I recently had a lighting strike and lost about $1000 worth of equipment. I’d like to reduce the chance of that happening again so I’m looking for advice.
I have a UDM in my house, with a 125 foot run underground in conduit to my barn. In the barn, I have a POE switch that feeds 10 cameras and an Ubiquiti AP. I’d like to add a ground somewhere. I just purchased a surge protector with ethernet for the barn, since the switch is currently plugged in directly to an outlet and should be protected anyway. I also bought this from APC for my equipment in the house. I was going to install that between my UDM and POE switch in the house, then ground it to an outlet.
I’m reading so much information about how to go about this. My barn is powered with 220v from my house, so 4 wires go to the barn H/H/N/G. the ground on the barn is the same ground as the house. If I use both devices can that create a ground loop in the event of a surge? I’m also reading that I can use the APC at any point on my network to provide protection. Is this correct?
Please don’t suggest fiber runs, as the cable is already run and I don’t plan on redoing it. Thank you all in advance.
If you cannot use fiber, which is the obvious solution, I’d recommend a wireless solution.
Grounding is not going to fix this issue.
Copper wires without damage even from direct lightning strikes have always been a best solution even over 100 years ago. This sub has one so ignorant as to not know this. Cannot dispute it. So he cheapshots - downvotes.
Ground has always been the solution. However which ground? Your house could have 100 electrically different grounds. Word ‘ground’ must always be preceded by a relevant adjective. Neither digital ground, floating ground, nor wall receptacle safety ground does any such protection. All over the world (today and over 100 years ago), even direct lightning strikes did not cause damage. But only when ‘earth’ ground was properly implemented.
Many urban myths are posted. What most call surges are only noise. Always made irrelevant by what exists inside all appliances.
Some even foolishly call an outage a surge. Connecting IT equipment to safety ground does not avert surge damage. Nor addresses other electrical noises. Fiber does not solve the problem. Since fiber converters are connected directly to the most common sources of surges - AC electric.
Stated repeatedly was what professionals say. With numbers. Tweets (ie use fiber) without any reasons why is classic junk science. Easily promoted because it is a tweet - does not say why.
OP need only do what is found inside every communication switching facility (ie COs) all over the world. Since those suffer about 100 surges with each thunderstorm. And no damage. Homeowners implement same (inexpensive) solution. For protection from all surges including direct lightning strikes. Since a home might suffer one surge in seven years. Again, numbers.
Notice: not even one can dispute the science. Or contradict numbers. First indication of someone who knows this stuff, professionally, maybe even before others were born.
We are not talking about high voltage telephone equipment.
The switches in telcos are totally different than low voltage Ethernet with sensitive transcivers.
Grounding differential potential between structures, even just a few feet apart, is often enough to destroy Ethernet transceivers without lightning strikes or surges.
Notice: I’ve been in IT and telco for over 30 years. I have worked on Nokia telco switching equipment and can 100% tell you that Ethernet transceivers will absolutely be destroyed with much less effort than telco.
What high voltage telephone equipment? Telephone hardware is low voltages just like networking voltages. Why would ethernet transceivers be in hardware? Low voltages.
We are now discussing people who invent lies - to sound honest. Ethernet transceivers are required to be some of the most robust. Will withstand 2000 volt transients without damage. Some are even more robust.
We engineers constantly deal with IT people. Who know as much about computer hardware as a taxi cab driver knows about V-8 engines.
How many computers have you designed? Not assembled. Designed by first drawing schematics. My first design was over 45 years ago. Stop trying to claim knowledge. Your examples are disinformation.
Anyone with minimal IT and computer knowledge knows telephones are low voltage. Ethernet ports are among the most robust ports in electronics
Only the most electrically ignorant constantly promote expensive magic boxes. You don’t even know that lightning protection is compromised (bypassed) because converter connect to AC mains. But then you are an IT guy. Who has no idea how robust hardware really is.
Has no idea that direct lightning strikes all over the world, over 100 years ago, caused no damage to low voltage hardware (ie telephone equipment) when and because earth ground was properly implemented.
Please stop claiming superiority using ‘IT’ as proof. If informed, then stated is why ALL professionals required low impedance connections to earth ground. So that surges (including direct lightning strikes) cause no damage. Cited professional sources. What have you posted? Technical lies justified only by hearsay and tweets.
IT people, so often, have no idea how a computer or electricity works. A perfect example of ignorance is “high voltage telephone equipment.” The lie suggests knowledge only as a salesmen or accountant for Nokia.