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Why Surge Protection and Battery Backup is Important

I visited a couple of residences with electrical surges from a nasty (one of them) storm. One client had a surge protector and so did the other. One computer fried, and the other didn't, why you may ask? One client has dial-up Internet access and the other has DSL. The one on dial-up didn't lose their computer from the spike, just the surge protector protecting the line from the wall to the computers modem. Meanwhile the other client that had DSL, had a surge through the DSL line, through the modem box, and in through the network adaptor into the computers main components.

Moral of the story, for dial-up users, keep the lines protected with a surge protector from the wall outlet into the phone port of the surge protector, then out to the computer. DSL and cable users, protect your

computer with a surge protector that will filter from the DSL/Cable modem to your computer. The cable from the DSL/Cable modem is a network (CAT-5 or 6) cable, and will need a different type of port that is specified on the surge protector. None the less, protect your investment. Data recovery can be very expensive, and time without a working computer for a business is money lost.

As a final note, it is also very beneficial to invest in a battery backup unit in junction with a surge protector.  A battery backup unit will prevent the computer from being turned off and on rapidly during a brownout or voltage spikes.  It will also sustain power to your computer temporarily until the power either resumes or until the battery power lowers to a point that it tells the computer to safely shut down (power off.)   This also will give you time to save your work or whatever you may be doing at the moment to prevent data loss.  

Never the less, protect your investment or maybe enjoy the fireworks?