Power Line Adapters and Lightening

[RedEvo]

I know you've all got your routers plugged into surge protectors.......you have haven't you? No? Note to self, buy a surge protector....

Anyhooo, if you are using powerline adapters beware, even if your router is on a surge protector it's still vulnerable. How do I know? Guess....

Horrendous thunder storm comes over, crash bang wallop one fried router courtesy of a powerline adapter.

d

[Indizine]

yes I use one - so what do we else can we do?

I suppose I could ask my brother as he's an electromagnetic thingy engineer

[RedEvo]

I'd advise unplugging the powerline adapter when there's lightening about.

d

[Indizine]

oh right I was thinking there must be a technical answer! Good thinking there though, simple as it is.

[Alvin]

agreed no excuse I got mine from Bitches and queens for a tenner.

Being on high ground on the coast ,we get some spectacular lightening displays out to sea.

Alvin

[andysv1k]

Surge protectors will have little chance against a lightening strike, your only hope is to do as said and unplug during a storm.

Andy.

[Gamesman]

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Everything goes off in our house in middle of storm..taking no chances.

Especially the TV...if that blew out there would be hell on.

Wasn't some guy hit standing next to his washing machine the other week..??

.

[Comspec]

We had those storms a couple of weeks back, and I'm still getting callouts as a result.

I have replaced loads of routers which were 'fried' because of the lightening.

The powerline adaptors should always be unplugged in the event of a storm like that tbh, there is little you can do to protect them, and they can multiply the problems.

Surge Protectors are a must nowadays, and the little cheapies available are ok, but Belkin etc have a good one which covers broadband connections etc too, so sometimes can be worth the extra few quid it costs.

Disclaimer.....I have recommended Belkin (spit) for Surge Protectors, and they are definitely great, but don't let this confuse you into thinking all their other products are great, cos their wireless USB adaptors are as bad as I've ever come across. I replace faulty ones on a regular basis.

[andysv1k]

not to be a cynic or anything, but...

ive had computers going right back to BBC and commodores etc and ive never ever used a surge protector, never had any problems either.

the quality of most modern mains supplies is very very good, maybe if you live in the sticks and suffer regular power cuts you may want to consider doing something (my choice would be a small UPS), but otherwise i have no plans to start using a surge protector and i have computers, routers, network drives, voip phones etc etc switched on every day.

why wont a surge protector save your PC from lightening? simple too many volts! the higher the voltage, the easier it is for the lightening electricity to flow. The way i usually describe it to customers is this...

Everything is a conductor, it just depends how forcefull the electricity is.

normally air is a very good insulator (good job or you wouldnt be able to walk near your sockets!) but if the voltage and potential energy is high enough, air becomes a conductor as in a lightening strike, so if the air gap between the clouds and your roof can be overcome, the air gap between the incoming and outgoing sides of your surge protector are small fry (pun intended!) in comparison.

Im not saying this to slate surge protectors, they arnt designed to protect against lightening (atleast i hope thats not a selling point!) they are designed to address voltage fluctuations and brown-outs etc. im sure they do what they say on the box, ive just never suffered from any problems without one.

Andy.