Lightning Protection FAQ
You need protection! – Protection against high voltage DC energy
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Lightning Protection Kits
Lightning Protection Defined
Lightning strikes are extremely destructive due to their pure direct high voltage DC energy. They carry with them the chance for metal melting and over-voltage along with the production of EMF (electromagnetic field) and RF (radio frequency) radiation that can seriously hinder or destroy a wireless infrastructure when struck close by. You need protection!
The reality behind LAN devices and the vast array of networking equipment is that high-voltage surges and spikes, which tend to occur from electrical strikes, can damage them, especially if they use outdoors, exposed wiring where protection starts.
Of course, there are instances where spikes and surges are the result of something else:
• Direct contact of lighting/power circuits
• Static accumulation on cables and other parts
• High-energy transient tied into cables adjacent to each other
• Possible differences in grounds of various connected equipment
• Mis-wired systems
• People with accumulated static electricity on their clothes
This is why Enable-IT recommends people to use their 265LP product to protect any LAN-based products from lightning or other potential high-voltage surge causes.
Why The Enable-IT 265LP?
The kit is a total solution that offers several compact weather resistant units to protect PoE and Ethernet data applications. In order to protect your outdoor wiring and the LAN equipment it is attached to, each unit needs to be attached to the LAN gear. The Lightning Protection units are compatible with the PoE devices and 10/100/1000 Base T-Ethernet networks, offering protection for the PoE DC power feed and Ethernet data pairs.
The features of the compact weather resistant housing include a lockable hinged cover that won’t close when the wires are being terminated and a single port access. It also include mounting holes on the backside. A ground terminal and lug is offered in the lightning protection housing to offer the best grounding possible.
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Any LAN or networking device that uses exposed outside wiring will experience a high-voltage surge or spike, usually the result of a lightning strike.
Of course, there are instances when these surges and spikes occur for other reasons than lightning. For instance, they may have come into contact with static build-up on parts and cables, direct content with lightning/power circuits, high-energy transients tied to equipment from cables nearby, etc.
People themselves can cause spikes and surges from the large amount of static electricity built up on their clothing.
This is why Enable-IT recommends people use the 265LP product for protection against any high-voltage surges and spikes such as lightning.
Why The 256LP?
According to Enable-IT, the 265LP is the ultimate LAN Lightning Protection, with the kit offering a set of weather resistant units that offer protection for the PoE or Ethernet data applications. In order to protect your outdoor equipment, you need one unit on both ends adjacent to the LAN gear. The units are completely compatible with industry-standard Power-Over-Ethernet (PoE) devices and 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet networks, ensuring protection for devices with PoE DC power feed or Ethernet information pairs.
There is one port access with the compact weather-resistant housing, and comes with a hinged cover that doesn’t close while wires are completed. On the backside are mounting holes. A terminal and ground lug is given with the lightning protector housing, which provides the best possible grounding for your equipment.
Protect Your Investment!
It is unfortunate, but a fact of life, that computers, computer related products and process control equipment found in premises data communications environments can be damaged by high-voltage surges and spikes.
Such power surges and spikes are most often caused by lightning strikes. However, there are occasions when the surges and spikes result from any one of a variety of other causes. These causes may include direct contact with power/lightning circuits, static buildup on cables and components, high energy transients coupled into equipment from cables in close proximity, potential differences between grounds to which different equipment’s are connected, mis-wired systems and even human equipment users who have accumulated large static electricity charge build-ups on their clothing. In fact, electrostatic discharges from a person can produce peak Voltages up to 15 kV with currents of tens of Amperes in less than 10 microseconds.
Lightning Protection for LAN Equipment
A manufacturing environment is particularly susceptible to such surges because of the presence of motors and other high voltage equipment. The essential point to remember is, the effects of surges due to these other sources are no different than those due to lightning. Hence, protection from one will also protect from the other.
We recommend using off the shelf local electronics or computer store surge and lightning protection power strips. Some common brands are Belkin, APC, Black Box, Tripplite, etc. We also would recommend the use of a lightning rod or air terminal with grounding for areas that are prone to severe lightning strikes. If you are looking for protection beyond these recommendations, we do offer the following Lightning Surge Protection products.
Lightning rod, or air terminals, have been the front line of defense against lightning. Its basic concept is to provide a preferential terminal for lightning that would have otherwise hit a vulnerable part of the structure. An air terminal only will protect a portion of a building, so most structures will have several lightning terminals. The spacing and position of air terminals has been well understood for many years and the proper configuration and installation of air terminals is detailed in well-known standards, such as NFPA 780 (National Fire Protection Association). Basic direct-effects protection also includes a system of down conductors connecting the air terminals to the grounding system.
Lightning Protection Kits
The configuration of the grounding system is very important and depends upon soil conditions, building construction and the presence of other underground conductors. Grounding systems can be created with driven ground rods, plates and possibly a counterpoise, which is a buried cable encircling the site. A counterpoise adds greatly to the protection from earth voltage rises that may injure people standing on the ground.
Please keep in mind that nothing is 100% fool proof and the best, and cheapest, way to protect your computer, or any electronic gear is to unplug all power, telephone, cable, (modem), and antenna connections during a lightning and thunderstorm.
Our Solution – Enable-IT 265LP – IP67 Rated WeatherProof Ethernet and PoE Lightning Protector Kit