Home network lightning protection

[ADMaster]

Hello all,

My home network and Home PC have had a bad few weeks. About 2 weeks ago lightning struck across the street and I lost the onboard NIC in the PC. I also lost the switch port that the PC and the DVR were connected to.

I just installed the new RMA’ed MB last Thursday and sent the bad one back yesterday. Last night there was another storm and lightning struck a tree in the back yard. I get home from work today to find the onboard nic is out again, the DVR is dead, and the port my PC was connected to is dead. The DRV port is probably dead to, but I haven’t got that far.

I don’t really want to RMA the board again, so I found an old NIC in the office to get me back online.

 

My equipment is connected with a patch panel in the basement with jacks going to most of the rooms. They are on surge protectors, but it’s getting into the network somehow.

 

 

My question is what can I do to protect my equipment from this?

 

Any ideas and suggestions are appreciated.

 

Thank you,

[ass17]

Do some research into surge suppressors. Or get a good UPS from APC.

 

There must be ways that towns which suffer from constant strikes manage to keep all the IT equipment online.

[MatthewL]

How does your internet come to your property, cable or via telephone line, that will be how it gets your network, suspect telephone line. Had a run of it around here, telephone lines got hit, phones and routers were killed.

[CyberNerd]

 

My question is what can I do to protect my equipment from this?

 

Any ideas and suggestions are appreciated.

 

 

Find an insurance company that covers you.

[ADMaster]

Ass17, I have a surge suppressor on my PC, I’ll be looking at others though.

 

MathewL, The net comes in through the phone line, but if that is how it got into my network why is the modem and firewall machine not fried. They are first in line.

 

Cybernerd, I have insurance, but the deductible is either $500 or $1,000 I’ll have to look to be sure. The board was RMA’ed so no cost there. I could get a new PC for less than the deductible, and a new router.

So insurance would only help if it took out all the electronics.

 

The DVR is on the network so is it possible that the dish picked up the lightning sent it to the DVR and the DVR put it on the network? That doesn’t entirely make sense either because the other receiver, not on the network still works.

 

Thanks,

[MatthewL]

In response to your question, pass.

 

Just talking from experience, lost 2 routers and numerous phones due to the phone line getting hit.

[westom]

The DVR is on the network so is it possible that the dish picked up the lightning sent it to the DVR and the DVR put it on the network? That doesn’t entirely make sense either because the other receiver, not on the network still works.

First understand how surges do damage. For example, a lightning strike far down the street is a direct strike incoming to every household appliance. Why are all not damaged? Because surges are electricity. A surge incoming on one wire without an outgoing path to earth via some other wire typically does no damage. It is electricity. Both incoming and outgoing paths must exist.

 

A classic example is a surge incoming to a PC on AC mains. Often through a motherboard to the NIC. Outgoing from the NIC into a router and modem. Then outgoing to earth via a cable or telephone line.

 

First that current is everywhere (simultaneously) in that path. Much later only one or but a few items fail. In your case, the NIC (the outgoing path) would be one failure. Failures are often on the outgoing path; not always on the incoming path.

 

Phone lines and cable already have a best protection / connection to earth. As even required by code. Surges typically are outgoing to earth via these utility wires - not incoming. AC electric has no earthing on most wires. Therefore AC electric is a most common source of incoming surges.

 

Damage was because some wires are entering the building without first connecting to single point earth ground. Either connected using best protection - a hardwire from cable to earth. Other utility cables that cannot be earthed directly must be connected by another solution - a 'whole house' protector. Protection is always about connecting a surge to earth BEFORE it can enter the building. That connection via a wire or a protector. Once permitted inside, that surge will hunt for and find destructive paths to earth via appliances.

Edited June 28, 2013 by westom