Sometimes, there are instances when you might experience power blackouts. Whenever power resumes, it might have a lot of voltage, which can damage all the electronics in your home, including your internet routers, modems, and even Ethernet data lines. Other times, distant lightning might strike and send electrical surges along the power line. This can cause irreparable damage to network equipment such as Ethernet cables. To avert this problem, you should consider investing in surge protection for your Ethernet data lines.

What Is a Power Surge?

A power surge is a short spike in voltage, current, or energy. Power surges can destroy or weaken electronic devices and wiring, either all at once or over time.

Common causes for power surges include:

• Lightning strikes
• Power outages
• Turning on or off large appliances, such as those with electric motors or compressors
• Tripped circuit breakers
• Short circuits
• Power company failures

Surges cause malfunction and destruction and thus failure of computer systems. This can significantly affect operations, resulting in long standstill of the installations and systems. Therefore, surge protection concepts are required in addition to the protection of the power supply system and regular data backups to ensure reliable operation of computer systems.

Do I Really Need Surge Protection for Ethernet?

Yes. A surge protector is very important if you reside in an area that experiences thunderstorms or regular blackouts due to one reason or another. In such scenarios, power surge will be a common phenomenon, be it in your home or office. Since standard electrical outlets do not offer the much-needed protection against power surges, there is need to invest in a surge protector.

Power surges can destroy your expensive equipment, costing you money and downtime, and possibly cause you to lose important data. For home businesses, lost time can mean lost profits. It's often more cost-effective to invest in protection against power surges, mitigating any disasters.