Surge protection

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

This should be a quickie

This might be a silly question but why do I (or do I) have to turn off my home computer during a thunder/lightning storm if I have a surge protected power bar? What about the phone connection for the modem?

Dot9M

[Druss]

Better safe than sorry.

A few years back I lost both modem and tv satellite box to a power surge during a lighting storm.

Edited June 28, 2004 by Druss

[fulltimekiller]

Well the chance of getting hit by a lighting is low but it is still possible even if you do have a surge protector i the protector might be faulty(chances of this is low also) So if you don't want to take the chance unplug your computer phone line etc.

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

Thanks guys, kind of what I thought.

[hunterkiller2001]

Actually, on a side note, Most power strips won't protect against brown-outs. This is the most common cause of computer damage.

Most newer, high end (IE, over $25) protectors will stop power in the chance a brown out occurs. Most high end ones, include a warrenty against damage to any equiptment plugged into the strip.

The one i use is made by APC, in thier "Surge Arrest" product line, and the come with a $50,000 warrenty against damage.

Comp USA's online store carries the EXACT model i use, and god knows i'll never buy from a different company.

I'm not sure if the Comp USA online link will work, but if it dosn't, just search for Product Number: 304215

Link to buy

It cost i mere $35 US, and it protects phone lines, cable modem lines, and standard power lines.

A lot of people skimp on surge protection when plugging in $3000 computers.. and it dosn't surprise me when i hear of a brown out destroying a motherboard, or an entire computer.

Edit: It's also worthy to add that the warrenty only covers your equiptment if the outlet you use is grounded, or you link a ground fault between the outlet and the surge protector. Your outlet is grounded if it has 3 holes (in the US at least) as opposed to 2.

Edited July 5, 2004 by hunterkiller2001

[Atlantis Rises]

I also have a surge protector power bar for my Mac, unfortunately whenever there's a power outage the damn thing turns itself on. That doesn't happen with my PC, however, and it's plugged right into the wall. My conclusion is that my power bar doesn't protect against power surges, and yet, it says so right on the package.

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

Can anyone answer what a telecom approved powerbar is?

Dot

[hunterkiller2001]

Odd, after a bit of googling, telecom appears to be like the US FCC, and it's recognized around the world (I've found Canada, NZ, Britian, france, etc so far) although I've never heard of it here in the states.

So going on that basis, I'm assuming that Telecom approved means that it meets some sort of operational standard.

This typically means it's good

Edited July 10, 2004 by hunterkiller2001

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

That would make sense as I heard about it in connection to a DS1/router installation.

I haven't (albeit without deeply looking) seen any such thing in retail stores.

Edited July 10, 2004 by Daughter of the Nine Moons