It’s storm season- protect your PC!
By Parrish Reinoehl, Pathfinder Networks
April 2006
Here we are again in the midst of spring storm season. This past weekend (March 12th) saw Mother Nature bring forth a barrage of early season wind and thunderstorms. My power went off a couple of times during the night causing the all too familiar “12:00” to start flashing on my digital clocks and microwave. Fortunately, my computer equipment kept running without missing a beat (although my Internet provider could not say the same). You may be asking yourself how this is possible if my power went out. Simple- I utilize properly sized battery backup devices (UPS) on my home and office networks. Computer and network equipment is extremely finicky about power- primarily the quality of power. Provide too little power, and your system behaves erratically or completely shuts down. Provide too much, and its electrical circuits- each 1/400th the width of a human hair, or thinner- are permanently fried (which means a potentially costly repair bill to resurrect the system).
The biggest threat to your PC’s survival is a sudden increase, or spike, in the amount of electric current flowing to it. Under normal circumstances your PC's power supply regulates the flow of electricity from the wall socket into the system itself. But a fallen power line or nearby lightning strike can easily overwhelm the power supply and send a deadly surge of electricity rushing through your motherboard- resulting in a trip to the repair shop. Damage resulting from power surges or other electrical anomalies is not covered under most manufacturers’ warranties- so you are left to foot the bill.
One of the most basic safeguards for your computer is to use a high-quality surge protector. While a surge protector won’t keep your PC from shutting down when the power goes out it can protect your PC from stray voltage entering your home through the power lines (notice I didn’t say it would stop a direct lighting strike- no device can completely protect from the destructive forces of lightning!). Expect to spend at least $20 to $30 for a quality model; cheaper models likely won't provide the shielding your machine needs. The surge protector should meet the Underwriters Laboratories' UL 1449 specification (most will state this on their packaging). Also, it’s critical that the surge protector be properly grounded- this means you cannot (and I’ll say that again- CANNOT) use one of those dandy 3-prong to 2-prong adapters to plug a 3-prong cord in to your homes old 2-prong outlet. If your home was built before the electrical code required properly grounded 3-prong outlets a surge protector will do you no good at all. In this case you’d be very wise to pay a certified electrician to install a grounded 3-prong outlet just for your PC (and any other high-value electrical equipment). I should also mention that those cheap $5 power strips are not surge protectors. These devices provide no protection at all.
Also, don't forget your phone lines. In many cases it is much more likely that power spikes or lightning are going to enter your home through the phone line than from the power lines. This is one area that many neglect to consider. In our repair business it is normal to see a rash of fried modems after a thunderstorm. If you use a dial-up modem or DSL you’ll want to connect your phone line to the line-in/line-out ports on the surge protector.
Providing too little voltage to your PC can be as bad as providing too much. A sudden absence of power can destroy unsaved data or damage important system files, both of which can be devastating to a business. When the power drops (or shuts off completely) your PC will immediately shut down as well. To avoid these types of crashes you can install an uninterruptible power supply (UPS for short). When the power goes out, a UPS provides sufficient power to your PC (normally about 10 minutes' worth) for you to save your data and properly shut down the computer. Many UPS’s come with software that automatically does this for you if you're not around to shut down the PC yourself. A UPS also serves as an excellent surge protector- you don’t need to use both a surge protector and a UPS to protect your equipment. But, again, it is critical that the UPS be connected to a properly grounded 3-prong outlet for it to protect correctly.
You can expect to pay anywhere from $60 to well over $1,000 for a UPS. UPS’s are rated by how many continuous VA’s they can provide (Volt/Amps). The higher the VA rating the longer it will keep your PC equipment powered. Normally you do not want to buy a UPS rated less than 500VA. Most home users would not need a UPS rated higher than 1,000VA- but a business may require a unit capable of many thousands of VA’s to power a multitude of PC’s and networking equipment. Also never connect a laser printer, copier, or laser fax to a UPS. These devices draw a very large amount of power and will overwhelm a UPS.
As always, feel free to give us a call or stop by our store in Niles at Belle Plaza if you would like further information on properly protecting your PC.
About the Author:
Parrish Reinoehl is President of Pathfinder Networks; a Niles based technology consulting firm specializing in providing affordable computer services to small businesses and home users including networks, PC support, sales, and service. Pathfinder Networks can be reached at 269-684-7696 or via email at parrish@pathfindernetworks.com
Pathfinder Networks website is http://www.PathfinderNetworks.com
Visit our retail location at 1920 S. 11th St., Niles, MI (in Belle Plaza).
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