lightning protector for telephone lines

[buju357]

I'm on my 2nd ADSL modem router , just installed it now , 1st was hit by
lightning , Ive searched everywhere but I cant find a lightning
protector for telephone lines. so if you cant buy it - make it , so i
made my own , as we only use 2 wires i only needed 2 fuses , i used a
rating of 0.2 amps per fuse , the lowest you can go is 0,1 amps but the
shop didn't have any. so hopefully if lightning hits the telephone lines
it will break the fuse as its such a small rating. the front plug was
"harvested" from a old modem.


http://buju357.blogspot.com/2010/12/lightning-protector-for-telephone-lines.html

 

[Pada]

I'm very curious to see if that works.

Usually a lightening strike has such a short and big impulse that it passes through the fuse before it even has a chance to blow.

 

[MickZA]

I'm very curious to see if that works.

Usually a lightening strike has such a short and big impulse that it passes through the fuse before it even has a chance to blow.

Agreed, I was involved in laying xon/xoff data cables across golf courses for outside broadcasting in the 80s and we used optical decoupler arresters at both ends, lightning still takes out the arrester but the equipment survives.

 

[PsyWulf]

And considering the distance a high voltage pulse can travel through the air it would be dubious results at best

 

[grok]

Get a cheapy D-Link 2500u for lighting protection, in fact at R300 a pop get two so you have a spare at all time.
Only thing is with the last strike my modem survived but my on-board network port popped. Sigh.

ps. I recall you get fast-blow fuses, like the element is spring-loaded to facilitate faster melting. Won't those be better to use?

 

[PsyWulf]

Get a cheapy D-Link 2500u for lighting protection, in fact at R300 a pop get two so you have a spare at all time.
Only thing is with the last strike my modem survived but my on-board network port popped. Sigh.

Haha I've had that,went Wireless LAN with the router 40cm from the PC to avoid it traversing the network and frying everything

 

[nahoR]

I agree with MikeZA, maybe the best way is to use a optic-isolator however that requires some electronics knowlegde, nothing that google can't sort out

I used a few for projects for isolation between inductive circuits and microcontrollers to protect the microcontroller from flyback and other nasties

 

[D3x!]

clearline.co.za?

something like this perhaps? http://clearline.co.za/index.php?option=com_zoo&task=item&item_id=187&category_id=8&Itemid=83

 

[Roadrunner]

clearline.co.za?

something like this perhaps? http://clearline.co.za/index.php?option=com_zoo&task=item&item_id=187&category_id=8&Itemid=83

Makro has several similiar units available, as do most PC shops. So far the one I got there seems to do the job.

 

[Mars]

I blow about 3 routers a year due to surges via the phone line. Whats the point of paying R400 for a use once protector when a router is about R400?
I just unplug the router in stormy weather when I can. It usually blows when I'm out and I can't do that.

 

[RPG_Fan]

My router also took a beating from lightning a few days ago. Took it to IC and they readily swapped it out. Think it might have been a error on their side. Went to hifi Corp and bought a lightning protector which protects the plug and the phone line. Costs only R179 compared to wifi modem routers that cost about R1k. It will be mainly when I am not home and keep the modem connected

 

[NoLogic001]

You get surge protector for telephone lines at most pc shops. most of them need to be properly earthed though

 

[rodga]

My router also took a beating from lightning a few days ago. Took it to IC and they readily swapped it out. Think it might have been a error on their side. Went to hifi Corp and bought a lightning protector which protects the plug and the phone line. Costs only R179 compared to wifi modem routers that cost about R1k. It will be mainly when I am not home and keep the modem connected

spoke to a sales manager at IC, he said that belkin has a swopout policy even if lightning damaged

is my dlink useless now? got struck bout 2 weeks ago, anyway to fix it? or better to just bin it?

 

[Pada]

You can always contact D-Link SA and see if they also replace lightening damaged units, but I doubt it.

rodga: is your D-Link's LAN + WiFi also not working?

 

[elievan]

Bit off topic, but within its realm:

When there is a storm here in Jhb, my dsl line tends to die when there is a lightning strike. It only goes down for 10-20seconds, enough time for it to resync I guess. This only happens when there is lightning (not when there is only rain), and happens even when the strikes seem to be at some distance away. It also occurs more often when there is a big strike, but also occurs during lesser ones...

Does this seem like a problem with my router getting power surges? Or just the adsl network in my area getting interference from the strikes? Anyone care to shed some light on it? Its not a serious issue, but can get annoying with these storms occuring every afternoon at the moment.

 

[rodga]

those are working fine
just the dsl port is busted

will be cool if i can fix it to be used as a backup

 

[RPG_Fan]

spoke to a sales manager at IC, he said that belkin has a swopout policy even if lightning damaged

is my dlink useless now? got struck bout 2 weeks ago, anyway to fix it? or better to just bin it?

Thanks for the info.
It will probably not be worth your while to fix. Better just to get a new modem.

 

[rodga]

thanks
il be getting a cheaper as a backup

 

[Pada]

thanks
il be getting a cheaper as a backup

Yeah, if it's only the ADSL modem port that blew, then just get like a cheap D-Link DSL-2500U (R300 or less) and hook it up with your existing Wireless router

 

[sand_man]

Big thunder storm in Jozzie tonight has taken out my TP-Link and MOBO on-board ethernet port. R569.00 for new router and R170 for new ethernet card. Look on my 4 year old daughters face when the lightning struck...priceless...

As far as ethernet cards go I assume they a dime a dozen...?? Or am I wrong and is there anything in particular one should look for?