Surge protectors

[Crossley]

I am now investigating surge protectors for my computer, TV etc. At the moment the computer is the main concern, and I have bought a simple one for about 14 euros from Super-U. There was a more expensive one (30 euros) with 5 outlet sockets and a pair of RJ-11 sockets (in/out) for the modem; I have heard of several people suffering from fried modems as a result of storms, and presumably this offers some protection from that.

However, I have not bought the more expensive one because I am not sure whether it will slow down my telephone connection to the modem. At the moment it runs at the standard 56kps, although hardly ever seems to achieve that. Does anyone have any experience of using surge protectors with modem protection, and if so what is the best one to buy?

[Susannah]

I confess to knowing very little about these things but offer you one cautionary tale. We have some sort of surge protector fitted to the computer and it did its job during an electrical storm last May. Unfortunately our telephone wires were hit and because the computer was connected to the phone socket for the internet, the modem and goodness-knows-what-else were fried anyway. This was something that had not occured to us - and cost a couple of hundred euros to put right (although we were able to claim something back for the damage to the computer and the phone itself on the house insurance).
Susannah.

[Mazan]

> At
>the moment it runs at
>the standard 56kps, although hardly
>ever seems to achieve that.

You will probably never get the full 56k: it's purely theoretical. 44k to 50k is common.

>Does anyone have any experience
>of using surge protectors with
>modem protection, and if so
>what is the best one
>to buy?

I find that it's most effective just to remove all phone and mains connections during storms.