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| schatham Tl Posts: 2 USA | Posted - 6/26/2006 8:40:32 AM    I have had an ongoing problem - for several years - with modems being eaten alive by power surges in the area. Sometimes, it doesn't even take a lightning strike to do it. I've seen lightning hit 4-5 miles away, while it's sunny at my house, and find that a modem I had hooked up & online has died just in the few minutes I'd seen the storm on the horizon. Mostly, I have used US Robotics and Encore modems. USR's have been the tougher of the two, but they seem to fail pretty regularly also. Sometimes, the power can flicker and it'll kill the modem. On average, I replace about 5 modems per year, I am on my third one this year. My system is grounded (the tester shows it's properly grounded), and I use not one but two surge protectors to protect the equipment. One of them has the RJ-11 jacks for the phone lines thru them, which they are run through those also. I am looking for some recommendations for a modem that is not as sensitive as the modems I have been using, but didn't want to lay out a lot of money on one until I am sure that it will both work, and be more lightning/surge resistant than the ones I have now. Can anyone recommend types/models that'd fit this mold (reasonably priced, tough on lightning & surges)? Any recommendations would be appreciated. SC
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| v.Richard Tl Posts: 6222 USA | Posted - 6/28/2006 5:36:35 PM  2 surge protectors may be part of your problem - All equipment that has a common connection needs to be on common surge protector - if you have computer, printer, modem - they all need to be on one surge protector. However, even 1 surge protector may not provide protection, especially with modems that have solid-state DAA --- Modems that use an electro-mechanical relay and audio transformer to interface to the phone line will be much less sensitive to lightning & power surges. See: www.modemsite.com/56k/lightning.asp Aloha! Richard. |
| schatham Tl Posts: 2 USA | Posted - 6/29/2006 8:01:20 AM I have the PC's plugged into one surge protector, and the phone wire plugged into that same surge protector. The second surge protector is plugged into the first, and has other PC components plugged into it (scanner, PC speakers, AC adapter for the phone). First one has PC, Monitor and power supply for desktop in it, phone run into first surge protector, then into the second surge protector (phone), then into the PC. Still though, I lose about a half-dozen of them a year. It's to the point where I'm considering going to cellular. Phone company can't seem to keep the roar out of my phone lines enough for me to carry on a conversation (or report the problem). For $120 a month, I expect better. Thanks for the link - I will take a look. |
| v.Richard Tl Posts: 6222 USA | Posted - 6/29/2006 4:45:05 PM quote: That is not good: surge protectors are designed to divert surge to earth ground potential. This requires a signal ground point (ie *one* surge protector). Damaging voltage can develop between 2 separate grounds that normally would be at the same ground potential, but not with a surge. If you have, for example, scanner plugged into one surge protector, and pc into another, and the scanner is connected to the pc, you have multiple paths to different grounds. But, while properly connecting devices to surge protector is advisable, in my opinion, there isn't a surge protector made that will help you with modems using solid-state (transformerless) interface to phone line. Aloha! Richard. |
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