How to protect against lightning?

[feo]

My brand new router, DG834GT, just got fried by lightning right in front of my eyes yesterday but I had it replaced so it's fine.

Question is, how can I prevent this from happening again? My network jack on my motherboard also got zapped.

Please post links to anything that you've used SUCCESSFULLY for lightning protection.

 

[The_Unbeliever]

If that spark can jump more than 1km through air, then there's nothing you can do to prevent lightning damage.

Only tried and trusted method is unplugging everything...

 

[howardb]

Best solution is to unpug everything - I use an Ellies Pro lightning surge protector plug on my PC power plug and a lightning arrester on the tel/ADSL router line - worked so far - had 3 hits in the last 4 weeks and no problems yet (touch wood)

Also using this on my TV/Sat ...

You could also consider:
- Surge Pro Power Protector
- Surge Pro 8-way Multiplug 16A Overload Protected

...I would rather pay R500-R1000 in surge protection, than replace my hardware every strike...

 

[PsyWulf]

And ofc wireless from the PC to the router,or put a secondary switch in that the pc and router are connected to - hoping that the surge may take the router and switch out but not the PC

 

[Nameite]

Live in a complex with 30 lightning rods and one right next to the roof?

 

[cavedog]

Thank God for insurance?

 

[Albereth]

My brand new router, DG834GT, just got fried by lightning right in front of my eyes yesterday but I had it replaced so it's fine.

Question is, how can I prevent this from happening again?

Close your eyes.

Really, the only safe option is to unplug everything. Surge protectors will help against a strike some distance away but a direct hit and the surge will arc across the protector.

 

[Peder]

+1 to everyone who says unplug everything...

Cavedog some insurances don't cover acts of God

 

[CaTcH21]

If that spark can jump more than 1km through air, then there's nothing you can do to prevent lightning damage.

Only tried and trusted method is unplugging everything...

x2

 

[Takkies]

I use a baby UPS

Personally, I fitted a MGE UPS with surge protection. It covers RJ11 as well. Of course a direct hit = goodbye, but I'm really not that worried about the router, because it doesn't contain data. I'm far more worried about my NAS device. With a UPS I can protect the NAS too. Sometimes it rains when no one is home and I can't imagine constantly pluging and unpluging!

 

[cyberarmy]

Last last week Thursday, my dad's PC/ADSL MODEM/FAX all fried although they were unplugged (phone line and power) before the storm.

Jan this year my computer MB/CPU (can't figure out which) was fried (no smell, no physical damage at all) although it was plugged into a Belkin surge protector and!!!

The Belkin protector and PSU works fine afterward.


Both were very close lightning strikes.