Lightning and ADSL

J

Jonaling

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Hi there. This is question for guys who has the Axxess Unlimited Adsl for R999. Do you disconnect your modem when there is a thunderstorm outside? Sure you leave your modem and download 24/7. But do you unplug your modem when there is lightning and how if your are at work? Lightning protection still good enough???
 
I don't have axxess uncapped but my power and phone line goes through a surge protector before plugging into the router.
 
If I think there is a chance of rain plus lightning I always unplug the telephone line not the router or PC.I have been taken out via the telephone line before.Blew my router,cooked my PC and my daughters PC although it was off.That's why I am insured.
 
czc said:
I don't have axxess uncapped but my power and phone line goes through a surge protector before plugging into the router.
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I doubt anything will stop a direct strike. I normally unplug the telephone line even though it's surge protected.
 
Oh I know what lightning can do. When I had a 56K dial-modem it took out one of the sockets. The was even a bright flash, but putting the phoneline in the other socket revealed the modem to still be functional with one dud socket.
 
Mier said:
I doubt anything will stop a direct strike. I normally unplug the telephone line even though it's surge protected.
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same here i have surge on phone, and both power plugs for router and pcs, but it is better to unplug if you can.
 
Whenever there is lightning... I unplug and switch off my router and computer x_x

I had 1 router blown. It was hell for me lol. My laptop lan port got destroyed too. =/
 
Yea, i took the recommended precautions but never unplugged my telephone line from my router...

until, late one stormy night.... :p

needless to say i was forced to upgrade as my router and mobo were taken out.

now i always unplug everything :)
 
I have protectors, and run it through a UPS to hopefuly take some of the punch.

But I dont unplug anything, far too much schlepp to get around the desks to plug and unplug plus if you wanna surf or d/l its pain.

I pay extra to get the stuff covered by insurance, and have relied on that in the past should the unthinkable happen.
 
got one surge protector finish and klaar last night during a heavy storm, thank goodness it was all that died off.
 
I live up on a hill in Helderkruin, and I swear my house must be built on a metal foundation or something, because lightning loves it. One storm I sat upstairs watching the TV room, and about 10 times in 30 minutes I saw the whole room flash bright white, accompanies by a LOUD CLICKing noise (with me thanking the heavens that I wasnt in that room at the time), forcing me to believe that we were hit directly every single time like a magnet. I've got a stack of 15 fried US Robotics 56k modems that I piled up over the space of three years, and since I moved from 56k to ADSL, I've lost another 3 ADSL modems. Lightning always hits us through the phone, and I've lost all trust in phone-line surge protectors. They simply do not work, contrary to what anyone will tell you (at least, they won't stop a sensitive phone-jack port on your modem from popping up into smelly burnt electronic smoke). The only guarenteed solution is to unplug the phone line from the wall socket... which is unfortunately pretty difficult to do if you're at work and you see the skies go apocalyptic black :/
 
Necuno said:
same here i have surge on phone, and both power plugs for router and pcs, but it is better to unplug if you can.
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Yes, just learned that last week. Have surge protection on everything, but still lost my network card, luckily that was all.
 
placebo said:
If I think there is a chance of rain plus lightning I always unplug the telephone line not the router or PC.
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If you have rain during lightning and things are wet you have a much better chance of NOT being taken out. It's when it's dry + lightning that I get really scared as those copper conductors are the only path lightning has. This observation comes form about 10yrs experience in network maintenance. Every time I heard thunder I would start praying for rain :D

Either way, best to disconnect your phone line and unplug the power. The power is not nearly as susceptible to lightning as the phone line is though but it still happens.
 
ponder said:
If you have rain during lightning and things are wet you have a much better chance of NOT being taken out. It's when it's dry + lightning that I get really scared as those copper conductors are the only path lightning has. This observation comes form about 10yrs experience in network maintenance. Every time I heard thunder I would start praying for rain :D

Either way, best to disconnect your phone line and unplug the power. The power is not nearly as susceptible to lightning as the phone line is though but it still happens.
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+1
most important thing to unplug is the phone jack! very interesting point made about the rain .. never thought about it like that :)
 
I normally unplug modem and the phone line.It feels like that is the way it should be done after i lost 2 modems in one year.
 
Last December I lost a new HP Pavilion laptop, a Billion 7402 router and a NAS storage device in a flash (literally). The UPS with (ADSL surge protectors) was at the suppliers for a warranty claim at the time (how's that for Sod's law?).

Outsurance (no, it's not a punt - just giving credit where due) were very good at handling the claim. However, be aware:
  1. You must have a good idea of the replacement value when you process the claim. Don't undervalue your stuff, because odds are high that the kit you lost is no longer available and prices are up on the current models.
  2. Make sure the replacements are FUNCTIONALLY similar. The insurance company uses a supplier who will procure your new gear. This crowd tried to give me an entry level laptop and a crappy DLink ADSL-only router until I objected (loudly). I ended up buying the laptop myself from the distributors and Outsurance settled me directly for that cost (and that's why point 1 became very important). Being firm about functional similarity meant that I ended up with a better laptop and router than the originals.:D
Now I have a UPS with ADSL protectors and a high performance suppressor wall plug for the UPS, so I don't have to unplug every time the skies darken. Personally I don't think the UPS will help for another direct hit BUT I can show the insurance assessor that I took reasonable precautions if it happens again.
 
Kompete said:
Yes, just learned that last week. Have surge protection on everything, but still lost my network card, luckily that was all.
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yep i was. i dreaded the thought of getting a new router after it didn't sync, but was happy to see it work when going directly and not through the surge protector.
 
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