Anyone know of a UPS with gigabit ethernet support?

[m1st]

I recently built a Windows Home Server, and was looking to protect it with an uninterruptible power supply. The issue I'm having is that it's hard to find a UPS that has explicit support for gigabit (1000baseT) ethernet. Most UPS will support 8P8C ("RJ45") connections, but when you plug gigabit devices into them, it downgrades the signals to 100baseT ethernet.

Does anybody know of a good UPS available in the US that supports gigabit ethernet? Battery life isn't very important -- I just need it to supply enough juice to let my server shut down properly. The server takes about 35W idle right now, but I plan on adding a few hard drives later on.

Thanks!

[CA_Steve]

Hmmm, never opted to put my internal network connection thru the surge suppressor....I've just put external network components on it (cable prior to cable modem, or DSL line prior to modem). Not sure there is any benefit to what you are trying to do.

[m1st]

Never actually thought about doing it the way you suggested. My only concern is that there is a remote (emphasis: remote) possibility that the electrical surge originates not from an external connection like the electrical grid or my cable connection, but from a direct lightning strike to my house. I guess if lightning's striking my house, I have other concerns, however.

[jessekopelman]

Never actually thought about doing it the way you suggested. My only concern is that there is a remote (emphasis: remote) possibility that the electrical surge originates not from an external connection like the electrical grid or my cable connection, but from a direct lightning strike to my house. I guess if lightning's striking my house, I have other concerns, however.

Is there a path for the lighting to get to the cable without going through a device that connected to a surge suppressor? There are standalone Cat5 surge arrestors, but they will run you decent money for something that will pass GigE with no degradation. These standalone suppressors are designed for use with outdoor mounted radios. Another trick commonly used for outdoor runs of Cat5 is to use STP and ground the shielding.

[CA_Steve]

While lightning does some crazy things, I think it's way more likely for it to take a lower resistance path than through your internal networking ethernet cable...unless you have it strung up around your roof

[m1st]

Thanks for all the great advice.

@jessee, what did you mean by the following?

Is there a path for the lighting to get to the cable without going through a device that connected to a surge suppressor?

I'm starting to think that maybe I'm being a bit too zealous in protecting my server. Maybe I'd be better off just buying a simple UPS and forgoing ethernet protection?

[theycallmebruce]

Once I had to replace five out of six network cards plus an Ethernet switch in a customer's office after a lightning strike, so it can happen.

That said, it's unusual, and dodgy wiring may have been a factor.

Also, I'm not sure what protection (if any) the Ethernet ports on the built in switches in some models of UPS offer.

[westom]

I'm starting to think that maybe I'm being a bit too zealous in protecting my server. Maybe I'd be better off just buying a simple UPS and forgoing ethernet protection?

Surge protection is always about where energy dissipates. Either you earth a surge at the service entrance. Or that surge is inside the building hunting for earth destructively via appliances.

Nothing (ie UPS) stops or absorbs destructive surges. Once inside a building, surge currents find numerous (potentially destructive) paths everywhere. One appliance may be destroyed while protecting others.

If your server is at risk, so are so many other critical household appliances. Even the furnace. The well proven (for over 100 years) solution has always been to earth a typically destructive surge where wires enter a building. That well proven protector costs about $1 per appliance.

Your telco's computer is connected all over town via overhead wires. It is threatened by about 100 surges with each thunderstorm. How often is your town without that computer (no phone service) for four days while they replace that computer?

Learn why telcos have no damage. Do same. Every incoming wire gets connected - as short as possible - to single point earth ground. So that protection is better, the protector is located something less than 50 meters from electronics. Separation to increase protection. Surge energy dissipates harmlessly in earth IF a connection to earth (via a protector) is short.

You can do same for about $1 per protected appliance. Effective solutions are not provided by overhyped names such as Belkin, APC, or Monster Cable. Only more responsible companies provide an effective solution such as General Electric, Siemens, Polyphaser, Intermatic, Square D, and Leviton. A Cutler-Hammer solution sells in Lowes and Home Depot for less than $50.

No protector provides protection. Repeated because too many educated in myths have great difficulty with this reality. No protector provides protection. An effective protector makes a short (ie 'less than 10 foot') connection to single point earth ground. An effective protector is only a connecting device. Connects energy harmlessly to earth. Remember sentence one. Surge protection is always about where energy dissipates.

A surge protector is only as effective as what does the protection. Your single point earth ground must be upgraded to both meet and exceed post 1990 National Electrical code. Every incoming wire in every cable must connect short to this ground either directly (cable TV, satellite dish) or via a 'whole house' protector (AC electric, telephone). Any incoming wire that violates that 100 year old principle means surge protection is compromised.

Well, that is the quick summary. And why no power strip or UPS even claim surge protection from each type of surge in the manufacturer numeric specs. View them yourself.

Install one 'whole house' protector to earth even direct lightning strikes and have no damage (as well understood even 100 years ago). Yes, no damage even to the protector. View spec numbers on effective protectors. Direct lightning strikes (to any incoming wire) are typically 20,000 amps. So a minimal 'whole house' protector from those responsible companies is rated for 50,000 amps. Surge protection is installed to make direct lightning strikes irrelevant. Also makes lesser transients irrelevant. So that destructive transients are not on your network wires and not threatening your server.

Bottom line and why that UPS does not claim effective protection. Protection is always about where energy dissipates. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground.

[theycallmebruce]

Wow, nice first post westom! For sharing your knowledge, you get.. a bunch of questions

What name is generally used for this class of whole-house protection device? I assume they can be supplied and installed by any qualified electrician?

Also, what exactly is meant by a single point earth ground? How do you measure its "quality" (what properties must it have to be effective)? What's involved in upgrading it? In layman's terms if possible please!

Thanks.

[westom]

What name is generally used for this class of whole-house protection device? ...

Also, what exactly is meant by a single point earth ground?

The 'whole house' protector is provided by one common name - 'whole house' protector. Different from plug-in protectors because it has a dedicated wire to make that 'always required' short connection to earth.

They are provided in numerous configurations including attached to the breaker box, clipped into a circuit breaker position, or install by the utility behind the meter. Because informed homeonwers can install them, then they are even sold in Lowes and Home Depot. Or your electrician buys it from his electrical supply house.

Again, no protector is protection. Even a 'whole house' protector is ineffective if your single point earth ground does not meet and exceed post 1990 code. Nothing posted will make any sense if you do not go down (or outside) and do the labor - view everything that exists.

For example, from every breaker box must be a solid bare copper (quarter inch diameter) wire that goes outside to the single point earth ground. Follow that wire. It must be short (ie 'less than 10 feet'). To exceed human safety requirements, it must have no sharp bends. Not be inside metallic conduit. No splices. Must be routes away from other non-ground wires. And must meet at the earthing electrode where the telco ground wire and cable ground wire also connect.

If the ground wire goes up over the foundation and down to earth, then it violates at least three 'exceed' requirements. It must go through the foundation and down to be shorter, no sharp bends, etc.

Ground to cold water pipe is no longer sufficient.

All telephone subscriber interfaces have long had a 'whole house' protector installed for free. Typically located inside an NID box. Simply follow a gray or green ground wire from that box to the single point earth ground.

A minimal single point ground may be one ten foot copper clad rod. (Some electricians cheat, cut them in half, and only install a four foot rod.) Better surge protection means more rods, Ufer grounds, a ground ring aroudn the building, or other upgrades. A utility demonstrates how to fix single point grounding with a kludge solution if previous installer screwed up building connections (system requires that you reconstruct this URL):
t i n y u r l dot com slash yefm8n9

Even underground wires must not enter a building without making that connection to single point ground. If an ethernet cable interconnects two buildings, then that cable must be properly earthed where it enters each building.

[Plissken]

Just pulling a permit will cost over $50. I've never seen these home-entry devices sold at HD or Lowes, although I never looked for them (assuming they are out of my price range, like several hundred dollars). I would love to hear more about this $50, 50kA device. Like this one from Siemens?
http://www.purgethesurge.ca/docs/SPD4home.pdf

I don't want to be a killjoy, but the mods may want to move this to OT since it has nothing to do with silent computing, unless we are trying to avoid loud explosions

[westom]

Just pulling a permit will cost over $50.

Obviously, no permit is required.

But this is essential to protecting any server, gigabit networking, routers, and associcate network devices. Effective surge protection means nobody even knows a surge existed. Even the protector must remain functional.

[jessekopelman]

@jessee, what did you mean by the following?

Is there a path for the lighting to get to the cable without going through a device that connected to a surge suppressor?

I'm basically asking if you are running the Cat5 in the wall. Otherwise, how is the lightning strike going to get to it? It would have to go through one of the connected devices, which is either going to be saved by your surge arrestor or be fried and become a big resistor, right?

[westom]

I'm basically asking if you are running the Cat5 in the wall. Otherwise, how is the lightning strike going to get to it? It would have to go through one of the connected devices, which is either going to be saved by your surge arrestor or be fried and become a big resistor, right?

Show me the spec numbers where a protector stops what three miles of sky could not? Show me those hundreds of joules that somehow absorb typically destructive surges that are hundreds of thousands of joules?

Why did lightning strike Ben Franklin's wooden church steeples? Because the most conductive path to earth was via a more conductive material - wood. What can also carry a surge into Cat5 wire?

Once inside a building, that surge will find destructive paths to earth. A surge means voltage will increase as necessary so that the same current still flows. If necessary, it will even conduct through Cat5 insulation.

Solution is always about where energy dissipates. Either that energy is earthed harmlessly outside the building. Or that energy is inside (discovering materials you did not know are conductive) to hunt for earth ground destructively via appliances.

Protection has always been about energy not inside the building.

Why do telcos locate their 'so much less expensive' protectors within feet of earth ground AND up to 50 meters separated from electronics. To be effective, the protect must be that close to single point ground. To make protection better, distance between a protector and each appliance is increased. How often has your telcos (connected to overhead wires all over town) stopped all phone service for four days while they replace their computer? Learn what effective protection is. Ignore the myths and lies that promote 'magic' plug-in devices.

So that thousands of volt protection in each ethernet port is not overwhelmed, every incoming (to the building) wire in every cable connects to earth ground. Either directly (cable TV, satellite dish) or via a 'whole house' protector (AC electric, telephone).

Otherwise a surge may be inside hunting for earth ground destructive via Cat5 wires or other conductive materials.

No protector adjacent to electronics even claims to provide the necessary protection. If you have doubts, then post each significant spec number that claims that protection.

[jessekopelman]

I'm basically asking if you are running the Cat5 in the wall. Otherwise, how is the lightning strike going to get to it? It would have to go through one of the connected devices, which is either going to be saved by your surge arrestor or be fried and become a big resistor, right?

Show me the spec numbers where a protector stops what three miles of sky could not?

I wasn't disagreeing with you. I was just pointing out that the Cat5 probably wasn't the path he should be concerned about . . .

[westom]

I wasn't disagreeing with you. I was just pointing out that the Cat5 probably wasn't the path he should be concerned about . . .

I was not saying there was disagreement. But again the damning questions. How does a protector stop what three miles of sky could not? How does its many hundred joules absorb surges that are hundreds of thousands of joules?

The OP's UPS does not even claim to provide surge protection. Gigabyte ethernet already contains significant protection rated even in thousands of volts. Protection that can be overwhelmed with or without that UPS if surge energy is permitted inside the building.

Those damning questions explain why an adjacent UPS does not even claim surge protection in its numeric specs. Those damning questions are why gigabit ethernet protection is installed so that surge energy does not even enter a building. A solution that also costs tens or 100 times less money.

[Plissken]

westom: Previously you were asked about this $50 point-of-entry device available at Home Depot. Please provide a link to such a device. Also I'm curious as to your location in the USA where you are not required to obtain a permit before modifying your high voltage service.

[westom]

westom: Previously you were asked about this $50 point-of-entry device available at Home Depot. Please provide a link to such a device.

Anyone can make changes to their own electrical wiring. Local codes may restrict that. Why do Lowes, Home Depot, hardware stores, etc sell these electrical parts retail? Because anyone can do their own electrical work.

I have no hyperlinks. Simply visit a Lowes or Home Depot. Ask for their 'whole house' protector. These well proven solutions once selling for $35 are now less than $50. Nothing can replace viewing the protector and reading its installation manual. Many stores have open breaker box examples so that you can better understand what is necessary. Words cannot replace visual protection and the assistance of an informed peer.