch between sources.

You can get a UPS to protect systems from a stand-alone PC/monitor to an entire network, and everything in between, with prices ranging from under $100 to thousands. 

A basic, sub $100 entry level UPS typically will include three battery-powered outlets with ample room for plugs and three surge and line-noise protected outlets for your printer and other noncritical peripherals.

Be sure to have all your peripherals plugged into your UPS battery backup unit. Don't forget to plug in your monitor, because when the main power disappears, you won't be able to see the screen to shut down your computer if your monitor is dead.

When the power goes out, a UPS should provided power for 5 to 10 minutes which is plenty of time to save all open files, close applications, and then shut down the system safely.