Short answer: PowerShield makes four main UPS families. SafeGuard (750–1000VA) and Defender (650–2000VA tower, 800–1500VA rackmount) are line-interactive UPSs with AVR and a simulated sine wave on battery, built for PCs, NBN gear and small network cabinets. Commander (1100–3000VA) is line-interactive with a pure sine wave and a 0.9 power factor. Centurion (1–10kVA single phase, including LiFePO4) is true online double conversion with zero transfer time, for servers and critical sites.
Quick pick: home office or NBN router → SafeGuard or Defender · wall-mount comms cabinet → Defender Rackmount · NAS, workstation or gate/camera gear needing pure sine → Commander · server rack, regional power or generator site → Centurion RT.
ARC IP Networks is a trusted PowerShield supplier in Australia: genuine stock at competitive prices, with the full PowerShield Australian warranty, Australia-wide delivery and trade pricing.
PowerShield UPS range at a glance
All single phase. Warranty is the PowerShield Australian warranty as published by PowerShield.
Swipe the table sideways to compare all series →
| Series | Topology | Output on battery | Sizes | Form factor | Warranty | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SafeGuard | Line interactive + AVR | Simulated sine | 750, 1000VA | Powerboard style, wall mountable | 2 years advance replacement | Home office, NBN modem/router, single PC |
| Defender (tower) | Line interactive + AVR | Simulated sine | 650–2000VA | Tower, fanless | 2 years advance replacement | Workstations, small office, desktop NAS |
| Defender Rackmount | Line interactive + AVR | Simulated sine | 800, 1500VA | 19" rack, 230 / 300 mm deep | 2 years advance replacement | Shallow wall-mount comms cabinets |
| Commander Tower | Line interactive + AVR | Pure sine | 1100, 2000VA | Tower | 2 years, 3 years when registered | Workstations, NAS, gates, cameras |
| Commander RT | Line interactive + AVR | Pure sine | 1100–3000VA | Rack/tower, 2U | 2 years, 3 years when registered | Network and telecom racks |
| Centurion RT | True online double conversion | Pure sine | 1000–3000VA, 6000VA long run | Rack/tower, 2U | 2 years, 3 years when registered | Servers, critical racks, generator sites |
| Centurion Tower | True online double conversion | Pure sine | 1000–6000VA | Tower (6kVA hardwired) | 2 years, 3 years when registered | Remote, industrial and medical sites |
| Centurion RT LiFePO4 | True online double conversion | Pure sine | 1000–3000VA | Rack/tower, 2U | 5 years | Hot cabinets, long service life, fast recharge |
How the PowerShield range is organised: three shields
PowerShield sorts its UPSs by topology, meaning how the UPS handles mains power before and during an outage, and badges each level as a shield. This is its own comparison from the PowerShield product guide:
Swipe the table sideways to compare all models →
| Standby: Basic Protection | Line interactive: Enhanced Protection | True online: Premium Protection | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PowerShield series | Ninja Slimline (PSLN600) | SafeGuard, Defender, Commander | Centurion, Platinum |
| Problems addressed | Power failure, sags, surges | + brownouts and spikes | + line noise, frequency drift, switching transients, harmonic distortion |
| Backup duration | Short | Short to medium | Long |
| Voltage regulation | On battery only | Limited | Permanent |
| Frequency regulation | No | No | Yes |
| Typical usage | Small office | Entry level enterprise | Harsh environment |
Source: PowerShield Product Guide (A4 brochure), "Choose your UPS".
In practice: SafeGuard and Defender pass mains through automatic voltage regulation (AVR) and switch to a simulated sine wave in a typical 6 ms; Commander does the same with a pure sine wave; Centurion converts AC to DC to AC all the time, so PowerShield lists transfer as zero. Our online vs line-interactive guide goes deeper.
SafeGuard: compact UPS for a single desk
The SafeGuard PSG750 (750VA / 450W) and PSG1000 (1000VA / 600W) look like a heavy-duty powerboard. They sit on the floor or mount on a wall, and every outlet is Australian.
- Line interactive with buck and boost AVR, 6 ms typical transfer, simulated sine wave on battery.
- One 12V 9Ah battery, user replaceable. PowerShield quotes about 25 minutes backup for one PC at 100 W.
- Surge protection rated 468 J / 11,000 A (PSG750) and 475 J / 13,000 A (PSG1000).
- USB communication with free NetGuard software for monitoring and automatic shutdown.
- Fanless (under 40 dB). The PSG1000 adds an informative display and a 10 W USB charging port.
Who it suits: a home office PC, NBN modem and router, phone system or point-of-sale terminal.
Defender: the line-interactive workhorse
Defender tower (650–2000VA)
The Defender tower comes in four sizes: PSD650 (650VA / 390W), PSD1200 (1200VA / 720W), PSD1600 (1600VA / 960W) and PSD2000 (2000VA / 1200W). Defender ratings are calculated at a 0.6 power factor, so read the watt figure when you size it.
- Boost and buck AVR, 6 ms typical transfer, simulated sine wave on battery.
- Australian outlets: two battery-backed outlets on the PSD650; three battery-backed plus three surge-only outlets on the larger models.
- Backup at 50% load per PowerShield: 6 min (PSD650), 13 min (PSD1200), 10 min (PSD1600), 5.5 min (PSD2000).
- HID over USB, which PowerShield lists as supporting Windows, Apple, Linux and NAS devices, plus NetGuard software.
- Silent, fanless design (under 40 dB), user-replaceable batteries and cold start.
Defender Rackmount (800VA and 1500VA)
The PSDR800 (800VA / 480W) is just 230 mm deep and the PSDR1500 (1500VA / 900W) is 300 mm deep, both 86 mm high (2RU), which is why they suit shallow wall-mount comms cabinets. They keep the Defender AVR and simulated sine output, add two 10 A IEC outlets alongside Australian sockets, and include an intelligent slot for a PowerShield SNMP card so the UPS can be monitored over the network. Both are fanless. PowerShield lists about 8 minutes backup at 50% load for the Defender Rackmount series. The PSDR1500 uses long-life batteries with an 8–10 year design life.
Commander: pure sine wave without the online price tag
Commander is still line interactive, but it produces a pure sine wave on battery and has a 0.9 output power factor. PowerShield positions it for networking, telecom, security, gates and motor loads.
Commander Tower
PSCM1100 (1100VA / 990W) and PSCM2000 (2000VA / 1800W). Transfer 6 ms typical, a 3-stage charge system for battery longevity, three C13 outlets plus two Australian sockets, an LCD showing battery time remaining, and ECO mode at up to 98% efficiency. USB and RS-232 are standard, with an intelligent slot for SNMP, Modbus or AS400 dry-contact cards. The towers are not expandable.
Commander RT (rack or tower)
PSCRT1100 (1100VA / 990W), PSCRT2000 (2000VA / 1800W) and PSCRT3000 (3000VA / 2700W) are 2U units that sit in a 19-inch rack or stand as a tower. Five C13 outlets plus Australian sockets (and a C19 on the 3000VA), surge protection rated 1,560 J / 32,500 A, and hot-swappable batteries. The 2000VA and 3000VA models take an extra battery module (PSRTBB8 and PSRTBB12) for longer runtime. The 3000VA model needs a 15 A wall socket.
Centurion: true online double conversion
Centurion is PowerShield's premium range: the inverter runs all the time, so equipment never sees the mains directly. PowerShield lists a zero AC-to-battery transfer time, a 40–70 Hz input frequency window, input power factor correction and generator compatibility.
Centurion RT (1000–3000VA, 2U rack/tower)
PSCERT1000 (1000VA / 900W), PSCERT1500 (1500VA / 1350W), PSCERT2000 and the shorter PSCERT2000SB (2000VA / 1800W, 480 mm deep), and PSCERT3000 (3000VA / 2700W). Output power factor 0.9, advanced ECO mode, programmable outlets, emergency power off (EPO), hot-swappable batteries and an extra-large charger so added battery modules recharge quickly.
Centurion RT LiFePO4
PSLCERT1000, PSLCERT2000 and PSLCERT3000 use lithium iron phosphate batteries. PowerShield quotes a 2-hour typical recharge, batteries up to one third lighter, up to three times faster recharge and a 5-year warranty. Published backup is 44 / 22 / 14 / 11 minutes at 25 / 50 / 75 / 100% load. These models are not expandable.
Centurion Tower and 6kVA
The Centurion Tower runs from 1000VA to 10000VA: PSCE1000, PSCE2000, PSCE3000, the hardwired PSCE6000 (6000VA / 6000W) and a 10kVA model. It has two sets of rear sockets, one programmable so you can shed less important loads and leave more runtime for critical gear. For 6kVA in a rack, the PSCERT6000L long-run Centurion RT runs from external battery banks; the RT range also reaches 10000VA.
Model-by-model comparison
Capacity is VA / watts. Transfer is the typical AC-to-battery transfer time from PowerShield's brochures.
Swipe the table sideways to compare all models →
| Model | VA / W | Topology | Battery waveform | Transfer | Batteries | Form | Extra battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSG750 | 750 / 450 | Line interactive | Simulated | 6 ms | 1 × 12V 9Ah | Powerboard | No |
| PSD650 | 650 / 390 | Line interactive | Simulated | 6 ms | 1 × 12V 9Ah | Tower | No |
| PSD1200 | 1200 / 720 | Line interactive | Simulated | 6 ms | 2 × 12V 7Ah | Tower | No |
| PSDR800 | 800 / 480 | Line interactive | Simulated | 6 ms | 1 × 12V 9Ah | Rack 2RU, 230 mm | No |
| PSDR1500 | 1500 / 900 | Line interactive | Simulated | 6 ms | 2 × 12V 9Ah | Rack 2RU, 300 mm | No |
| PSCM1100 | 1100 / 990 | Line interactive | Pure sine | 6 ms | 2 × 12V 9Ah | Tower | No |
| PSCM2000 | 2000 / 1800 | Line interactive | Pure sine | 6 ms | 4 × 12V 9Ah | Tower | No |
| PSCRT2000 | 2000 / 1800 | Line interactive | Pure sine | 6 ms | 4 × 12V 9Ah | Rack/tower 2U | PSRTBB8 |
| PSCRT3000 | 3000 / 2700 | Line interactive | Pure sine | 6 ms | 6 × 12V 9Ah | Rack/tower 2U | PSRTBB12 |
| PSCERT1000 | 1000 / 900 | Online | Pure sine | Zero | 3 × 12V 9Ah | Rack/tower 2U | PSRTBB6 |
| PSCERT2000SB | 2000 / 1800 | Online | Pure sine | Zero | 4 × 12V 9Ah | Rack/tower 2U | PSRTBB8 |
| PSCERT3000 | 3000 / 2700 | Online | Pure sine | Zero | 6 × 12V 9Ah | Rack/tower 2U | PSRTBB12 |
| PSLCERT2000 | 2000 / 1800 | Online | Pure sine | Zero | LiFePO4 | Rack/tower 2U | No |
Source: PowerShield brochures and powershield.com.au product pages. Specifications are subject to change by PowerShield.
The differences that matter when choosing
Waveform: simulated or pure sine
SafeGuard and Defender output a stepped, simulated sine wave on battery. That is fine for most PCs, modems and switches, and it is how PowerShield keeps these models compact and fanless. Commander and Centurion output a pure sine wave, the safer choice for equipment with active-PFC power supplies (many servers, rackmount NAS units and high-end workstations), motors, gate controllers and anything that hums or shuts down on a stepped waveform.
Watts per VA
SafeGuard and Defender are rated at 0.6 (1200VA = 720 W), Commander and Centurion RT at 0.9 (2000VA = 1800 W). Size on watts; see our UPS sizing guide.
Management and shutdown
Every UPS here has USB with HID, so Windows, macOS, Linux and NAS systems can shut down cleanly. Defender Rackmount, Commander and Centurion add an intelligent slot for a network card such as the PSSNMPV4 SNMP card, which supports VMware and Hyper-V and connects the PSEMD temperature and humidity sensor.
Which PowerShield series for which Australian site
ARC IP Networks suggestions based on PowerShield's published specifications. Check the watt load before you buy.
| Site or load | Suggested series | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Home office, NBN modem and router | SafeGuard PSG750 or Defender PSD650 | Small, fanless, Australian outlets |
| Shallow wall-mount comms cabinet | Defender Rackmount PSDR800 | 230 mm deep, SNMP slot, fanless |
| Desktop NAS (4–8 bay) | Defender PSD1200 or Commander PSCM1100 | HID over USB to DSM or QTS |
| Gate motor, CCTV recorder, security panel | Commander PSCM1100 | PowerShield lists gates and cameras for this range |
| 19-inch network rack in an office | Commander RT PSCRT2000 | Pure sine, 2U, expandable runtime |
| Server rack, VMware or Hyper-V hosts | Centurion RT PS1KRNB2U bundle or PSCERT3000 | Online, SNMP card, rail kit |
| Hot plant room or roadside cabinet | Centurion RT LiFePO4 PSLCERT1000 | LiFePO4 chemistry, 5-year warranty |
Beyond the core range: Ninja, DC and three phase
- Ninja Slimline (PSLN600): a 600VA standby UPS, 42 mm thin, with a long-life LiFePO4 battery, silent operation, auto restart when AC recovers and mounting brackets, for switchboards, irrigation panels and menuboards.
- DC series: the DC Mini plugpack (PSDCMIN12-18, 12 Vdc) backs up modems and routers with Li-ion batteries; the 24 Vdc DC Pilot was chosen by Telstra for its satellite Base Band Units.
- Three phase: Centurion 3/1 (10 to 20kVA) and 3/3 (10 to 30kVA) online UPSs with a 0.9 output power factor, the Centurion Pro (10 to 80kVA), and the Platinum Modular (20 to 240kW in 20 or 30kW modules, power factor 1, built-in maintenance bypass). Ask us for a quote.
Accessories that complete a PowerShield install
Plan these with the UPS: extended battery modules (PSRTBB6, PSRTBB8, PSRTBB12; PSRTBB16 or PSCERBB20 for the 6000VA long-run model), the PSSNMPV4 SNMP card and PSEMD sensor, PSMBS2K or PSMBS3K maintenance bypass switches, PSRK or PSRK1100 rail kits, and PSB12-9 replacement batteries. PowerShield also makes rack, wall and hot-swappable bypass switches, smart managed and unmanaged PDUs, automatic transfer switches, and relay (PSAS400), Modbus and Cyber Secure SNMP cards. See our battery bank runtime guide for which module fits which UPS.
PowerShield UPS picks from each series
Live Australian pricing (inc. GST) and availability are on each product page.
Powerboard-style line-interactive UPS for an NBN router or a single PC.
Fanless tower with AVR, six Australian outlets and USB HID shutdown.
230 mm deep 2RU UPS for shallow wall-mount comms cabinets.
Pure sine wave, 990 W, for workstations, NAS and gate or camera gear.
2700 W online UPS for server racks; add PSRTBB12 for runtime.
Lithium online UPS with 2-hour recharge and a 5-year warranty.
Network monitoring and scheduled shutdown for Commander and Centurion UPSs.
Why buy PowerShield from ARC IP Networks
ARC IP Networks is a trusted PowerShield supplier in Australia: genuine stock at competitive prices, with the full PowerShield Australian warranty, Australia-wide delivery and trade pricing.
- Genuine PowerShield stock, covered by the PowerShield Australian warranty: 2 years advance replacement on SafeGuard and Defender; 2 years on single-phase Commander and Centurion, extended to 3 years when you register the UPS with PowerShield; 5 years on Centurion RT LiFePO4 and the Ninja Slimline.
- Help sizing the UPS, battery modules and network cards for your actual load, from a team that also designs networks, comms racks and surveillance systems.
- Australia-wide delivery, trade pricing for installers and IT providers, and quotes for multi-site rollouts.
Browse the full PowerShield range at ARC IP Networks or call 1300 100 440.
Common questions
Straight answers from the ARC IP Networks team. Last reviewed October 2026.
Both are line-interactive UPSs with AVR and a typical 6 ms transfer time. Defender outputs a simulated sine wave on battery and is rated at a 0.6 power factor; Commander outputs a pure sine wave and is rated at 0.9, so a 2000VA Commander delivers 1800 W against 1200 W for a 2000VA Defender. Choose Commander for active-PFC power supplies, motors and gate or camera gear.
Yes. Every Centurion model, including the Centurion RT, Centurion Tower and Centurion RT LiFePO4, is a true online double-conversion UPS with a pure sine wave output and zero transfer time from mains to battery, according to PowerShield.
The Defender Rackmount PSDR800 is 230 mm deep and the PSDR1500 is 300 mm deep, both 2RU. If you need pure sine in a deeper cabinet, the Commander RT 1100 and Centurion RT 1000 and 1500 are 380 mm deep, and the Centurion RT 2000SB is 480 mm deep.
SafeGuard and Defender carry a 2-year advance replacement warranty. Single-phase Commander and Centurion carry 2 years, extended to 3 years free when you register the UPS with PowerShield. Centurion RT LiFePO4 and the Ninja Slimline carry 5 years.
Yes on the Commander RT 2000 and 3000 (PSRTBB8, PSRTBB12), the Centurion RT (PSRTBB6, PSRTBB8, PSRTBB12, and PSRTBB16 or PSCERBB20 for the 6000VA long-run model) and the Centurion Tower with its own battery banks. SafeGuard, Defender, Commander Tower and Centurion RT LiFePO4 are not expandable.
PowerShield is an Australian-owned power protection company based in Malaga, Western Australia, operating since 2000. It designs UPSs, PDUs and surge protection for the Australian market.
ARC IP Networks is a trusted PowerShield supplier in Australia: genuine stock at competitive prices, with the full PowerShield Australian warranty, Australia-wide delivery and trade pricing. Order online at arcip.com.au or call 1300 100 440 for help sizing a UPS or for a quote.
Not sure which PowerShield series fits?
Send us your equipment list and the runtime you need; we will size the UPS, battery modules and network card for you.