Electrical surges can be crippling to data communications networks. The problem doesn't even have to be related to lightning storms or municipal blackouts. Tiny internal glitches within the electrical lines can knock out an entire system in a fraction of a second. The physical cost to your company is nothing compared to how much you can lose in data, or in future business because you can't service your customers. Prevention is the key, and taking a rugged approach makes total sense considering what you've got to lose.
Make the Problem Smaller
The best way to minimize damage is to firewall sections away from each other, creating electrical zones throughout your network. Run lines in separate, enclosed systems when installing your datacomm equipment. If there's a problem with section 1, for example, sections 2 and 3 shouldn't be affected, saving most of your system from damage.
Causes
Problems with fluctuating power supply can occur from many different causes. While they all create problems with your datacomm network, each one may have to be treated differently. Some of the more common causes are:
- Power outages: Whether because of weather, civic overuse, or sabotage, communities sometimes suffer from a general loss of power. While this won't damage a network, it can shut your business down and affect further operations once the power is restored.
- Surges: While a surge, or spike in electrical power, lasts only a microsecond it can cause severe damage if you don't have protection in place. Surges can cause data loss, down time, and even equipment damage. Install surge protection to both data and voice lines to ensure your entire network is covered.
- Lightning: Unlike naturally occurring surges in the power line, lightning can cause a surge that's many times more powerful. Not only can it knock out the power to an entire system, it can burn out any equipment that's not protected, resulting in partial or complete data loss.
Protection Methods
While each method of protection is crucial, you'll need to install all three to create a complete safety zone around your datacomm network. Each type of protection shields against a different type of menace to your system; combined, they'll provide complete protection against electrical surges.
- Lightning protection: Air terminals, which used to be called lightning rods, are your business's best protection again surges caused by lightning. The small rods connected to the roof and to your largest landscaping trees direct any close lightning strikes away from your building and into a grounding pad outdoors. This renders the electricity harmless, keeping it away from your business.
- Surge protection devices: Otherwise known as surge suppressors, these devices act as a shield between the electrical system in your building and your datacomm equipment. Check with your commercial electrician to determine what kind and how many surge protection devices you'll need.
- Alternate power supplies: Uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) and backup generators are your last defense against the worst power outages. Each computer terminal should have its own UPS to shield against sudden outages that ravage data. In addition, a backup generator keeps your business going when backups last longer than just a few minutes.
