How to Power a Refined Storage Network
The Controller is the power source
A Refined Storage network runs on the Controller. Place one Controller and connect it to the rest of the network with Cable. Without a powered Controller, the Grid will not open and no Importer, Exporter, or Disk Interface will function.
If you need a network that never runs out, use the Creative Controller. It supplies power indefinitely and is intended for testing or creative play.
Keep the network connected
Power flows only through connected blocks. Every block you want powered — Grid, Disk Interface, Importer, Exporter, Autocrafter, Crafting Grid — must touch Cable or touch another block that is already on the network. A block placed one space away from any Cable is not powered and will not appear in the Grid.
If a block stops working, check the Cable path back to the Controller. Break and replace any gap. Colored Cable variants (Black Cable, Blue Cable, Brown Cable, and the rest) all conduct power the same way; color only changes appearance.
Use a Network Transmitter and Network Receiver pair to bridge a long distance without running Cable the whole way. Place a Transmitter on one network and a Receiver on the other to link them.
Once the Controller is placed and every block is cabled back to it, the Grid opens and the network is powered.