Re: 10BT cables and lightning
From: "Walter L. Preuninger II" <walterp@rapidramp.com>
> I would like to setup my home-net using 10bt cables between my linux and
> windoze boxen, but the only way I have to run the cables is to run it out
> a window, under the house, and back in a window. Is there any method of
> protecting the cables & cards from lightning damage? Several pc's and a 16
> port concentrator died recently due to a very close lightning strike.
There is a good deal you can do against lightning damage, but nothing
to protect from a really near strike unless you have a good engineer
and a whole lot of money. Check that all of your equipment is plugged
into grounded outlets and that the ground terminal of the outlet is
actually connected. Many of the surge suppressors on the market border
upon being "snake oil" (open some up and look inside). They might help,
but don't count on them. Instead of UTP wire, get the shielded stuff,
and ground the shield on _ONLY_ONE_END_. Leave the other end "floating"
to prevent ground loops. If you want to be expensive, use optical fiber
for your net, which will not get induced voltages due to lightning. Use
ferrite beads at the ends of all long wires (including the phone wire)
to reduce the possibility of induced common-mode current due to a
nearby strike. I got some cheap ferrite donuts at the ham radio flea
market that I use for RF suppression, but they work for electromagnetic
impulse as well. I put as many turns of the wire through them as will
fit. Look for unintentional paths to long wires - such as from the
sound card to the hi-fi to the cable-TV wire. Maybe you don't need
that, or if you want to keep it, get an isolation transformer for the
cable-TV wire.
Even after all of this, you might get zapped again.
Bruce
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