wbflemin :
I am currently subscribed to the fasted DSL internet speed in my town, but it is very unreliable and slow. Prior to getting DSL, I had cable modem, which was fast but I would go through as many as 5 modems per year from lightening striking my home.
You are apparently ready to learn why surges do damage and how to routinely avert that damage. And how electronic protection even from direct lightning strikes was routine even 100 years ago. Start with what was taught in 2nd grade science. What does lightning seek?
Lightning is an electrical connection from a cloud to earthborne charges maybe five miles distant. Lightning seeks that connection to earth. Shortest path is three miles down to earth and four miles through earth to those charges. You have damage because that shortest path was via household appliances (ie modem).
Lightning found a best path through more conductive materials - wooden church steeples. But wood is not a very good conductor. So 20,000 amps through wood creates a high voltage. 20,000 amps times a high voltage is high energy. Church steeple damaged.
Franklin created a better conductive path from a lightning rod to earth ground electrodes. So 20,000 amps through that wire creates a near zero voltage. 20,000 amps times a near zero voltage is near zero energy. Nothing damaged.
You must do same for appliances. A best path to earth strikes utility wires far down the street. Incoming on AC electric. Through appliances (ie modem). Out via the phone or cable wire. Modem is not a good conductor. So the high voltage times something less than 20,000 amps means high energy. Modem damaged.
Connect 20,000 amps to earth BEFORE it can enter a building. That means not using plug-in protectors or a UPS. That means connecting every incoming wire (telephone, AC, cable, satellite dish) to single point earth ground BEFORE it enters. Cable and satellite dish get best protection using only a wire. Distance is critical (ie less than 10 feet).
Telephone cannot be earthed directly by a wire. So we do the next best thing. A protector does what wire would do better - a low impedance (ie 'less than 10 foot') connection to single point earth ground. Your telco wires already have that protector. But far more important is earth ground electrodes. You are responsible for that. Did you inspect and upgrade the most important component in every protection system - single point earth ground? All four words have electrical significance. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground - as first introduced in 2nd grade science.
Telephone and cable should already have effective protection installed for free - as required by codes and standards. But AC electric is the most common incoming path. Remember, this is electricity. Damage can only happen if both an incoming and outgoing path exists. Incoming on AC mains. Outgoing to earth via cable or telephone line. Damage is more often on the outgoing path. Unfortunately the easily manipulated then assume damage on a cable or phone port means a surge was incoming there. Nonsense. That was an outgoing path. AC wires conducted that surge inside; entering without first making that low impedance (ie no sharp wire bends) connection to earth.
Do you have a 'whole house' protector? If not, then almost zero protection exists. Is a 'whole house' protector connected low impedance (ie wire not inside metallic conduit) to single point earth ground (all four words have electrical significance)? If not, then again zero protection. Did you use plug-in (ie power bar) protectors or even tinier protection found in a UPS? Then damage might have been made easier. Those do not claim to protect from surges that do damage. Those only claim to protect from surges that typically do no damage. UPS typically claims least (near zero) protection. Words such as myth and bogus may apply.
What defines protection? Earth ground. Even a coax protector without proper earthing does nothing. Hundreds of thousands of joules are only harmlessly absorbed by earth - not by any protector. Protectors are simple dumb science. Only 'whole house' type protectors are featured in facilities that cannot have damage. Because only those have what is far more important and what should have almost all your attention - single point earth ground.
You should have plenty to learn and ask. And much advertising and hearsay to unlearn.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram