[ncolug] Re: How can only the ethernet ports blow out on the wireless router???
- From: Kory Pounds <kory.pounds@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: ncolug@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:06:04 -0400
Everyone,
After reading Larry's reply, how can I protect against this? Is it
even possible to protect against this? I really do not want to have to
bother with unplugging ethernet cords every time we think there might
be another storm. What about if we do not realize a storm is about to
enter the area?
Is there something that can protect an ethernet line from surges? What
about utilizing some cheap hub where the long ethernet line from the
second floor can plug into right before the hub plugs into the router
next to it in the basement, so that the cheap hub blows out instead of
the nicer, more expensive wireless router?
There has to be an answer to this. What do you all make of this? Thanks,
Kory
On Thu, Sep 15, 2011 at 7:29 AM, Larry DiGioia <larry@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Lightning is a whole subject in itself. As a ham radio operator, I am quite
> familiar with this, and I have also seen many episodes like your in the
> workplace.
>
> What is happening is that the ethernet (CAT 5) wire is acting like an
> antenna, picking up the lightning like a radio wave. Lightning IS in fact,
> RF.
>
> The results vary at different points and places because of differences in
> lengths of the cable (resonances) and differences in the potential with
> respect to ground of other connected equipment. NOT being plugged into AC
> power would help in this case.
>
> You may also see ethernet ports fail later due to "degradation" as opposed
> to outright destruction.
>
>
> On 09/14/2011 11:15 PM, Kory Pounds wrote:
>>
>> Ok everyone,
>>
>> This is a total weird one to me. Maybe you can help me figure out
>> exactly why this happened. Let me explain:
>>
>> This happened during that violent storm we had during the night a
>> couple of weeks ago, with plenty of lightning, etc. At some point our
>> power went out for only about 15 seconds or so (and I heard a "snap"
>> in the background, too). Anyhow, after the storm passed through, I
>> found that the 4 ethernet ports on the wireless router (a single band
>> Linksys) failed and would not work at all. However, the router still
>> powered up and the wireless part still worked. I could still access
>> the internet wirelessly through it. I know that it was not a power
>> surge because the DSL modem was fine and both items are plugged into
>> the same power backup/surge protection battery.
>>
>> The router and modem are in our basement. My bedroom is in the
>> basement and that is where I have my laptop most of the time, with it
>> plugged in by ethernet when it is there. My laptop was fine after this
>> incident, no blow-outs or anything else. My laptop stayed plugged into
>> the power and ethernet all during that night. I verified my laptop by
>> plugging its line into the DSL modem and I accessed the internet. I
>> unplugged it and I accessed it successfully by wireless as well. So I
>> knew my laptop was fine and the problem was with the router.
>>
>> However, my brother has an ethernet line that runs from another of the
>> router ports up to the second floor of the house, where he has a desk
>> where he often works online with his laptop. That night his laptop was
>> up there and plugged into that ethernet line. In the morning he found
>> that his ethernet port/NIC card in his laptop was blown. He could only
>> access the router through the laptop's wireless part.
>>
>> How in the world could this have happened?! Why would only the
>> ethernet ports on the router be affected? Why would my brother's NIC
>> be affected on the second floor and not mine in the basement? Thanks
>> everyone!
>>
>> Kory "The Perl Guru" Pounds
>>
>> P.S. I ended up swapping in a nicer, dual-band Linksys router that I
>> had packed away as a backup. I definitely DO NOT want some similar
>> tragedy to happen to that one as well! Also, is there any sort of
>> "surge protection" for ethernet lines (if it is needed at all)???
>>
>> To unsubscribe send to ncolug-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in
>> the Subject field.
>>
>>
>
> --
> Studio - D Productions l o n g w i r e . c o m
>
> "The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook."
>
> William James
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe send to ncolug-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in
> the Subject field.
>
>
--
www.oncedead.com
It is not what you do that determines who you are, it is who you are
that determines what you do.
To unsubscribe send to ncolug-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the
Subject field.
Other related posts:
