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The lightning season is here again and we already have several reports of damaged computer equipment, usually fried modems.
Even though you may have the computer's electrical cord plugged into a surge suppressor, you are still at risk. Here's why:
1. No surge suppression device or UPS (battery backup) can fully protect against the enormous energy contained in a lightning strike. These devices are intended to protect delicate electronic equipment from the man-made electrical spikes and surges that can occur many times throughout the day.
2. Lightning coming in through the computer's telephone wire is just as likely to damage the computer as lightning coming in through the electrical cord.
Nothing you can buy will save your computer or modem from a direct (or very close) lightning strike. However, there are products that will provide some protection against man-made power surges and less severe lightning strikes. Our recommendation is to use at least a surge suppressing outlet strip with jacks for the telephone line. Better yet would be a battery backup or uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system, also with jacks for the phone line. (Some modems may have trouble detecting dial tone when plugged into a surge suppressing jack. If you encounter this problem, please contact us for possible solutions.)
Products from APC (visit their website) or a Best Power Patriot system (available from Runestone Electric Association) would offer this type of protection.
1. Unplug the computer and ALL related devices (monitor, printers, scanners, zip drives, etc.) from the electrical outlet. This is easy to do if all computer electrical cords are plugged into one outlet strip or surge suppressor.
2. UNPLUG THE COMPUTER'S TELEPHONE WIRE. This step is commonly overlooked and most modems are damaged through this connection.
Your computer equipment is expensive; without it, you can't access the Internet. Take the time to protect it.
This document was last updated on Thursday, January 22, 2004, at 07:12 PM