Lightning just fried my modem!!

[Getrag]

Picture the scence. Im sitting at my pc at home, enjoying some PH. When, with no warning, lightning hits the house, a giant spark jumps out the wall beside me and the internet disconects. New pair of pants please

The computer was fine, phone lines are fine, but modem just not responding at all. Gave some time, still no modem working. Eventually borrowed one, so all is good now. However:

1. How did it fry the modem?
2. How can a spark jump out of a plaster wall?

Any other lightning stories?

[dazren]

Sounds like you were lucky.

A mate of mine had his modem fried together with the rest of the machine.

DAZ

[gopher]

Not sure about the spark out of the wall - I'd get an electrician to look at that sharpish like - I've been told that most modems are designed to blow when there's a lightning strike because it saves the rest of the machine, looks like it worked!

Bad luck - at least the PC works tho'

Cheers

Paul

[Bodo]

Yes, it's always the modem (or the first connection to the outside) that gets buggered.
I've lost two ISDN cards and one DSL modem through thunderstorms; one was even protected by an overvoltage protection

My father once had his mainboard toasted by a spark

Now, I disconnect the plug to protect it.

[pies]

Get an anti surge protector (ext lead).Get the one with protection for the phone line as well.We get lots of thunder stoms and i've not lost a modem yet

they only cost about £20

[hut49]

I had this several times in the past year. I don't buy all-in-one fax/copier/scanner machines anymore. Since the last storm I've now got just a copier scanner machine since the fax modem blew. I lost an ISDN card too in a separate storm. Nervous about the broadband modem - anyone got a link to a site that I can buy surge protectors for ISDN and broadband. We've got 5 computers hooked up to telecoms in this house but they all come in through one panel - can I buy one device to protect all?

Hutch

[Bodo]

Hutch, have a look here: www.phoenixcontact.com

[Avocet]

Been there too. Bad luck!

I was feeling all smug because I had an uniterruptible power supply for the PC (live in the middle of nowhere, electricity supply not too dependable). Unfortunately, you get a big surge through the phone cable which kills the modem. Still, they're only £15 these days! Anyway, I've now got a better UPS which has an extra port for the modem connection so I'm just waiting for the next big storm to see if it works!

[hut49]

Bodo said: Hutch, have a look here: www.phoenixcontact.com

Thanks Bodo - a Trabtech device should do it. I'll give their facility in Wokingham a call. Hutch

[Nacnud]

I live on the top of a hill and have lost four modems in the last three years.

For the first replacement I bought an expensive 'lightning proof' modem and fitted a fairly pricy surge suppressor to the phone line. Next thunderstorn destroyed both the modem and surge suppressor

However, I've only lost modems, nothing else

I now buy budget modems and regard them as a consumabe item. Mind you - when I hear a rumble of thunder; it's now a panic to unplug the computer before the storm reaches the hills.

[Nacnud]

Oh yes....

My local computer shop told me that after one storm came across our area last year, they sold about 60 modems!

I only know this because they had sold out. However, they know me and I was prepared to buy a modem out of one of their demonstrator PCs.

We are not alone...

>> Edited by Nacnud on Thursday 16th January 11:26