That plug-in protector did nothing useful. It failed. A grossly
undersized surge protector that does nothing useful also fails so that
the naive will promote it.

How many other appliances in the kitchen were destroyed by that
surge. If the surge protector did anything useful, then the blender
and dishwasher (without protectors) were damage. Why were each not
damaged? Because protection inside a microwave, dishwasher, and
blender protected themselves. A grossly undersized and obscenely
overpriced protector was so pathetic as to be destroyed by a surge
that could not even damage other appliances? So how many GFCIs in the
bathrooms and kitchen were destroyed. Where is surge protection that
protected those electronics? Even GFCIs are more robust than that
grossly undersized protector?

Cable guy was 100% correct. This from an engineer who also did
this stuff. That protector did nothing useful but may degrade TV
signals. Cable companies constantly recommend removing those
obscenely overpriced protectors that ... do not even claim to protect
from a type of surge that typically causes damage. Don’t take my word
for it. Post numeric specs where the protector manufacturer actually
claims protection. Little hint. You cannot. The manufacturer does
not make those protection claims in numbers. The honest claim comes
with numbers.

Those protectors do reduce TV and computer signals. Reduced signals
mean some channels and internet may drop out periodically. Are those
your symptoms? Well, your cable signals may still be weak also due to
protectors that don’t even claim to provide surge protection.

Does that UPS provides protection? Where does it also list each
type of surge and protection from that surge? Again, massive profits
when they get you to *know* without first learning facts. The
informed consumer always needs numbers. APC claims what protection in
its manufacturer specs? Post those numbers here. Again, you can’t
because APC does not make those claims.

One number that the UPS is required to provide is joules. How many
joules? Your reasoning assumes a surge protector or UPS stops or
absorbs surges. Fine. How many joules? 300 joules? Lets see.
Surges are tens or hundreds of thousands of joules. Why did that
power strip fail? It was so grossly undersized (but probably not as
undersized as APC UPSes) as to provide ineffective protection. With
numbers provided by that manufacture, you again know why the surge
protector failed. So grossly undersized as to not provide
protection. So grossly undersized that a surge too small to harm a
microwave, instead, destroyed a grossly undersized protector.

Why do they grossly undersize that protector in a power strip or UPS
(both contain the same protector circuit)? Less joules means an even
greater profit. And a failed protector will get the naive to
recommend more ineffective protectors. Even here, the grossly
undersized protector got recommended.

Where is a spec number that claims protection from a typically
destructive type surge? Never posted above. Where is a joules number
sufficiently sized to absorb that surge? Does not exist. Where is
the manufacturer spec that even claims to provide protection from
typically destructive surges? Does not exist. Even the cable guy
accurately recommended removing that protector because properly
installed cables already have superior and effective surge protection
- installed for free.

Review what you have posted. You have assumed your power strip (or
a UPS) will stop or absorb what even three miles of sky could not
stop. Effective protectors don't claim to stop or absorb surges.
Effective protection means a surge does not enter a building.
Effective protectors cost about $1 per protected appliance.

You have a 'whole house' protector and still had a damaged plug-in
protector? Canary in the coalmine. A most easily failed item was
damaged by a surge that should have never been inside the building.
What any protector must connect to may be improperly installed,
missing, or insufficient. Protection is not a magic box - a concept
even understood 100 years ago. Protection is earth ground – a concept
that plug-in protectors and APC will do anything to avoid. An
effective protector connects surge energy short to earth. Follow that
wire from that 'whole house' protector (from fuse box) to earth
ground. It should be less than 10 feet. No sharp bends. If that
bare copper wire goes up over the foundation and down to earth, then
that wire is installed improperly - too long and too many sharp
bends. If your earthing violates those principles, then that would
explain why grossly undersized protector was damaged.

Cable must also make a short (ie less than 10 foot) connection to
the same earth ground. Why? What must absorb surge energy? What
dissipates hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly - without
damage? Earth ground. That required common connection from both
fuse box and cable may also make your TV and computer connections more
reliable.

Why was a grossly undersized (and obscenely overpriced) plug-in
protectors damaged? Your installation let a surge into the house.
That correction might (not likely but might) also correct a cable
problem. But moreso, that correction provides massive and superior
surge protection for tens or 100 times less money per protected
appliance.

The APC is for temporary power when AC power is lost – nothing
more. It claims surge protection. But again, look at its numbers.
Nothing is known without numbers. It has near zero joules. Well, it
is not zero joules. Therefore it can claim surge protection on color
glossy sales brochures - to intentionally deceive the naive. Near
zero joules means all but no surge protection inside that APC.

Two suggestions to make your cable more reliable. Verify earthing
is correct where that cable enters the building. Improper earthing can
be one reason for signal loss. Disconnect those obscenly overpriced
plug-in protectors, as all cable companies recommend, because those
protectors degrade cable signals.

On Nov 16, 5:32 pm, "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER
wrote:
Thesurgesuppressoron the microwave did its job. It "absorbed" the shock
during the storm (obviously, not a direct hit), so thesuppressorwas then
burned out but the microwave still worked.

As for thecomputerequipment, it's definitely not thesurgesuppressors
unless there is some reasonable explanation for why the cable company would
prefer that we not use *any*surgesuppressors. I have onesurgesuppressor
(Philips) for the laser printer, Zoommodem, phone, router, and small TV. I
have an APC backup USP for the CPU, monitor, and cable connection. Both of
those units are new, and the problems I described pre-date them. In fact,
the only thing on my current system that is *not* new is the router. So, it
does seem likely that the router is the problem, and I am willing to buy
another one. However, I am concerned because the technician tested it when
he was here, and it was fine. The cable company could also "ping" it when I
called them. Nevertheless, the technician suspects the router. I am going
to follow the advice of one of the people on this group and try to call
LinkSys before I try to change out the router.

MaryL