DrayTek Routers: What a UK Household Should Know

DrayTek is a maker of networking equipment: routers, mobile broadband routers, Wi-Fi access points and network switches. For a household, the piece that matters most in an emergency is the router, because it is the box that carries your internet connection and, on a digital landline, your phone calls too. Government guidance is clear that digital landlines cannot carry a power connection, so handsets and routers must be powered from your home power supply and will not work in a power cut unless you have a backup power system such as a battery or generator¹.

That single fact shapes everything on this page. A DrayTek router is not emergency kit in its own right, but it is the equipment your broadband and phone service depends on, and knowing how it behaves when the power fails, how to keep it updated and where to get help will make an outage easier to get through.

What DrayTek makes for UK households

DrayTek's range covers the equipment that sits between your broadband line and the devices in your home. The Vigor routers are the main units, handling the connection itself. Mobile broadband routers do the same job over a mobile network rather than a fixed line. Wi-Fi access points extend wireless coverage around a house, and network switches connect wired devices together.

None of this is specialist survival equipment, and it is not sold as such. It is the plumbing of a home network. What matters for preparedness is that your household's ability to make calls, receive warnings and contact help increasingly runs through this equipment. Communications providers should keep you informed during outages with clear, timely updates on what is happening, and where possible may offer temporary or alternative ways to stay connected, often through a status page covering planned maintenance and significant incidents⁶.

If you are building a household plan, treat the router as one link in a chain that also includes your phone, your provider and, where you have one, a backup power source. The Staying Informed and in Touch in an Emergency guide sets out the wider picture, and the Power Cuts guide covers what to do when the supply fails.

Vigor routers: keeping the home connection running

The Vigor range is DrayTek's main line of routers. In ordinary use a router simply shares your broadband connection around the house. In an emergency it is the point where your internet, and on a digital line your calls, either keep working or stop.

Two things decide which. The first is power. Without mains electricity, a router stops, and so does anything plugged into it. The second is the line itself. If your broadband or phone service arrives over a digital landline, the handset and router both depend on your home power supply¹. Your landline provider should offer a solution such as a battery back-up unit if you do not have a mobile or live somewhere with no signal⁷. For most customers, telecoms companies recommend using a mobile phone as a backup in case of a power cut⁷.

If your router was supplied by your broadband provider, they are your first point of contact for configuration and faults. Some customers might need new equipment, which could include a router, adaptor or handset, and your provider should explain what is needed and arrange this with you².

Mobile broadband routers: a backup when the line fails

A mobile broadband router connects to a mobile network rather than a fixed line, which makes it a useful second route to the internet when the line itself fails. It still needs power, so it does not solve a power cut on its own, but it can keep a household online when the fixed connection is down.

Ofcom's advice for severe weather is to have access to more than one mobile provider within a household, because that gives a greater chance that at least one service may be available; you could also use an eSIM, if your phone supports it, to have two providers on one device³. A mobile phone is recommended as an emergency backup². If you have no working mobile phone or reliable mobile signal, your landline provider must offer you, for free, a back-up solution such as a battery back-up unit for your home³.

If you rely on a mobile router, check the maker's specification for your model and confirm SIM compatibility with the network you intend to use before an emergency, not during one.

Wi-Fi access points: coverage around the home

Access points extend wireless coverage, which matters most when the household is gathered in one room during an outage, or when you are trying to get a signal at the back of the house. During an outage, try different ways to connect: public Wi-Fi in cafés, offices or transport hubs may still be available, and messaging may work even when calls do not; moving a short distance can sometimes improve signal, and other people nearby may be able to connect using a different network⁶.

Access points need power and a working connection like any other network equipment, so they add coverage but not resilience. Plan for them to go down with everything else.

Network switches: connecting wired devices

A switch connects wired devices to the network. In a home it is usually a small box linking a router to a desktop, a printer or a smart device. It has no independent role in an emergency beyond passing the connection through, and it needs mains power to do it.

If you are reviewing what your household depends on, make an inventory of equipment that uses the landline and identify which lines it is connected to, check with device providers whether equipment is digital-ready, and ask your communication provider for guidance on moving to a fully digital setup⁸. That inventory is worth keeping on paper.

Keeping a router running in a power cut

A router cannot run without power, so the question is what backup you have. Government guidance is that digital landlines cannot carry a power connection, so handsets and routers must be powered from your home power supply and will not function in a power cut unless you have a backup power system such as a battery or generator¹.

Alongside any backup power, prepare the basics. Keep a battery or wind-up radio and spare batteries, and write down radio station frequencies on paper⁹. Keep a torch handy¹⁰. Keep a mobile phone charged and write down important phone numbers¹¹. Keep a paper copy of important phone numbers, including family, neighbours, doctor and utilities, in case your mobile loses power or you cannot access your contacts⁶.

The Backup Power at Home guide covers battery units and generators in detail, and Emergency Lighting at Home covers torches and lanterns.

Firmware updates and router security

Router software needs updating, and the National Cyber Security Centre advises applying updates to your apps and your device's software as soon as they are available, because updates include protection from viruses⁴. For a router, that means checking the maker's firmware for your model and installing it when one is released.

If you suspect an account has been compromised, the NCSC advises forcing all devices and apps to log out, usually from the Settings menus of the app or website, so anyone attempting to use the account is prompted to supply the new password⁴. Change default passwords when you set a router up, and keep a record of what you changed.

The Cyber Attacks and Major IT Failures guide covers the wider household picture.

Safety notices and recalls

Check your equipment against official recall notices. If an appliance is not listed as recalled it should be safe to use, and if you have concerns about its safety, contact the retailer or manufacturer¹². Register appliances at registermyappliance.org.uk to receive updates on faults and recalls¹³.

Electrical safety matters all year: some 7,000 house fires are caused by faulty electrics, appliances, wiring and overloaded sockets every year in the UK¹⁴. Keep electrical appliances clean and in good working order¹⁴. When charging phones, tablets and laptops, use approved chargers and charge on hard surfaces¹⁵.

Support and warranty in the UK

For support, start with whoever supplied the router. If your broadband provider supplied it, they handle configuration and faults. If you bought it yourself, the maker's own documentation and support channels are the route, and the warranty terms come from the maker and the retailer you bought from.

Keep your model name and serial number written down with your household information, along with your provider's contact details. If your landline will not work during a power cut, your landline provider might offer you a free solution such as a back-up battery unit, for a minimum of one hour, that would enable you to call the emergency services during a power cut if you needed to¹⁷. If you use telecare devices, contact your landline provider, who will give you additional support for the switchover and check whether your existing equipment is digital-ready².

For households that need extra help, the Extra Help in an Emergency guide explains the Priority Services Register and other support.