The Surge Protection Gap: Your Internet Cable Needs Protection Too
When we think about whole-home surge protection, we usually think about the electrical service. A meter-based surge arrester can provide an important first line of defense by diverting surges entering through the utility power connection.
But what about the internet cable?
Your broadband or coaxial cable typically enters the home or business through a separate pathway.
Surges Can Enter Through the Cable
Lightning and other electrical events can introduce damaging energy onto the broadband network. That surge can travel through the coaxial cable and directly into the customer's equipment.
The result can include damage to:
- Coaxial cable and connectors
- Modems and gateways
- Routers and networking equipment
- Cable TV equipment
- Other connected electronics
In severe cases, the cable itself can be burned or physically damaged. The picture above was dug up in the backyard of my house.
This is why protecting the electrical service alone isn't enough.
Close the Protection Gap
A comprehensive surge protection strategy should consider every conductive path entering the building.
A meter-based arrester protects the electrical service.
A quality cable surge protector protects the communications pathway.
For broadband operators, that additional protection can help reduce equipment failures, service interruptions, customer complaints, and costly truck rolls.
Don't Protect Just the Power. Protect the Connection.
Today's customers depend on their broadband connection for work, entertainment, security, and communication. Protecting the cable carrying that connection is an important and often overlooked part of protecting the connected home.
If the surge doesn't come through the meter, the meter-based arrester can't catch it.
Kenick provides surge protection solutions designed specifically for the utility and broadband industries, helping protect both the power and communications pathways that keep today's connected customers online.