Beyond frustrated with PoE switches ....

[mrdom]

Hi everyone: I know this isn't directly an E-MetroTel issue, but maybe some of you have experience with this. I'm at my wits end. For the third time this year, we had a thunderstorm move through last evening, and now, I've got two dead PoE switches. We're using Netgear ProSafe switches ... a 48-porter and a 28-porter. I have no idea why these switches keep frying. I have no idea if we sustained another lightening strike. I assume we did. Everything is protected under a heavy-duty UPS device. We have one cable going underground to the next building, and that's covered by a lightening arrestor. The 48-porter is protected by a big UPS and the 28-porter is protected by a smaller UPS device as it's the only thing on it.

We use PoE for our phones and network IP cameras. Some are installed in the building, and a few are installed outdoors. Every time we get severe weather or a bigger storm moves through, these switches go haywire.

Because the switches are protected by UPS devices, I'm drawing the conclusion that something connected to the switch keeps blowing it out. Could it be my external IP cameras? They're mounted onto the building and aren't near any kind of metal, but could these be the problem? We have a third switch in another building that doesn't have any outdoor cameras connected to it, and that one seems to do fine with storms.

Anyone have any experience with this and some suggestions? I'd sure be grateful. Thanks everyone.

-Michael

 

[getsomesun1]

If you have a UPS, I would most definitely look at any external cable. Not sure what lightning arrester you are using for the underground cable but do not be fooled into thinking that because you have protectors on the cable that it will stop lightning. Remember, Carbon and Gas fused protection (commonly used by the telco's) will stop over voltages in milliseconds thus stopping prolonged surges that could cause a fire. Lightning travels in nanoseconds. I have seen it hundreds of times over the years. ITWLinx has excellent lightning protection that fires in nanoseconds.

Any cable that is external to the building is vulnerable, including the camera cables.

Check out their web site.

http://www.itwlinx.com

Security/cameras. /markets/security-systems-cameras

They aren't the cheapest protection but you get what you pay for.

Good luck.

 

[mrdom]

As an update to all on this thread, I ended up purchasing a small PoE switch and a lightening arrestor and isolating the exterior devices on a separate switch, with one input going into the PoE switch. We've had several rounds of bad weather, and no toasted equipment. I'm hopeful we found the culprit!