Fiber modem consumes 30W even when idle

Turning off the router at night: 195 kWh saved annually

There is an appliance in your home that never turns off, lacks an energy label, and runs 24 hours a day. The fiber optic modem consumes about **30 watts when idle**, according to the calculation starting this discussion, while the 16-port Ethernet distribution box adds another **15 watts** to the balance. By switching both off during the twelve nighttime hours, estimated savings reach **195 kWh per year**. A small amount, admits the person who did the math, but it adds up.

This figure is not an isolated case. Another household experience with an ADSL modem-router-switch places its consumption between **18 and 20 watts**, and the device also acts as a download client thanks to alternative firmware. The pattern repeats: small devices, always on, consuming silently.

How much does a router running 24/7 consume?

The problem isn't just active consumption. An external transformer that remains hot when the device is stopped reveals the invisible part of the bill: between **5 and 10 watts** that no one disconnects. In the case of the fiber modem, those who measure it claim it consumes **exactly the same whether idle or working**, data that invites you to throw the device away or cancel your operator subscription.

The most repeated solution involves a power strip with a switch. Digital timers that turn devices on and off by schedule failed in tests: the combined consumption of the timer and router exceeded the total consumption of the router alone. The manual switch wins easily.

Laptops don't always save more than desktops

The conversation shifted to home computer equipment, where consensus broke down. Some argue that replacing desktops with laptops multiplies savings because mobile components are designed to perform with minimal energy and automate port shutdown, frequency reduction, and fan stopping. Others respond with experience-based bills: in professional environments with intensive image work, a laptop requires adding an external calibrated screen, which consumes more than the equipment itself, and screens still degrade over time.

The technical nuance that settled part of the debate: when talking about tonalidad depth, we refer to **bits per channel**, not total bits. A professional monitor can have **12 bits per channel**. For professional retouching, a standard laptop is insufficient.

2.5-inch drives versus 3.5-inch drives

Another layer of savings lies in storage. Laptop drives are **2.5 inches** and operate at **5 volts**, powered directly via USB. Desktop drives are **3.5 inches** and need **12 volts**, requiring an external power supply. The difference in consumption between having a drive plugged in all night and not having one is real, although large drives are usually faster, cheaper, or higher capacity.

Raspberry Pi, mini-PCs, and the limit of tinkering

The emerging alternative is a low-power permanent computer: a Raspberry Pi downloading torrents consumes very little and plays 1080p smoothly, even powering from the TV's USB. A Zotac-style mini-PC adds a Blu-ray reader and Full HD resolution, though it comes without memory or disk and must be assembled. The drawback of old netbooks connected to the TV is their poor graphics controller, stuck at 1024x600.

Electricity bill as a social marker

The thread ends becoming a contest of figures. One case declares **40.54 euros for two months**, with **150 kWh consumption** and **3 kW contracted power**, boasting about not having a single pilot light on. Another responds paying **over one hundred euros monthly** and has lowered it to **40**, aiming for **35**. Electricity ceased being a fixed expense to become an endurance sport.

The closing note reflects distrust in the system: every time people save, the margin is recovered through other means. With these numbers, turning off the router twelve hours a day saves what a coffee costs per month. And yet, people still do it.