Tue, 13 Sep 2005, R.P. Aditya wrote:

I have a bunch of cat5 buried about 1 ft below the surface connecting multiple
buildings on a campus (short runs) and lightning strikes nearby have caused
surges along one or more of the cables and burnt out switch ports.

Don't do that, then.

I would like to protect the switch ports -- there seem to be lots of
products on the market.

Anyone have recommendations (tested/practical is best :-)?

Use the cat5 as a pull rope, install fiber.

The APC Protectnet PNET1 and PRM24 seem quite nice and not too expensive --
if they workpros? cons?

Seriously, this is a battle against Mother Nature that you aren't going to
win. Differences in ground potential as well as induced currents into the
UTP will continue to cause equipment failure as well as possibly kill you
or someone else.

>
I have a bunch of cat5 buried about 1 ft below the surface connecting
multiple
buildings on a campus (short runs) and lightning strikes nearby have
caused
surges along one or more of the cables and burnt out switch ports. I would
like to protect the switch ports -- there seem to be lots of products on
the
market.

Anyone have recommendations (tested/practical is best :-)?

The APC Protectnet PNET1 and PRM24 seem quite nice and not too expensive

R.P. Aditya wrote:

>I have a bunch of cat5 buried about 1 ft below the surface connecting multiple
>buildings on a campus (short runs) and lightning strikes nearby have caused
>surges along one or more of the cables and burnt out switch ports. I would
>like to protect the switch ports -- there seem to be lots of products on the
>market.
>
>Anyone have recommendations (tested/practical is best :-)?
>
>The APC Protectnet PNET1 and PRM24 seem quite nice and not too expensive --
>if they workpros? cons?
>
>Thanks,
>Adi

I'll go with the fiber recommendation but that's not what you asked :-)

We use quite a few of the Motorola 300SS surge suppressors. They are
made for use with Motorola's fixed wireless Internet platform and go on
the Ethernet cable before it enters the building.

They do a good job of protecting the ports on near misses. Direct
strikes and they are toast along with anything attached to them - but
that's just the way it goes :-)

Tuesday 13 September 2005 03:24 pm, R.P. Aditya wrote:
Anyone have recommendations (tested/practical is best :-)?
First bond the cable shield to earth at the entry point in both buildings.
Second use a Tripplite DNET-1 at both buildings. make sure you have a single
point ground terminal that everything it bonded to and then that is grounded.

I am in the chicago area, and have towers and locations that have ethernet
cables running up to radios. We use this meathod, and don't have problems.
Worst we had after last night's T-storm was a site with out power :-)