modem help!!!!!!

[spring snow hero]

ok, in the last year I have smoke 2 modems in lightning storms....the last one last night. WTF? any advice......don't say surge protector.

any advicefor ISP that is not phone/cable based and affordable? I am sure my phone ine i what is killing it.

 

[Fosgate]

Call the phone company and ask them to come out and check your lines for connectivity and or possible short. Brownouts and power failures can also be to blame. You could try not a surge protector but an Uninterrupted Power Supply that has built in surge protection but also provides steady power during brownouts and also triggers an alarm when it is running on backup power.

http://www.pricewatch.com/backup_power_supplies/


My father has used AOL for years and they're ok. But I can get a cheap 10/100 Ethernet Network Card and pay $12 more a month for broadband hi speed. If you have Direct TV you can also look to see how much it is to bring it in on their satellite service package as well.

 

[Backcountry]

Might need better grounding on the house. Often the ground is connected to your city water supply- taking for granted you have metallic pipe to the house. Code now days also requires a supplemental ground. Should be at least one good ground rod driven in the ground to a depth of 6-8 feet. If the soil is extremely dry like way under the eaves you may not have a good enough ground. Might have to bury a rod several feet away from the house to a deeper depth and run a substantial conductor to the box. The grounds are from the supply panel for the AC supply, but also sometimes ones for the phone/cable box. Check yours out.

 

[Ex-Member]

yep; check the grounding.

Could also try a lightning arrestor.

 

[PCDOC]

I have always recommended to my customers that unplugging your high end electronics/computer/modem during a lightning storm is the only way to be 100% safe. Pain in the arse, but it's effective and free.

 

[spring snow hero]

I will check the grounding......you would think my years at the utility company would have made me thnk of that. pretty sure that must be it, since it is always the phone line that heats up.

 

[700rmker]

There is some pretty good options for wireless broadband around here. Cable/dsl is really the best option for interent if you have it available for cost for performance. Don't even think about sat interent as some else mentioned... its sucks.

 

[ridermk]

Call the phone company and ask them to come out and check your lines for connectivity and or possible short. Brownouts and power failures can also be to blame. You could try not a surge protector but an Uninterrupted Power Supply that has built in surge protection but also provides steady power during brownouts and also triggers an alarm when it is running on backup power.

http://www.pricewatch.com/backup_power_supplies/


My father has used AOL for years and they're ok. But I can get a cheap 10/100 Ethernet Network Card and pay $12 more a month for broadband hi speed. If you have Direct TV you can also look to see how much it is to bring it in on their satellite service package as well.

Sorry Charlie, UPS's do nothing for dial up. Telco'swork off from lead acid and are immune from powe outages.........get an inline RG-11 surge supressor......

 

[xrated]

surge protector.......... hell someone had to say it

 

[milehighassassin]

In all honesty, use a surge protector (that's two!) but make sure it has a phone line surge protector on it along with a CAT 5 protector. A good surge protector will have the following:

-Power (several plugs 6-12)
-Phone line protection
-Cat 5 protection
-Cable protection

That is the only way to protect your equipment. You have to protect EVERY single line coming in.

 

[spring snow hero]

ok, here is the deal.....my phone j-box was grounded to my water faucet outside.......but since my plumbing was updated with pex it is useless. I called qwest to talk to a tech, some guy in an indian (dot, not feather) voice suggested I just unplug everything when I think their is going to be a storm......I asked him to transfer me to someone so I can kill my service off......they had me on hold for 1/2 hour, so I still have phone service cause they won the waiting game.......I might have to have them come out and move the phone service drops for my neighbors that they plowed through my pasture w/o my permission if they are gonna be chitty!

 

[Ex-Member]

dude.... 8 foot copper-clad steel rod, drive it into the ground so there's about a foot stickin up.... take the wire that went to the water line and hook it up to that.

 

[Fosgate]

Sorry Charlie, UPS's do nothing for dial up. Telco'swork off from lead acid and are immune from powe outages.........get an inline RG-11 surge supressor......

The battery backup is not intended for the phone line. The built in surge protection for the phone lines do. I was once a computer tech for a PC company and know this. I'm suggesting a UPS because I have personally dealt with the havoc of power loss and brown outs on computers. Given the problem of more than one replacement in months it is not out of the question to recommend. Unless you pull the cover and see chips on the modem reduced to a pile of powder (have seen them blown off the board) then power loss, fluctuation in power, brownouts are a possibility.