[geeks] Whee! Lightning strikes, AGAIN!

[Lionel Peterson]

On Jul 29, 2009, at 10:44 AM, Phil Stracchino <alaric at metrocast.net>  
wrote:

> Lionel Peterson wrote:
>> I think my hardware was killed by an EMP, because the computers work
>> fine, except the NICs - every NIC (save one, so far) that had a wire
>> of any length attached to it is DEAD. A power surge would have taken
>> out the computer AND the NIC, but that didn't happen. The two TVs  
>> that
>> were hit are CRTs, the flat panels (actually rear projection and
>> plasma) are fine. I suspect the CRT somehow "collected" enough energy
>> to kill the set. The garage door opener and A/C controller had
>> electronics that weren't very well protected (compared with, say, a
>> sealed up, grounded, PC chassis).
>
> Really sounds like you need to switch to gigabit fiber when you  
> replace
> all those NICs, doesn't it?  Assuming that shielding the house is
> impractical.

I may chop the Cat5e in the attic and put a switch up there, but the  
heat Is significant up there... I could run the wires into a closet on  
the second floor and place a switch there, but ventilation could be a  
problem...

I have no idea about cost with Gigabit fiber, not sure I could run it  
for under, say $400 (RJ45 on each end, maybe 200 foot run of fiber...

> (Side thought:  The outer shell of this house is stucco over wire  
> mesh.
> I find myself suddenly wondering whether the wire mesh layer is
> grounded and, if not, whether it would be of tangible benefit to us to
> ground it...)

I doubt it, because I doubt there are good electrical contacts between  
the sheets of wire mesh,..

Lionel