What does my network cost me to run? ($0.55 a day)

A network to a Geek is like air to a human -- essential for life. And while networks come in all sizes and flavors, one thing they share in common is they are running 24/7. And like all things Geek, there is a cost associated with that.

I've measured the power consumption of my primary network components and found that my basic network and printing resources cost me an average $0.55 per day (or $17 per month). Given my past experience with mid-sized desktops, I was pleasantly surprised, especially since this figure includes the power necessary to keep a large capacity UPS up and running in addition to a Thecus N5200 NAS and 24/7 OfficeJet printer.

The equipment that is part of my 24/7 network is as follows:

• APC BR1200 UPS (I like my network to stay up for hours!)
• Motorola 5101 Surfboard Cable Modem
• Apple AirPort Extreme (Gigabit) Router
• Netgear ProSafe GS108 8-port Gigabit Switch
• HP 7300 OfficeJet Multifunction Printer
• Thecus N5200 Raid 5 NAS with 3 drives