SQLit wrote:
"CL (dnoyeB) Gilbert" wrote in message
...

Well I spoke too soon. Yesterday I was on my computer when I saw a
flash under my desk and heard a pop. Then I heard the rumble of
thunder. It was immediately clear they were related. My wife
downstairs saw something similar behind the TV.

My computer froze (or so it appeared) and I turned it off and on again.
it still worked but no internet. To make the story short, My router
and cable modem in the basement had many of their network plugs fried.

The cable modem had its only network plug fried, and my router had its
WAN port fried, and 2 of 4 LAN ports were fried.

The equipment is plugged into an outlet 1 foot away from my electrical
service panel. No Surge protector. But an alarm next to it and a co2
detector next to that were not damaged. After a bit of investigation I
have come to believe the surge came in on the cable TV line. Went into
my cable model, and out through the network cable and into my router.
And out of the router into the computer I was on, and another one
downstairs. (Neither computer was damaged)

I went outside, lo and behold there is my cable grounding block sans a
ground wire. IDIOTS!

Do I need to call an electrician to ground this thing? Should I call
the cable company and give them an ear full and the bill for my
equipment? Is this a code violation?



--
Respectfully,


CL Gilbert


Ya it is a violation. Probably not much you can do about it now. When the
company installed my dish set up recently I checked to see if the installer
had run the ground wires. He had not. So I queried him on it and he said he
was not done. Later I checked and he had not scraped the paint away from
the clamp he had used. Back at him again.
Might be time to consider a whole house surge arrestor. And arrestors for
your phone and cable.



Well I wouldnt mind having one. Where can I find one? But surge
arresting and proper grounding are seperate issues right? I know the
arresting requires a proper power system grounding, but is the house
ground that goes to the water pipes and into the earth for surges/lightning?

--
Respectfully,


CL Gilbert