Equipment Protection: Surge & Lightning Protectors

Voice, video and data networks are comprised of many devices, such as switches, routers, servers and network attached storage, all of which are vital to the running of a business. In some cases, companies invest millions of dollars in their communications and networking systems in order to ensure seamless access and control of their networks.

An absolutely critical and indispensible component for any network is reliable surge and lightning protection. A single bolt of lightning, carrying up to 100 million volts of electricity, carries the explosive power to rip through roofs, combust brick walls and thoroughly destroy networking and communications equipment. And the damage isn’t limited to a direct lightning strike – indirect strikes on telephone, data and power lines can be equally catastrophic.

By implementing relatively low cost surge and lightning protectors in your network, you can protect your investment in your original communications equipment purchase.

Solutions

Industrial Automation

Compared to commercial IT infrastructures, today’s industrial and factory automation networks are extremely susceptible to power surges and voltage anomalies due to their use of the high voltage equipment required to run industrial operations and processes.

The vast majority of legacy industrial connectivity equipment utilizes RS232 ports for control and monitoring. This equipment requires fault tolerant 24/7 uptime in order to maximize profits and production output. L-com’s surge and lightning protection solutions provide rugged and reliable protection to both legacy and new RS232/422/485 devices.

From PLCs to Industrial Ethernet Switches, Ethernet ports can be found just about everywhere in today’s industrial networks. Not using surge protection in these environments could cost your company thousands of dollars in the event of a power spike or transient. For new and existing network deployments, surge protectors must be factored in as critical design elements.

Wireless Networks

Even wireless networks are connected by cables. Every antenna, amplifier, splitter and access point in the wireless network is connected to low loss coaxial cabling. Since many wireless installations are deployed outdoors, they are even more susceptible to direct or indirect lightning strikes that can damage or destroy expensive components through each cabled connection.

By employing coaxial surge and lightning protectors, you can ensure network uptime and decrease capital expenditures on new equipment replacements in the event of a power surge or lightning strike. Coaxial surge protectors are a must for any indoor or outdoor wireless network installation.

IT Infrastructure

Deploying an Ethernet network for today’s business applications can be expensive, costing up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Servers, routers, switches and other networking components are all vital to running the day to day operations of the business. In the event of a power surge or lightning strike, however, destroyed critical components can leave a network ruined and a business crippled.

L-com’s HyperLink® brand rack-mount and standalone Ethernet surge protection solutions provide peace of mind as well as financial protection for your business.

Video Surveillance/CCTV

Many legacy and modern video surveillance systems utilize 75 Ohm coaxial connectivity in order to connect cameras, video recorders and monitoring systems designed to help deter theft and destruction of property. Acquisition and operation costs for this equipment can cost a company hundreds of thousands of dollars, particularly in high security facilities such as nuclear power plants, military bases and oil and gas refineries. One errant lightning strike or power surge can cripple a video surveillance system, leaving a critical facility vulnerable to attack or vandalism.

L-com’s HyperLink® brand coaxial surge and lightning protectors protect indoor and outdoor video surveillance and CCTV systems against high electromagnetic pulses (EMP), extreme power surges and lightning strikes. Most of these units feature replaceable gas discharge cartridges, ground lug terminals which provide superior grounding, and operating frequencies ranging from DC to 3 GHz.