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Unplugging the power cords (and phone lines) to your computer and peripheral
devices is one way of protecting your equipment against damage caused by lightning.
To be effective you would need to have enough advance warning before a storm occurs
to unplug your computer and equipment. Unplugging your equipment is not a feasible
means to protect your computer against damaging non lightning generated spikes,
surges and power sags. Without specialized equipment you will have no way of knowing
these electrical events are occurring. There are 2 devices commonly used
to protect home or SOHO (small office, home office) computers, networks and
peripherals:
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1) Power outlet strip - These are the most common devices used
for surge and spike suppression. They are used to protect one or more devices plugged
into the unit. The power outlet strip is then plugged into the wall outlet
(point-of-use). (See the image below) The advantages of this type of surge suppressor
is they are convenient, easy to use and inexpensive ($25.00 to $45.00). Power
outlet strips will not protect you against electrical sags or brownouts. Only a
UPS and the battery backup power it provides will protect your against this type
of electrical disturbance/problem.
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2) UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply/System) - A UPS offers additional
capabilities beyond that of a power outlet strip. A well designed UPS is a power
storage system (battery backup) that offers RFI, EMI noise filtering, surge and
spike suppression and "power conditioning" capabilities. If a power outage occurs
a UPS provides power from its battery or batteries. This allows you time to save
any work, close any open programs and safely shutdown your computer.
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If you own a desktop computer, laptop and or peripheral devices like a printer,
scanner, fax machine, network devices, digital camera you need to protect them from
damaging electrical surges, spikes, sags. If you rely on your computer/s to run
a small or home based business I recommend you consider using a UPS. Use a high
quality power outlet strip to protect your peripheral devices. If you use your
computer for recreational purposes like playing video games, e-mail and viewing the
Internet you may only need a high quality power outlet strip.
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Throughout the rest of this article
I will discuss some of the things you need to consider when choosing a power outlet strip and or
a UPS. As you evaluate your requirements and choices ask yourself "What do I have to
loose if my computer becomes damaged, possibly loosing everything stored on it?". How much
will it cost me to replace or fix my computer or peripherals in today's dollars?
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