Does Lightning Effect Your Network?
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, miswired 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.
“Remember, lightening is not covered by the warranty in any case that I am aware of.” Source: worked for gateway tech support
In several instances, a lightning-derived surge may destroy the printed traces in the printed circuit boards of the computer equipment also resulting in hard failures. Along with the voltage source, lightning can cause a current surge and a resultant induced magnetic field. If the computer contains a magnetic disk then this interfering magnetic field might overwrite and destroy data stored in the disk. Furthermore, the aberrant magnetic field may energize the disk head when it should be quiescent. To you, the user, such behavior will be viewed as the “disk crashing.” Some computer equipment may have magnetic relays. The same aberrant magnetic fields which cause disk crashes may activate relays when they shouldn’t be activated, causing unpredictable, unacceptable performance.<b> At SGS we like to help save data, in fact we are little bit too obsessed. In fact we earn money whilst working on things we’re totally in love with. Admit, you’re jealous?” </b>So these are some of the unhappy things which happen when a computer experiences lightning. But you may say, “Come on, equipment hit by lightning, that’s like winning the lottery. It has never happened and I doubt that it ever will.” This is a typical reaction and unfortunately it is based on ignorance. True, people may never, or rarely, experience, direct lightning strikes on exposed, in-building cable feeding into their equipment. However, it is not uncommon to find computer equipment being fed by buried cable. In this environment, a lightning strike, even several miles away, can induce voltage/current surges which travel through the ground and induce surges along the cable, ultimately causing equipment failure. The equipment user is undoubtedly aware of these failures but usually does not relate them to the occurrence of lightning during thunderstorm activity since the user does not experience a direct strike. In a way, such induced surges are analogous to chronic high blood pressure in a person; they are “silent killers.” In the manufacturing environment, long cable runs are often found connecting sensors, PLCs and computers. These cables are particularly vulnerable to induced surges
When a lightning-induced power surge is coupled into your computer equipment any one of a number of harmful events may occur. Tutorial by Kenneth Schneider PhDTelebyte USA
Learn More at : https://www.lyncole.com/lightning-protection-services