|
|
|
How often do you turn off the power to your home cable (DSL, etc.) modem and/or router?
1/1: How often do you turn off the power to your home cable (DSL, etc.) modem and/or router?
Other polls | 5,416 votes | 49 comments
Only when it needs it...
I chose other. I only power it off to reset it when necessary. Maybe once every 3 months or so...
Only when screwed up at the other end
The only time I have to turn off my ADSL modem is when I power off/on to reset the connection when it is screwed up from the other end.
how about a poll for the machines
How about a poll on how often people leave on their machines?
Rarely
My cablemodem can take quite some time to start up (up to 30 min according to the specs). And it has had its share of problems so that I do not dare to touch it when its running.
It's pretty much being used all the time
Between bittorrent, spam filtering (to keep iPhone email usable), and different work schedules, we use our connection more often than not. I do think about the energy and pay the extra money on our electric bill to subsidize windpower.
Over-Night = Automated Work
My connection & systems stay 'awake' all night to do the random time-heavy automated stuff -- downloading large files, converting video files, etc. Always just seemed the most efficient use of time for me.
How often?
I unplug my router and cable box only a little more frequently than I turn off my refrigerator, and less frequently than I turn off my hot water heater.
How often?
I hear you...LOL
Power off? Nahhhhhh
The only time the network ever goes down is when I get a power failure (which happens almost once a month here). (No UPS, yet). The router is set to rest it's connection every month or so, but I'm not sure that counts as turning it off ;)
Shutdown of system
I have owned Apple equipment since the late 70's. When I am done I shut the whole system down be it once during during the day or many times during the day. I have never, ever had any of my computers in for maintenance.
Never
The amount of power used is so minimal that I don't bother. Besides, the internet is basically a utility, and needs to be available whenever I may need it. Kinda like my hot water heater (which is an energy hog)
Always on
My Internet connection and iMac are also on 24/7.
Always on
My router is not a blackbox device such as a netgear or dlink box, it is a full featured FreeBSD server, serving as my main www/smtp/ntp/dns server and uucp client so it is always on. The machine also does automatic things like cvsup, Mercurial conversion of repos and many more things. The laptops are put to sleep of course but the Internet connection is needed all times.
'Never' isn't a strong enough word
There should be another option on the poll. "Never" just simply doesn't capture it. Something more like "Over my cold dead body," or, "Sure, right after the turn out the Sun," might be more like it.
'Never' isn't a strong enough word
I'm glad someone else did this calculation. I did this a couple of years ago for everything in my house. 90% of all the electricity was consumed by two items: the refrigerator and the clothes dryer. Yes, I'm certainly concerned about the electricity that I waste on my cable modem, wireless router, electronics on standby, etc., but they are all a drop in the bucket compared to the environmental impact of fresh food and dry clothes.
I need to keep them up 24/7
I work at home and have three DSL lines in from different companies for load sharing/redundancy. I can not afford to shut them down otherwise clients can't access their backups when I'm not around and they tend to get a bit irate.
Server farm in the basement
The only reason I don't keep a pocket server farm in the basement is because the basement is too damp! They're up stairs in the bedroom, actually.
I need to keep them up 24/7
Never as well here. Up 24x7 because I and the wife use it all the time. Not to mention her parents (remotely), my parents (remotely), other family members, a few friends, and many of my clients.
Never, but sometimes on Vacation
I picked "never" because it was closer to what I actually do. When the whole family goes on a vacation that we will not have internet access on, I power everything down (like when we're camping). But if it's just me leaving for a while or if we will have internet access on vacation, I leave one compuer on: the one with all the important files and mail server.
never
Home or work - never.
Family ...
Initially I tried to keep them (ADSL modem + router) turned off while unused ... but other family members complained about it. They found it quite annoying to have to turn on before they could go online.
"Never"
My answer is really "never" (double-quotes included)...the only time the power goes off my router is when there is a power outage and my UPS doesn't last long enough, or it locks up and I cycle the power to get it going again. Unfortunately, this happens often enough (usually when I leave for several days, *right* after I leave) that I've attached it to a timer that cycles the power every 24 hours (I only turn this on when I will be gone for more than a day).
Sleep mode
I usually send my G5 to sleep when I'm not using it. (Meaning: when I'm not there, and when I'm not running some P2P app. Which I don't do very often really.) That saves a lot of power (spinning HDs, fans, power supply), and it's no hardship as it only takes a few seconds to wake up again.
"never"
I was perfectly comfortable answering "never", even though I powercycle my modem and/or router every few weeks, and even though there's occasionally a power outage that outlasts my UPS. The question says "how often do you turn off..." I don't consider those circumstances to be me "turning off" my equipment.
My definition of Never.
I voted never, however my definition of never, is of the five nines variety. I obviously have to reboot for regular maintenance, or power cycle the various devices to resolve an issue.
So 99.999% of the year I am connected. Some of the reasons for never turning the machines off are: - the machine is running an internet server service (example: ftp, www, smtp, imap, etc..) - the machine is volunteering processor time to wonderful research projects like http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org. My thoughts are: - it costs me around $10.00 in electricity per year to run each computer I leave on. - I replaced an AMD Sempron 2800+ mini-tower with a 300W power supply, with an Intel Mac Mini Core Duo, to do my Windows bidding from VMware, reducing at least one of my sources of power drain. - what help is powering off a satellite box and hard disk / dvd recorder if you can't record shows at a scheduled time, if the are hard off. - My electric company can't claim poverty from under use, if I continue to use their product. ;) Most of the electricity in Manitoba, Canada, is generated by renewable resources using HydroElectrix generating systems. - Our electric company exports electricity to the USA, though I still get charged a higher rate per kilowatt than the USA importers pay. Regards.
almost never
About the only time I power down the router and DSL modem is when there's a problem and I'm trying to determine if it's on my end or my ISP's end. I leave things on even when I'm vacation in case I need to get something from the desktop while I'm on the road. On the rare ocassion when I don't have my laptop with me on the road, I will power everything down, but that doesn't happen very often.
Vacation use
I leave the machine, router, and modem on at all times. I turn off the monitors at night.
On occasion
I always turn off my electronic equipment when I go on vacation, even if only for a weekend. But, I never turn off the TiVo, my MacBook, my wife's iBook or my two Airport Expresses at any other time. At night is when the laptops are doing their maintenance or converting videos that TiVo has recorded, and when the TiVo is updating its schedule/software. And I can't turn off the APXs because one provides the Wi-Fi and the other is wired to the TiVo for its internet connection.
Just answered "other" :
I only switch it of to restart it when it is like stuck…
No net, no phone
In France we have "boxes" (Freebox from Free, Livebox from FranceTelecom, ...) tat are all-in-ones : modem, switch, router, wifi access point and ATA for VoIP telephony.
I have to leave my DSL modem on...
...because I get my telephone service through it. Here in France, people in most areas have the option of ceasing to be telephone company customers; there are several companies that compete for ADSL Internet packages (typically from 8 to 20 mpbs, depending on where one lives). Through this pipe, I get my Internet access, many TV stations, and my phone service (with free calls to fixed lines anywhere in the European Union, Switzerland, Australia, US, Canada (to North America, I don't even pay for calls placed to cell phones), most of Asia, and bargain basement rates elsewhere. The service is extremely reliable, and convenience (I just pick up the phone and dial the way I always did) and quality are top-notch. In fact, there is no perceptible difference in voice quality between the old telephone service and this brand of VoIP. Cost for the whole setup is about a euro a day (and no more phone bills!) but the downside is that the ADSL modem must be powered otherwise I have no phone service.
I do over night network tasks
I have an older iBook acting as a backup server, and it is both backing up systems at home, as well as going over the internet to back up my Mom's iMac over night.
great question
I think I am going to start turning mine of at night just before I go to bed. It doesn't need to be on and I do like the idea of saving power for all the usual reasons. Great to see someone asking the environmental questions.
Dry clothes?
Anyone else using a clothes line? I feel so developing world in doing it, but it makes me feel good. And they smell nature fresh!
Dry clothes?
I've never owned a clothes dryer. Why is it "developing world"? Granted, if you live in an apartment, it's not practical, but I live in a house, in an area with plenty of sun, and it's a no-brainer.
Dry clothes?
I tried one in Oregon, but the clothes I put out in November hadn't dried by late June, so it looks like a no go :).
Never cause the cable co says so...
I used to switch my cable modem off at night but I had trouble getting an ip address in the morning, called the cable company and they told me to leave it on all the time because sometimes their dhcp servers are busy and it can take a while to reassign a new ip address to my box.
power
To me, all devices are like lightbulbs. There is a finite number of times they will turn on and off before "going out". So, I leave it all on...
power
I think lightbulbs have a finite number of hours, not on/off cycles. For example, if a lightbulb is turned on only once, will it last forever? I'd say it's a combination of cycles and hours, for all mechanical and electrical things. So don't turn your computer off everytime you stop using it, but don't leave it running all the time, either. Moderation, as usual, is key.
Other...
Whenever there is a thunderstorm approaching, I turn off all sensitive electronics. Also when I am on holiday, when I cannot hear the thunderstorm approaching:) (and yes, I have a home business).
Startup vs idle?
I've had engineers tell me that a device will use more power when starting up then it would if it was just sitting idle so you might as well just leave it on. I suppose this depends on the device. (Also, from the Grain-Of-Salt Dept., these were radio engineers, who wore suspenders and flannel shirts and said "Yep yep yep" and stuff like that and everything. Hi, Duff!)
---
internet should NEVER be turned off!
* as for pollution - nope, my information devices are powered by clean, reliable buclear energy ...
Other stuff
In our household, not only do we switch off the DSL router and network printer when we're not using them, we leave the toaster oven and µwave switched off for the same reason (and when they're on they flash 12:00). We live in a desert climate, so hot water comes through the cold pipe -- the heater runs, but only as a backup for chilly days, i.e. < 75˚ F. (I've worked it out that it would be more wasteful to switch it off and on). What else? We seldom use the alarm clock, because the sun wakes us up in summer, and the pre-dawn chill in winter. This is more regular than clockwork, natch.
It stays on, but...
I leave the router (and wireless to wired bridge) switched on for convinience. The cable modem is not under my control, and since the whole building is using it at all kinds of hours, shutting it down would get me lynched. =] The internet comes in at one point, is distributed through wifi, and then goes through a wifi-to-ethernet bridge at each room/appartment in the building. Not the way I would've set it up, but it's not my decision to make.
Voted Never
I have my Mac & external items connected to a UPS. When I am going to be gone for several days or more, I do power down the Mac & printer.
Cable modem shouldn't be turned off
the DOCSIS system doesn't work like a phone modem or DSL, Cable modems "help" eachother, that is why they have 46mbit bandwidth.
In addition
I am one of the old fashioned guys who turns his computer off when not in use, if I won'T be around for 2-3 hours, I just make it sleep.
so many issues here
I smell two things- the putrid guilt of the nevers, and the even nastier holier-than-thou stench of the whenevers. Hey, do your thing, and leave the judgment to rot on the doorstep.
Airport Express
I measured the power consumption of my Airport Express with a Kill-A-Watt and it turns out that it only uses like 2 watts... that's pretty minimal. Still, I try to turn it off when I go to bed, but more importantly I try to turn off my laser printer (8 watts while sleeping), and my cable modem (another 8 watts). |
SearchFrom our Sponsor...Latest Mountain Lion HintsWhat's New:HintsNo new hintsComments last 2 daysLinks last 2 weeksNo recent new linksWhat's New in the Forums?
Hints by TopicNews from Macworld
From Our Sponsors |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Copyright © 2014 IDG Consumer & SMB (Privacy Policy) Contact Us All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. |
Visit other IDG sites: |
|
|
|
Created this page in 0.05 seconds |
|