UPS required

[Steve]

Can anyone recommend a sensibly priced UPS that works with both XP and WHS. I need two, one for the Windows Home Server and one for an XP PC with a dodgy CMOS. We had two powercuts last night and as a result I appear to be the only person in the house who can restore the bios settings and enable the SATA raid on this machine. Probably sensible to get rid of the RAID but would be a shame as its a great games machine with SLI graphics.

[scook94]

Can't help with the UPS but you shouldn't be losing the CMOS setup after a power cut. Have you a meter to check the CMOS battery isn't in need of replacement?

[Gary]

Can anyone recommend a sensibly priced UPS that works with both XP and WHS. I need two, one for the Windows Home Server and one for an XP PC with a dodgy CMOS. We had two powercuts last night and as a result I appear to be the only person in the house who can restore the bios settings and enable the SATA raid on this machine. Probably sensible to get rid of the RAID but would be a shame as its a great games machine with SLI graphics.

I use one of these http://www.microwarehouse.co.uk/catalogue/item/BELUPS17?cidp=Ciao&utm_source=ciao&utm_medium=pcc three year guarantee and normal thee pin plug sockets at the back, works with xp Vista and I imagine home server via a usb lead, you don't have to use any software its running my 1200watt psu on my pc, 22inch monitor, router and external HDD, very dependable, you can get less powerful ones, the 800 volt amp one is under £80

[Steve]

Thanks Gary I  wish my (which ever way you say it is open to misinterpretation)bits of kit were not scattered all over the house. If I use one for the router I would need 3, I presume you could get away with relatively low power devices if all you wish to do is get a pc into sleep/standy mode.

Comment from another forum,
You have a UPS, which implies that the continued, stable and reliable operation of your machine is paramount.

But you installed Vista?

Perhaps some idnetters there as well.

I gather that the usb connector is used to communicate with the machine to get it to sleep or standby so vista compatibility would be good for the machine next to the server.


Edit: Apparently Belkin have Bulldog plus software which is compatible with all windows version since 98 SE including server 2003 so WHS should be ok http://www.belkin.com/uk/support/product/?lid=enu&pid=F6C120ukUNV&scid=256

[Gary]

Thanks Gary I  wish my (which ever way you say it is open to misinterpretation)bits of kit were not scattered all over the house. If I use one for the router I would need 3, I presume you could get away with relatively low power devices if all you wish to do is get a pc into sleep/standy mode.

Comment from another forum,
You have a UPS, which implies that the continued, stable and reliable operation of your machine is paramount.

But you installed Vista?

Perhaps some idnetters there as well.

I gather that the usb connector is used to communicate with the machine to get it to sleep or standby so vista compatibility would be good for the machine next to the server.


Edit: Apparently Belkin have Bulldog plus software which is compatible with all windows version since 98 SE including server 2003 so WHS should be ok http://www.belkin.com/uk/support/product/?lid=enu&pid=F6C120ukUNV&scid=256

I don't use the software, Vista and XP went into sleep, or shutdown perfectly without it, three sockets are battery backed up the forth is surge protection, the communication is perfect, I can with Vista set the percentage of power to make it stay up for 20mins + or sht down in 5 mins which I do if I am going out, the bulldog software is good but I found not needed and the less software I have running I don't need the better in my view it works perfectly with Vista which is what's on my machine, I have a QX9650 cpu a 1200 watt PSU,  two 500GB hard drives, two GTX 280 graphic cards and a X-FI sound card, plus the monitor and router all off one UPS, if you have kit scattered across the house I would get a small UPS for the other devices and a more powerful one like the Belkin possibly for the server, and since its WHS it should run fine with the Belkin as it is without the bulldog software.

[Steve]

Thanks again Gary

[Steve]

Can't help with the UPS but you shouldn't be losing the CMOS setup after a power cut. Have you a meter to check the CMOS battery isn't in need of replacement?

I broke something changing a previous battery

[Rik]

Some to look at here, Steve:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130473
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130474
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130476

[Gary]

Some to look at here, Steve:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130473
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130474
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130476

Rik is the UPS king

[Steve]

Thanks Rik not too expensive either. Just wondering how they work. If I have a power cut does the OS think its then on battery and then you could if you wish tailor a standby or whatever within the available battery time. I have done a quick google and noticed some vista incompatible UPS,struggling to find a support site for Plexus UPS at present.

[Rik]

Can't speak for Vista, Steve, but the range are fine with XP, providing a graceful shutdown (if needed). Better, they provide regulated voltage, so no over-voltage (as happens here regularly) or under.

[Steve]

Thanks Rik and Gary. I will get the Belkin universal UPS for the main desktop and WHS, and the cheaper Plexus for the xp machine with the dodgy CMOS

[dysonco]

I've had Belkin UPS and they aren't bad but I have always returned to APC smart UPS.

They aren't cheap, but they just work.... For ever...  I have a 1400VA thats now 10 years old, been rebatteried once and is still going strong.

Best,

Mike

[esh]

Currently using Liebert/Emerson 1000 VA UPS devices with line protection. They are absolutely fine under Windows but the USB support is shoddy in Unix, so they will probably be replaced with APC eventually. You need the arcane combination of a serial port and Java to get the full most out of them.

[uxbod]

APC here and worked beautifully under Linux.  Would always highly recommend APC.  You pay more but get what you pay for.