lightning protector for telephone lines

RPG_Fan said:
Gave telkom a call and on their side it also shows that it is not syncing. They logged a line fault for me. Ehernet ports are working fine on the router because pc and media player are communicate. Also have a lightning protector.
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At least you don't have to fork out for a new router but depending on how long Telkom take to sort out the line you may find yourself wishing it was the router. I'm sure they running on skeleton staff as it is and with the holidays mere days away it could take weeks to get this resolved. Hope not and I would be interested to see their turn around time so keep us posted...
 
sandmanm34 said:
At least you don't have to fork out for a new router but depending on how long Telkom take to sort out the line you may find yourself wishing it was the router. I'm sure they running on skeleton staff as it is and with the holidays mere days away it could take weeks to get this resolved. Hope not and I would be interested to see their turn around time so keep us posted...
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Had a line go down in Queenstown due to storms over the weekend, D-Link DSL-2500U modem status light reported "no carrier". Reported to Telkom ADSL faults at 09:00 on Monday who tested and agreed it was a line fault, fixed by 13:00 same day :)
 
sandmanm34 said:
At least you don't have to fork out for a new router but depending on how long Telkom take to sort out the line you may find yourself wishing it was the router. I'm sure they running on skeleton staff as it is and with the holidays mere days away it could take weeks to get this resolved. Hope not and I would be interested to see their turn around time so keep us posted...
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Logged fault on Tuesday and now still waiting. Will keep you updated on the progress.
It is annoying that I do not have the Internet... Feels like a part of me is missing...
 
Got my line back up. But the lightning storms are quite bad so it's matter of time beforemit goes down again...
 
Who said lightning never strikes twice? I just got everything sorted when last night out of the blue, my modem sparks blue with smoke and a foul stench. It was quite a spectacles but PC died yet again and the lightning protector did not even survive.

Can anyone recommend
good lightning protection that actually works?
 
I used to think one existed.... They don't. Make life easier for yourself and unplug all power plugs out the sockets and remove phone cable. It's just not worth the risk.


Sent from the MyBroadband iPhone App
 
Funny thing is I always unplug when I hear lightning, but sometimes I'm not home or like this hit was totally out of the blue. I saw it was over cast, but there was no thunder in the distance and no rain. Then suddenly it hit.

The only thing that might help is Ellies Lightning Barrier, but I'm not sure if it will work with ADSL.
 
need to revive this old thread ... In November 2014 my N55U Asus ADSL modem got blown by lightning. Replaced with a N66U DSL/VDSL modem and it got blown by lightning yesterday. So as one can imagine this has been a pricey exercise for me replacing modems

Now UnPlug2000 is usually what i do, but at times when no one is around or being human i might forget to unplug my stuff. what can mitigate me replacing pricey modems all the time. (thanks god my 4k 65" TV is still ok, almost had a heart attack if that went dead because of lightning). It is always only the modems that take a knock and the cordless phone. so the phone line needs some decent mitigating lightning and surge protection. Any ideas will be appreciated
 
There is a new device on the market called the Astraphobe. It automatically disconnects your line for you when there is lightning around and reconnects as soon as storm has passed.
 
Hi all

This is my first post and am very electronicly dyslectic. "Pensioner"

I have read all the post around lightning strikes on modems etc.
I would like to know....

I have a Telkom surge protector and would like to know if it is worth anything in protecting my modem. (I am trying to post pictures, so if it goes wrong, I will try again.

Regards

Surge%20protector.jpg.html
Surge%20protector%20wording.jpg.html
 
Andre_f said:
I have a Telkom surge protector and would like to know if it is worth anything in protecting my modem.
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Many believe a tiny device will block what three kilometers of sky cannot. Simply because it is called a surge protector.

Effective protection is provided by something completely different and located when wires enter a building. This is also called a surge protector. Your device and that one are completely different.

Scams are easily promoted by only attaching a name to something. That tiny little box protects from tiny little surges that do not even damage phone appliances. But is it is a surge protector. They did not lie.
 
Hi Guys

I'll be honest I did not read through all 4 pages of posts but here is my two cents. Firstly Lightning Arrestors and Surge Arrestors are two different things completely. Lightning Arrestors (Class 1 protection) are for large "spikes" of energy induced by lightning whether or not from a direct strike. Secondly Surge Arrestors (Class 2) are for spikes on power / telephones lines which can be eiter from Telkom / Eskom or induced by some else (like lightning). There is even a class 3 which is more for delicate electronics but most of them that you buy in the store is just nicely packed firecrackers and nothing more. What you should be doing is having all three. If you have a lightning strike the most of the surge will be dissapated by the Class 1 arrestor, what goes past that will be dealt with with the Class 2 arrestor and then whatever makes it past them will be dealt with with Class 3. What people do is install Class 2 only and then they don't understand why it goes Guy Fawkes on them if they get a strike.

And as someone mention on here, fuses won't help much. A Class 1 surge reaches peak strenght at 10 micro seconds and Class 2 at 8 micro seconds, way faster than most fuses can react.

If you guys are serious about getting protection for your telephone lines then look at DEHNguard Yellow line, they have a whole range of equipment for all types of coms. The unit will break your line if it reaches "end-of-life" (has taken too many strikes) and when you remove the cartridge your line will be made again although it will be unprotected untill you replace the cartridge. I don't know pricing but I know Dehn and it won't be cheap.
 
I have a clearline protector. they got a R25000 warranty, so if lightning hits and damages anything, they replace whatever was damaged.
 
spipie said:
... so if lightning hits and damages anything, they replace whatever was damaged.
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Have you read the many fine print exemptions? Tiny protectors with massive profit margins have plenty of excuses for not honoring that warranty. We all learn this from free markets. Often the item with a best warranty is inferior - sometimes a completely scam. Only numbers that mater are specification numbers. Effective protection for less money means one can answer this simple qaueston - where do hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate. Then one need not learn about a warranty's fine print.
 
Roll your own. Go by a P2703AA (mantech has them) and a couple of fuse holders. A gas discharge tube for good measure perhaps. 315mA fast blow fuses as well.

Our switchboard uses the P2703AA at work, and we have never lost an ADSL modem(modem runs 24/7), though from time to tine we have to replace the fuses.


Most commercial lightning protection is stupidly expensive. I put my box together for under R500.
Just make sure you connect a good solid ground.
 
mastercylinder said:
Roll your own. Go by a P2703AA (mantech has them) and a couple of fuse holders. A gas discharge tube for good measure perhaps. 315mA fast blow fuses as well.

Our switchboard uses the P2703AA at work, and we have never lost an ADSL modem(modem runs 24/7), though from time to tine we have to replace the fuses.


Most commercial lightning protection is stupidly expensive. I put my box together for under R500.
Just make sure you connect a good solid ground.
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This is great information. Could you upload a picture and/or a rough circuit diagram ? Will help us a lot
 
fragtion said:
This is great information. Could you upload a picture and/or a rough circuit diagram ? Will help us a lot
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Sure, it's a bit clunky but here is my build;

Vero board and badly cut holes, but it does work. You might also have a slight SNR degradation, but it shouldn't be noticeable.

It won't stop a direct hit, but nothing really will.

Box (rather boring):
IMG_20161201_134554.jpg


Ugly guts:
IMG_20161201_134648.jpg


I'll probably place the protection components with the outgoing jack on the next one I do. Making one for my boss as well. Also be sure to get it the right way around or the fuses don't blow. That may not be a huge issue depending how bad the surge is. I bought the box, fuseholders, fuses and RJ11 sockets from RS. Mantech is the only place that seems to stock the P2703AA, but I struggled to find a suitable box on their website.

Phone_Line_Protection.png



Naturally, I disclaim all liability if it doesn't work, but that being said, the pro version using the P2703AAs on our switchboard blows a fuse from time to time when the lightning hits nearby and we have yet to lose a modem. It doesn't have the gas discharge tube either; that's my own paranoia.
 
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