Power Surge Knocks out Fios Router and Ethernet ports
K3vin15753
Enthusiast - Level 2

So i recently got hit with a power surge Smiley Sad and it fried the fios router, the router wouldnt power back on so im pretty sure it was fried lol. I got the replacement router today and found out that my computers ethernet port is fried too but im lucky that my motherboard has two ethernet ports so i was able to connect it to the other one. But i lost my ethernet to my 600$ receiver Smiley Sad now airplay doesnt work but on the bright side at least the reciever still works though. Is there anyway i can prevent this from happening again? I had the router plugged in to a belkin power surge too but its a cheap one i believe. I just bought a UPS for a better protection but should i throw a surge protector on the coax and ethernet too considering how it pretty much damaged all the ethernet ports it was connected to. WIll it slow down my internet by doing this? BTW my ONT is outside the house and a ethernet cable connected from the fios router that got fried from the basement to my third floor to a linksys router(which is working perfectly fine....).

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Re: Power Surge Knocks out Fios Router and Ethernet ports
Keyboards
Master - Level 3

The best suggestion I could make is to put the router on a UPS which you have already done.  The UPS will do more to protect from surges than any plain surge protector.

As for protection on the coax, absolutely not.  The coax has no connection outside your house and does not need a protection device, or if your ONT is outside then the coax has a lighning protection device in series it.  Many have reported that adding surge protection to the coax causes issues with guide and VOD.  Same is true for the ethernet since the damage occurred with a surge to the router which the UPS should now handle.

I have had my router, PC, and DVR all on UPSs for years and haven't had any issues with damage due to surges, brown outs or any other power related problems.

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Re: Power Surge - A Rather Elaborate Solution
armond_in_nj1
Master - Level 1

@K3vin15753 wrote:

... recently got hit with a power surge ... fried the fios router ... computers ethernet port is fried too ... Is there anyway i can prevent this from happening again? ...


There is a solution, but it's not necessarily for the faint-hearted.  I installed a "whole house surge suppressor" at my main electrical panel.  See for example:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CE4QFjAB&url=http%...

These devices are fitted across the 240 volt connections in a typical home electrical panel, and they usually require a licensed electrician.  In my case, let's just say that the device was "successfully installed" and that the authorities have not yet been either notified or required.

This type of device really does protect the entire electrical system and all components within the building.  It's sacrificial in nature, so that if and when a large surge occurs, the device itself responds and is usually destroyed.  The result is that no expensive electrical equipment or components are damaged or destroyed.

These days most homes are stuffed with expensive toys, so the economics of whole house devices can be pretty convincing.  In my own house, I have an extensive home automation system with many individual components and miles of low voltage wiring.  These types of systems tend to be fragile with respect to voltage and current variations.  The whole house suppression method is the only way to really protect all the equipment.

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Re: Power Surge Knocks out Fios Router and Ethernet ports
K3vin15753
Enthusiast - Level 2

I have something i dont really understand about UPS and Surge protectors. So the UPS i got was this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842101311 it says 354 joule rating is that enough, where as something listed under as just surge protector like http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812120524 has 3300 joule rating wouldnt that be better? Is the joule rating divided up by the number of plugs the unit has? So 3300 joule rating with 6 outlets would mean each outlet has 550 joule surge protection? Or am i completely off lol. 

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