How to Stay Online During a Power Cut in Greece: UPS, 4G/5G Hotspots and Routers Compared
Four ways to keep internet working when the power is out: a mini UPS for your router, phone tethering, a pocket 4G hotspot, or a battery-powered 5G router. What each one needs, and what our 224 internet reports show.
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Key Facts
- Most home internet stops in a power cut because the router and fibre box (ONT) lose power, not because the network fails
- Cheapest fix: a 15 W DC mini UPS on the router; free fix: tethering from your phone
- Only battery-powered devices (a pocket hotspot, or the TP-Link M8550 with its 4,680 mAh battery) work with no UPS at all
- Mains-powered 4G/5G routers help only if you also run them from a UPS
- Outage.gr has 224 internet reports (2.0% of all reports): Cosmote 88, Vodafone 28, Nova 24, 74 with no provider stated
A power cut and an internet outage feel identical from the sofa, but they are different problems. When the electricity goes, your router and your fibre box (the ONT) go with it, and your connection disappears even though the provider's network may be perfectly fine. That is good news, because it means you can fix it yourself for a modest amount of money.
What our data says about internet outages
Outage.gr has 11,247 reports since February 2026. Only 224 of them (2.0%) are internet reports; 10,893 are about electricity. Of the internet reports, 88 named Cosmote, 28 Vodafone and 24 Nova, 10 named other providers, and 74 did not state one. Please read that as "who reports on Outage.gr", not as a league table: provider counts follow market share and who happens to use the site, so they say nothing reliable about which network is better. We say more in our provider comparison.
The practical point is different: if your internet dies when the lights go out, check the power first. Our guide to internet outages during power cuts explains how to tell the two apart.
Four ways to stay online
| Option | Works with no mains? | Best for | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone tethering | Yes, until the phone battery runs out | One or two devices, short cuts | A data plan with hotspot allowed, a power bank |
| Mini UPS on the router | Yes, for hours on a 15 W load | Whole home, all devices | A DC UPS matching the router's voltage |
| Pocket 4G hotspot | Yes, on its own battery | Travel, backup | A SIM with data |
| Battery-powered 5G router | Yes, on its own battery | Best backup for a home or a small shop | A SIM with data |
| Mains 4G/5G router | Only if you also use a UPS | Homes with no fibre or DSL | A SIM with data and a UPS |
Option 1: tethering (free)
Switch on your phone's hotspot. It costs nothing, but it drains the phone's battery fast and your mobile plan may limit hotspot data. Keep a power bank (see our power-cut kit guide) next to it.
Option 2: a mini UPS on the router (our usual recommendation)
If you have fibre or DSL and just want it to keep working, this is the cheapest answer, and your whole home network keeps running. A DC mini UPS powers the router from its battery. The model we found on sale is a 15 W unit with a 9 V / 12 V output:
Kotsovolos
Lamtech Mini DC UPS 15W (9V / 12V output)
The cheapest way to keep your router and fibre box alive
- 15 W DC UPS with 9 V / 12 V output
- Kotsovolos positions it for broadband users and says it keeps the connection powered for “several hours”
- Check your router’s adapter label (volts and watts) before buying
Listing title: Lamtech Mini DC 15W 9V/12V Output UPS Surge
Read the label on the router's adapter first (volts and amps), and remember that a fibre connection usually has a separate adapter for the ONT. If you have both, check that the UPS covers the combined draw. For PC-size units that can power a router and a desktop at once, see our UPS buying guide.
Option 3: a pocket 4G hotspot
A portable hotspot takes a SIM and shares Wi-Fi. Portable devices like this are designed to run on an internal battery, so check the battery capacity in the full spec before you buy.
Public
TP-Link M7350 4G portable hotspot
The simple pocket hotspot: a SIM card in, Wi-Fi out
- Portable 4G hotspot, Wi-Fi 4 single band (2.4 GHz)
- 36-month warranty listed
- Public lists it as available to order (not always in stock)
Listing title: TP-Link M7350 Φορητό Hotspot 4G Wi-Fi 4 Single Band (2.4GHz)
Option 4: a battery-powered 5G router
The standout in our research is the TP-Link M8550 at Kotsovolos: it lists a 4,680 mAh battery, so it keeps working when the mains is off, and it supports up to 32 devices. That makes it the best single-box backup for a home or a small shop that cannot afford to go offline.
Kotsovolos
TP-Link M8550 5G mobile Wi-Fi router
The one that runs on its own battery — the best blackout router here
- 5G with Wi-Fi 6E (AXE3600), speeds up to 3.4 Gbps per Kotsovolos
- 4,680 mAh battery, so it keeps working when the mains is off
- Connects up to 32 devices; Gigabit LAN/WAN port; touchscreen
Listing title: TP-Link M8550 5G Mobile Wi-Fi M8550 Router
If you have no fibre or DSL at all
Fixed 4G and 5G routers are a way to get home internet where wired options are poor. They plug into the wall, though, so for a power cut you would still add a UPS.
Public
Cudy LT700 v1.2 4G router (Wi-Fi 5)
A fixed 4G router for a home or shop that has no fibre or DSL
- 4G Cat.6 router with Wi-Fi 5, up to 867 Mbps wireless
- 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports
- 24-month warranty listed
- Sold and shipped by a Public Partner (Shop13), not by Public itself
It is a mains-powered router like any other, so it only helps in a power cut if you also run it from a UPS (check its adapter voltage first).
Check price at PublicListing title: Cudy LT700 v1.2 Ασύρματο 4G Mobile Router Wi-Fi 5 με 4 Θύρες Gigabit Ethernet
Public
TP-Link NX200 5G/4G router (Wi-Fi 6)
Fixed 5G router that can replace a flaky DSL line
- 5G/4G router with Wi-Fi 6 dual band (2.4 + 5 GHz), 1,201 Mbps Wi-Fi
- 3× 1 Gbps LAN and 1× 1 Gbps WAN ports
- 24-month warranty listed
Mains-powered — pair it with a UPS if the goal is staying online during a power cut.
Check price at PublicListing title: TP-Link NX200 Mobile Router 5G/4G Wi-Fi 6 Dual Band (2.4 & 5GHz)
Will mobile data work during a blackout?
Often yes, but not always and not forever. Mobile masts have their own backup batteries, but how long they last varies by site, and in a large area-wide outage, congestion can slow everyone down at the same time. Treat mobile data as a good backup, not a guarantee, and keep a second option (a power bank for your phone, offline copies of key phone numbers).
Make the choice in one minute
- Do you only need to stay online for an hour or two? A mini UPS on the router is enough.
- Do you run a small business or work from home on deadlines? Add a battery-powered 5G router as a second line.
- Do you have no fibre or DSL? A fixed 4G/5G router plus a UPS.
- Do you travel a lot? A pocket hotspot doubles as a travel router.
When the next cut happens, report it on Outage.gr and check the outage map to see whether your neighbours are affected too.