Randall wrote:
>My suggestion would be to use an UPS for the computer then (but not the laser
>printer if you have one), and just quality surge protector(s) for everything
>else. APC even sells a "whole house" surge protector that goes in your
>electrical panel (but they require you to have an electrician install it, which
>may be expensive).
>
>
the whole house one looks like what want. that's really the function
I'm trying to fulfill. I can get a smaller u.p.s. for the computer, and
that just to shut down gracefully upon power loss. kind of a stupid
question, but reading that, it says 120v - since it's covering the whole
house I assume it goes in before the breaker box, which is 240v. am I
missing something, or do I need two - one for each 120v leg?
>>I'm told (by the cable co.) that you
>>can't surge protect the co-ax because it will degrade the signal too
>>much for the modem.
>>
>>
>
>Did he look like Jim Carey ? Simply not true.
>
well, the deal is that the signal, by the time it gets to my house, is
very weak. the line has to be plugged into an amplifier in order to be
able to have the cable boxes work. twice, cable guys (and I mean in
that in the jim carey sense) have come to the house, tested the signal
strength at the line in to the house, and pronounced it too weak to be
useful. the lines to the t.v.s have the amp, but apparently the amp
will interfere with the cable modem's function, and a seperate line must
be split off, pre-amp, to feed the modem. both those guys, and the
people at (800) comcast say *nothing* can get in-between the modem and
the cable co. lest it disrupt the already precarious signal I do get.
I've taken to viewing the cable modem as a sort of fuse/surge protector
itself - at least it isn't frying the computer.
I attribute the equipment losses to surges through the cable and the
power lines - usually the cable. only in one incident were things that
were just plugged into electricity damaged, the rest of the time it's
been things plugged into a cable line. it it's been 50/50 on whether
there's a storm - twice it was sunny and dry, so lightning isn't always
to blame. and you really can't say for sure that it's the cable, since
the cable is plugged into the amp, which is plugged into the electric
line, except that only cable stuff was hurt and not electric-only stuff
(which you'd expect with an electric surge) and the modem is supposed to
be downstream of the amp (I'm told the amp has a one-way check to keep
the power boost from feeding back into the line to the modem), yet it's
been hit.
I guess the bottom line is I need to be able to protect both the coax
and electric lines from surges. bad.
scott
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