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How many watts does a wifi router use? (8 W)
A wifi router uses about 8 W
Typical range 5–20 watts.
Typical range 5–20 watts.
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A wifi router runs 24/7 but draws only a handful of watts, so its yearly cost is small despite never switching off.
Wifi router power specs
| Typical running power | 8 W |
| Typical range | 5–20 W |
| Energy use | 0.19 kWh/day · 5.8 kWh/mo |
What affects a wifi router's wattage
A wifi router is rated around 8 W, but the real figure shifts with a few things:
- Model and rating: A wifi router ranges from about 5 W on efficient units to 20 W on larger or older ones — a spread of ~15 W.
- Usage: the real draw depends on the workload — idle browsing draws far less than gaming or rendering.
- Run time: because a wifi router runs for long stretches (about 24 h/day), hours of use matter as much as raw wattage on your bill.
Running cost at $0.17/kWh
| Electricity rate | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.10/kWh | $0.02 | $0.58 | $7.01 |
| $0.15/kWh | $0.03 | $0.86 | $10.51 |
| $0.20/kWh | $0.04 | $1.15 | $14.02 |
| $0.25/kWh | $0.05 | $1.44 | $17.52 |
| $0.30/kWh | $0.06 | $1.73 | $21.02 |
| $0.40/kWh | $0.08 | $2.30 | $28.03 |
See the full breakdown of what it costs to run a wifi router, or what size power station runs a wifi router.
FAQ
How many watts does a wifi router use?
Typically 5-20 watts running continuously.
Should I turn off my router at night?
It saves only pennies and disrupts updates - most people leave it on.
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