Surge & Ethernet protection. Need advise plz.

[Bman006]

Hi guys,

Would just like to say I love this forum and have been a lurker in the shadows for years. Usually I always find an answer here without posting, but I am stumped on this issue and very confused. I have a gaming rig that I would like to surge protect the power and ethernet........but I seem to be having difficulty finding one that will not kill my Internet speed. I was very interested with Tripplite, but I chatted with them through text, and was told they do not make a Power and Ethernet Surge protector that would allow my close to 30mbps not to be cut in half. I was told by tripplite they only support up to 10mbps???? I thought this was wrong, but i cant seem to find something better. Also Tripplite, according to many reviews, honors the warranty and will replace the equipment that was damaged. This was a big plus for me. So let me ask you, what would you guys recommend.

My specs.
Intel Core 15-4690 3.5 GHz 6MB
Gigabyte z97-SLI ATX
600 Watts - EVGA 600b 80 PLUS BRONZE
Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 4 GB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16
Adata 8GBDDR3/2133MHz xpg v3
ASUS VG248QE 24" Full HD 1920x1080 TN 144Hz 1ms
256GB sandisk ssd
1tb sata hard drive

I will also add that I have had a computer hooked up in the same place for 10 years and VERY rarely have issues with loss of power or brownouts. I have always used a surge protector, but would like to upgrade to one that can protect both power and Ethernet with a company that actually takes the warranty serious. Please help. As for a UPS, not sure I cant spend that much, due to the build. Any help would be much appreciated.

Also not as tech savvy as I used to be, so if this is a simple question, sorry for my ignorance.

 

[Karsten75]

This should keep your Ethernet speeds intact: http://www.amazon.com/Ethernet-Surge-Protector-Gigabit-1000Mbs/dp/B00805VUD8

 

[Bman006]

This should keep your Ethernet speeds intact: http://www.amazon.com/Ethernet-Surge-Protector-Gigabit-1000Mbs/dp/B00805VUD8

Thank you and I will keep that in mind as I have looked at that a few times.

So are you saying that a surge protector does not exist that does power and ehternet without dropping a ton of MBPS? This is my main question. Am I going to need to buy two products for this? One for Power and one for Ethernet?

 

[Karsten75]

So are you saying that a surge protector does not exist that does power and ehternet without dropping a ton of MBPS? This is my main question. Am I going to need to buy two products for this? One for Power and one for Ethernet?

Exactly. Play in the big (prosumer) league.

 

[GarSpear]

Is surge protection really necessary on ethernet?

As for mains conditioning/surge protection I use the Tacima audio-visual 6 way.

 

[westom]

So are you saying that a surge protector does not exist that does power and ehternet without dropping a ton of MBPS?

First learn what a protector does. You have assumed it somehow will block or absorb a destructive surge. Anything that will do that is already done better inside appliances and on ethernet interfaces. For example ethernet ports should withstand about 2000 volts without damage.

So, why is 2000 volts even inside the building? That question answers your solution. Notice the recommended ethernet protector. It has a ground wire. That wire connects to what really does proetction - what must harmlessly absorb hundreds of thousands of joules. You imply you want protection. So your solution starts with the answer to this question - where do hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate?

Once permitted inside a building, then a destructive surge goes hunting for earth ground - destructively via appliance. One common path is incoming on AC mains. Then outgoing (and destructively) via some other wire such as HDMI, USB, ethernet, etc. Damage is often on the outgoing path because the homeowner all but invited that surge to come in and go hunting. Again, protection is always about that current NOT inside.

Second, any wire that enters your building must make a low impedance (ie less than 10 foot) connection to single point earth ground. Even the last four words all have electrical significance. This is how it has been done for over 100 years in facilities that cannot have damage. So you first attention is on what harmlessly absorbs hundreds of thousands of joules - single point earth ground.

Follow a quarter inch bare copper wire from the breaker box to an earthging electrode. That is your surge protection. But only it is have been properly installed AND makes a low impedance connection to every wire inside every incoming cable.

A 'whole house' protector in the breaker box or behind the meter connects a surge to earth on that wire. What does a protector do? It is a connecting device to what does protection. Protectors never do protection - the source of your confusion.

Is that wire from breaker box to earth also low impedance (ie less than 10 feet, no sharp bends, no splices, separated from other non-grouding wires, etc) This is the 'art' of protection. Then a 'whole house' protector can earth surges incoming on AC mains.

What earths a surge on cable? A ground block. No protector required. That ground block also must make a low impedance (ie less than 10 feet) connection to the same earth ground electrodes. Then a surge incoming on cable also connects to earth without being inside - hunting for earth destructively via appliances.

Telephone wires have always had protectors installed for free - often inside the NID box. But again, did you provide a sufficient earth ground? Only you are responsible for the quality and maintenance of what defines all protection - that single point earth ground.

Third, return to that ethernet protector. If ethernet cables interconnect buildings, then the ethernet must connect to earth ground for both buildings. Otherwise a lightning strike to one building is like a lightning rod connected to electronics in the other. So that ethernet protector connects all eight wires in a CAT5 cable low impedance (ie less than 10 feet, connection not inside metallic conduit, etc) to single point earth ground.

Fourth, this is how it was done even 100 years ago. All appliances already have robust internal protection. Your concern is the rare transient that can overwhelm that protection. If any appliance needs protection, then every appliance needs that protection.

This potentially destructive transient is only averted when connected low impedance to single point earth ground BEFORE entering the building. Protection means you always know where hundreds of thousands of joules are harmlessly absorbed. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground.

Protectors, adjacent to appliances, are for near zero surges often made irrelevant by protection already inside each appliance. That is a completely different surge from the other than actually does damage - that hunts for earth destructively inside or harmlessly outside.

 

[KingDingDong]

@westom,

Ok, I am convinced you know what you are talking about. Any chance you can help us that are "electrically challenged" and explain what it is we are supposed to do in language we can understand?

 

[westom]

Any chance you can help us that are "electrically challenged" and explain what it is we are supposed to do in language we can understand?

That stuff is layman simple. But, as with anything that is new, it will make little sense without at least three rereads.

Introduced is what you do to understand it. Go find that quarter inch bare copper wire. Learn what exists. Then reread it again to learn if you have what is required.

For example, repeatedly mentioned is earth ground. After a first read, go inspect your earth ground. Do you have what is required? Only then can appropriate questions be asked.

None of that is technical. Even a kid can follow that quarter inch hardwire or inspect earth ground. Difficulty exists when this is the first time you heard it. That means rereading. New stuff is never understood in a first read. Inspect your setup between rereads to learn what you already have - or what is missing.

Stated because it contradicts what a majority have already told you. And is therefore very difficult to learn. No protector does protection. Protection is by the item that harmlessly absorbs hundreds of thousands of joules. Some facilities do not even have protectors. Only earth ground is always required to have protection. Not safety ground in wall receptacle. That is completely and electrically different. Single point earth ground.

 

[GarSpear]

The guy above is Yoda and I claim my $5.