Being a System Administrator for government agencies, we always used UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). You can find these in your Best Buy (but don't ask the staff because they have no idea what you are talking about. The guy I spoke to thought I meant GPS. Had to find them myself. At my last position, we had a HUGE UPS that cost thousands of dollars.
The trick though, is to fully understand YOUR particular usage case and your risk. For example, if you live in a state where there is low probability of lightning, you might get away with a power surge strip (provided you don't leave your tech on ALL the time. If you live in a state like Florida, you might want to move up to something substantial.
Now, think about what would happen if you lost your hard drive. You do a backup, right? No big deal. But, we know that electrical surges can damage equipment and the issue is how much money it would cost to repair or replace and how long would you be down.
In the industry we have TWO sets of data to be concerned with: RTP and RPO. What do they stand for? Unless you do proposals for IT projects that require you to encompass "availability" --
A - Availability
R - Reliability
M - Maintainability
S - Security
it is just wise to note that these are about what happens during and after an incident:
1) How long can the "system" be down and out of operation?
2) How much data are you allowed to lose?
As with everything, you have to equate this with the universal engineering symbol: $
UPS systems (I have at least three here at home) will get you through most surges, but they cost a LOT of money. Not just money to BUY them (look at prices online) but also the cost in electricity to keep the batteries charged even after you shut off your tech equipment. It ain't cheap! Then the batteries have a "lifetime" rating and need to be replaced every so often usually at large cost.
On the other hand we have the surge protector. These usually work well EXCEPT if you have a series of multiple surges. Some protectors can "die" after a surge while protecting your equipment but the you are exposed. By the way, do laptops need a UPS? Not really because the battery in them acts just like a UPS.
So, what would I suggest. Analyze what would or could happen during a surge. Could be a car knocking down a power pole cuts your electricity but the surge comes when the power is being restored. Figure out how really critical your systems are. Do you have money to replace them at the component level? How long can they be down? Do you have a backup? Oh, and don't forget your cable modem and router. Inventory what you have and, if it is "plugged-in" review what can happen and how much do you want to spend in protection. Not every device needs the same protection. Ask yourself if you have the money for replacement and/or repairs but also take into account the cost of any protection. How much does a UPS cost? New replacement batteries? How much electricity does it use just to keep itself charged? How big of a UPS do you need? or would multiple small UPSes be better? Then answer the basic question: "How lucky do you feel?".
Greetings Community Members, Ajtrek here. Below is an excerpt from an article published on 6/15/17 relating to Power Surges and Spikes in the U.S.
The New York City-based Insurance Information Institute a non-profit, communications organization supported by the U.S. insurance industry, conducted a study that revealed the following:
-- More than US$825 million in lightning claims was paid out last year to more than 109,000 policyholders;
-- Over 50% of claims were related to electrical surge damaging components or wiring, while power surges from transformer or service line shorts were also contributing factors.
That said, I should note that not every power surge or spike results in damages to electrical appliances and devices. While those numbers IMO (in the article) are not entirely representative of the millions of households that probably experience a power surge or spike in varying degrees; it still begs the question in regards to our own appliances and devices. Note: Links are provided for information only; but do contain advertisements.
Check out the full article here:
http://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/insurance/number-lightning-related-homeowners-insurance-claims-u-s-2016-average-cost-insurers-insurance-information-institute-1004115334/
To understand more about what a power surge/spike is or isn’t; and how they’re caused click the link:
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infelectrical/infsurge.html
With the ever increasing number of electrical appliances and devices in our homes that are continuously connected to an electrical power source; it should behoove us all to take an extra precautionary step to limit the potential damage that a probable power surge or spike may cause. If you are a home owner you can actually incorporate power surge and spike protection into the wiring at every receptacle. While that solution is a good first step (depending upon where you live) a second layer of external protection may still be a good bet.
We share a lot of excellent information about tech in this forum. Computers and/or similar tech being the primary focus. However, one topic I’ve not seen discussed is “how do we protect our tech from the nasties caused by the local power grid or even an ISP” (i.e. Power Surges/Spikes). IMO power surge and spike protection are just as important as good computer maintenance, virus and malware protection.
Here’s what I use and not just for my computers; but tech such as Stereo Components, TV’s, stand-alone lighting, appliances and Home AI devices. If you find it to be somewhat overkill…that’s OK
Stand-alone lighting, Appliances and Home AI devices:
Wall mount (single or multi-input) or Floor (multi-input) with a 500 to 3000 joule rating ($20-$30)
TV and Stereo Components:
Wall Mount or Floor < Battery Back-up ($98-$280) < Line Conditioner w/multi inputs ($300-$1000)
Computer Desktop:
Wall Mount or Floor < Battery Back-up
Computer Laptop charging
Wall mount (single or multi-input) or Floor (multi-input)
Cell Phones/Tablets/Other USB device charging
Wall Mount < Powered USB Hub ($30-$50)
Please share your thoughts and solutions – Thanks!
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