APC Computer UPS

APC UPS

The name may be a mouthful, but anyone who has mission-critical data knows the value of an uninterruptible power supply when the mains go down. APC has been making computer uninterruptible power supplies for years, and an APC UPS is your guarantee for peace of mind no matter what the situation. Dont bet your data on a risk you could avoid with a little thought and a single purchase.

The idea behind a UPS is simple; put a battery between your computer and the mains, so that if the power goes out, the battery can take over the load, giving you time to shut down your systems gracefully. Because they fit between the mains and your system, many also offer surge protection at no extra cost.

There are three different types of UPS: standby, online, and line-interactive. The standby UPS is the simplest and cheapest. It does nothing until the mains go out, and then comes on. The only catch is that there can be a delay of a few milliseconds for the battery to come online. An online UPS runs your system off the battery all the time. It converts AC current from the mains to DC for the battery and then back again. Its less efficient but more effective. Line-interactive models use a transformer to cover voltage drops, and also provide a smoother transition than standby models.

When choosing any electrical device, its always important to make sure its compatible with Australian mains electricity. Both APC 230 V computer uninterruptible power supplies and APC 240 V computer uninterruptible power supplies are compatible with Australian mains, as the 240 V models can easily cope with a slightly lower voltage. The models to avoid are those that only support 100-120 V.

Ask yourself what you need to connect to your UPS. If you connect everything, it all works, but you drain the battery faster. Obviously, you connect your systems and monitors, but you may also want to connect your network hardware, because its not good if you lose access to a file because the network dropped out, even though neither computer went down.