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Forum Discussion
lightning protection
I have a AX1800 MK63 mesh router that was "killed" by a recent thunderstorm/lightning. How do I protect my router from this in the future?
Is a surge protector on the ac adapter enough or do I need protection on the ethernet cable from the modem also? The modem was not affected by the lightning.
7 Replies
Yes, a good quality Surge protector or a UPS, uninterruptable power supply device would be good too.
Did you replace the power adapter to see if the MR was still working?
or do I need protection on the ethernet cable from the modem also?
That would be safer. Lightning can create a power surge through the ethernet cable also if you have a coax connection to the modem. Using a surge protector for the modem would also be a good idea (even if it wasn't damaged this time).
Wouldn't the surge protect "cover" the router also? Coax to modem and then ethernet to router.
Wouldn't the surge protect "cover" the router also? Coax to modem and then ethernet to router.
Not sure what you are asking.
The power surge from lightning can enter the house through both the power lines and the coax. And reach the ethernet via the modem. So it is possible for the surge to damage TVs and other electronics that are connected via coax or ethernet, even if those devices are powered from a surge protector.
Some surge protectors provide protection to the coax and ethernet as well as power. For example,
Note this is not a recommendation, just an example I found when googling. But something along these lines would protect both the router and the modem (power, coax, and router WAN port).
Personally I use UPS for my routers, switches and NAS. They often include similar surge protection for coax and ethernet (and have some surge-protected outlets in addition to the ones that receive battery power). Plus they keep my network up through short power outages.
something else to keep in mind is that a surge protectors lifespan tends to be around 3-5 years before its recommended to replace them. My cheap electronics they're protecting, I don't worry much about. My pc's/networking gear, gets replaced around that every 5 years
