You can turn off router or modem. Many leave the modem
always on so that modem is always configured and connected.
However, an adjacent surge protector can contribute to
damage of equipment even when powered off. To protect where
located, the protector must stop, block, or absorb surges. Do
you think that silly little device is going to stop what miles
of non-conductive sky could not? Of course not. And yet the
impossible is what an adjacent protector must do. Even its
manufacturer does not claim to protect from the typically
destructive type of surge.
Effective protection is not a protector. Protection is
earth ground. If your cable was properly installed, then it
first dropped down to a single point earth ground connection
before rising back up to enter the building. Earth ground is
the protection. Same is already provided by the telco for
free. They cannot earth each wire directly, so they install a
protector. What does the protector do? It connects each
wire, a short distance, to the same earth ground. Again,
earth ground is the protection. The protector is effective if
connecting 'less than 10 feet' to earth ground. That short
distance (and other basic requirements such as no sharp bends
in the wire AND not bundled with other non-grounding wires) is
important.
Also important is that all incoming utilities use the same
earth ground. This "single point earth ground" must have a
dedicated connection to every incoming utility as even
required by the current National Electrical Code (NEC).
However we still don't build homes as if the transistor
exists. Wires highest on the pole - AC electric - are most
often struck. We connect some of these wires (the black hot
wire) directly to all household electronics without first
making an earth ground connection.
Typically destructive surges seek earth ground. They find a
path from AC electric into household appliances. That is the
incoming path. Then continue destructively through that
appliance to earth ground - the outgoing path. Protection is
to connect that surge to earth ground before it can enter the
building. A shorter path to earth ground means appliance
internal protection is not overwhelmed.
All appliances have internal protection. Anything that is
effective adjacent to that appliance is already inside that
appliance. But internal protection can be overwhelmed if the
destructive type of surge is not earthed before entering the
building. Homeowners must install a 'whole house' protector
on AC electric and must verify the earth ground meets or
exceeds post 1990 NEC requirements - is 'less than 10 foot'
away.
Every household appliance needs protection - including smoke
detectors, bathroom GFCI, and dishwasher. Effective
protection on AC electric costs about $1 per protected
appliance. How much for those ineffective and typically
undersized protector adjacent to computer and router?
How to make those plug-in protectors effective. Cut their
power cords short and plug-in them into the breaker box
receptacle. Confirm that the post 1990 earth ground rod is
installed. Then plug-in protectors have a short connection to
earth ground. But a better solution is a 'whole house'
protector even sold in Home Depot as Intermatic IG1240RC or
from other responsible protector manufacturers such as
Leviton, Furse, Cutler Hammer, Erico, Polyphaser, or Square
D. Many others exist.
Should you turn the modem and router off? The first
question is why. What is your intent? If it is to protect
them from surges, well, the adjacent protectors can make surge
damage easier. Any protection that works adjacent to the
appliance is already inside that appliance. Internal
protection that you don't want overwhelmed. Earth every
incoming utility at the service entrance - either by direct
connection (cable) or via 'whole house' protectors (AC
electric and telephone). Protector and protection are two
completely different components of a surge protection. In
some cases, the protector is not even required. But single
point earth ground is always required for every protection
system. A surge protector is only as effective as its earth
ground which is why some enhance their building's earth ground
system - for superior surge protection.
Garyggo wrote:
>
> I just purchased and set up a Microsoft Router MN-700
> working with a cable modem, desktop computer and a
> centrino powered laptop. My question is should you or
> can you turn off the Router and Cable modem when not
> using the computers. The desktop computer, router and
> cable modem are all hooked up through a surge protector.
> When not in use is it a good ides to shut down the power
> or not? I could not seem to find the answer in the
> manual. Any help would be appreciated. thanks in
> advance.
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