Suggestions for a router & ONT UPS?

ICBW, but often those sockets are just for surge protection. ie it'll stop a lightning strike coming in from the ethernet wire to your garden shed, but it doesn't handle any data on those ports, it'll just pass it through from one to the other.

There there's usually a USB-serial device that the software can query for status.

Theo

Ah, thanks. The instruction manual is rather short on information about the unit, but I bought it just to use as a UPS, and as such it’s now installed and working just fine. I was pleased to get the 4h20m run time on the simulated test.

The USB will be to connect to your "computer"[1] so that it can find out what the UPS is up to. Software on the computer can then decide what action to take... typically something like automatic shutdown when the UPS capacity reaches <= 25%. That way it will ride out short interruptions, but longer ones will cause it to shutdown gracefully before the UPS runs out of power.

The ethernet sockets are usually just there as a feed through - often connecting them to some surge protection, but not actually allowing any communication with the UPS itself. A use case might be to place it between the ethernet connection between your broadband modem and the rest of the network. That way if the router is also connected to a phone line which could be struck by lightening, it might stop damage propagating to other things on the network.

(Probably not much real value anyway, since ethernet connectors are usually opto or magnetically isolated)

Ethernet transformers are only rated up to about 1.5kV (or maybe 3kV?). A lightning strike could exceed that. The MOVs in the surge protection are intended to absorb that spike (until they immolate anyway).

Although it's probably more useful for copper phone lines (at the risk of reducing your DSL speed) than ethernet, since if you have fibre there's no overhead copper pair for the lightning to strike and the fibre isn't affected by the strong electromagnetic fields.

(or could the lightning propagate far enough along the steel tensioning wire to cause trouble?)

But if you're running ethernet outside (eg to a shed or an EV charger) then they could be handy.

Theo

I had a lot of experience with lightning strikes A near miss wont net you much more than 3kV A direct strike wont be absorbed or isolated by ANYTHING

A direct strike will likely kill many things, although a saving grace is your average 2 pair phone flex won't actually carry much current.

Many overhead fibre connections have been run with a copper pair in the bundle... I have a pair that splits off from mine.

Running SWA CAT5 can help there.

Ah…just tried that, however, Energy Saver isn’t showing the UPS, but my OS is so old it probably hasn’t got the ability to do that! And it won’t update, either…

HAsn't she heard of lanyards ?.

Thats why we buy a fair bit of this stuff:)...

Is your intention to turn a direct hit into a near miss?

Yep on some towers we do get direct hits and sometimes sideswipes, but the idea is to shunt the main strike past everything else.

Ever thought how much telecoms equipment there is on sites like Sudbury TV (Workhouse green) 2 masts there!