Tuesday, May 19, 2009
That Time of the Year, Again
It is hard to believe, but it is that time of the year to think about lightening. This is a good time to make one last check of your UPS and surge protectors. This an article that we have ran in the past about lightening.
Labels: lightening, surge protectors, UPS
Monday, August 18, 2008
Tropical Storm Fay
It appears that the hurricane season really gets started tomorrow in Florida with the arrival of TS/Hurricane Fay. It is just like Summer begins on June 21st, but it really begins when you make your first trip to the beach. This storm is requiring everyone to make judgment calls about opening their offices or not. I think that most are dependent upon their location in relationship to the land-fall location and projected patch. The next decision is if you should shut down the computer equipment or leave it running.
Your main consideration is whether or not you will have employees working. Remember that your local employees might just log in remotely and work. It is not like they can go to the beach. You may also have remote employees that will be totally unaffected by the storm. If your server and/or other interconnecting equipment is shutdown, then you have even greater loss than you could already be facing.
The key is a good battery backup and management software. I have long been a fan of the APC UPS products coupled with the included power management software. It can effectively monitor your battery during a power outage and shut down your server in a safe manner. Windows server software on correctly configured hardware will even restart automatically if power is restored.
One thing to remember about your power supply needs. Be sure to have your router and modem as well as other network infrastructure on a UPS. This can be a smaller unit since these devices take very little power. They should run for hours without electrical main power.
If you are in Florida stay safe. It could be a great day to organize the office.
Labels: APC, Small Business Server, UPS
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Lightening Season Is Coming
For my fellow Floridians lightening season is just around the corner. Many others across the United States are already experiencing springtime lightening storms. Last year about this time I posted an article and I felt it time to link to it.
One thing that I will add about using a UPS or uninterruptable power supply. Do not connect your printer to your UPS. Many printers and especially laser printers pull a large amount electrical current when they heat up and when they are printing. Connect these to a separate surge protector that runs to a separate wall outlet. If you have a large multifunction printer/copier ask your vendor to supply or recommend a heavy-duty surge protector.
One thing that I will add about using a UPS or uninterruptable power supply. Do not connect your printer to your UPS. Many printers and especially laser printers pull a large amount electrical current when they heat up and when they are printing. Connect these to a separate surge protector that runs to a separate wall outlet. If you have a large multifunction printer/copier ask your vendor to supply or recommend a heavy-duty surge protector.
Labels: lightening, surge protectors, UPS
Monday, February 11, 2008
Follow Up to Notebook Maintenance
A couple of weeks ago we posted an article about extra maintenance for notebook computers. Someone dropped me a line and pointed out the importance of using a surge protector with your notebook computer. I think that because they are battery powered, we forget about the very important surge protection while they are plugged into an outlet. This goes for not only using but also charging our notebooks.
Fortunately there are numerous options. I you search for "notebook surge" on Amazon.com you will find up to three pages of entries. The average price runs from $10 to $20. Be sure to choose a model that offers insurance in the same way that you choose a surge protector for any other electronic appliance.
Another good tip is to go ahead and unplug your notebook during lightening storms. Most notebook batteries should last longer than a typical thunderstorm.
Fortunately there are numerous options. I you search for "notebook surge" on Amazon.com you will find up to three pages of entries. The average price runs from $10 to $20. Be sure to choose a model that offers insurance in the same way that you choose a surge protector for any other electronic appliance.
Another good tip is to go ahead and unplug your notebook during lightening storms. Most notebook batteries should last longer than a typical thunderstorm.
Labels: lightening, maintenance, notebook computer, surge protectors, UPS
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Summertime and the Lightening is Dangerous
I hope that you are enjoying a good summer, but we need to remember that we are in the thick of lightening season. You should take all recommended precautions to protect yourself from lightening, but you should also take some precautions to protect your computer and data. According to the National Lightning Safety Institute nature's light show causes nearly $2 billion dollars in just computer and data damage every year in the United States.
Most of us think of lightening entering a building via electrical lines, but there are other ways as well. I am have seen lightening enter on telephone lines, television cable, and direct entry into a building. I have personally witnessed lightening enter a structure on three occasions. Once I changed my shorts, we found widespread damage in each case though out the buildings. Oddly enough most of the damage was not via the electrical lines, but actually via computer network cabling and telephone lines. I believe it is because these systems are never grounded as well as the electrical system in a building.
There are some steps that you can take to limit the damage:
You might be thinking - why not just unplug electrical devices. That is the surest way to protect against damage, but many times we forget or a storm sneaks up while we are away from home or the office. With the low-cost of today's protection it is best to purchase the proper equipment and insurance.
I hope that you are enjoying a good summer, but we need to remember that we are in the thick of lightening season. You should take all recommended precautions to protect yourself from lightening, but you should also take some precautions to protect your computer and data. According to the National Lightning Safety Institute nature's light show causes nearly $2 billion dollars in just computer and data damage every year in the United States.
Most of us think of lightening entering a building via electrical lines, but there are other ways as well. I am have seen lightening enter on telephone lines, television cable, and direct entry into a building. I have personally witnessed lightening enter a structure on three occasions. Once I changed my shorts, we found widespread damage in each case though out the buildings. Oddly enough most of the damage was not via the electrical lines, but actually via computer network cabling and telephone lines. I believe it is because these systems are never grounded as well as the electrical system in a building.
There are some steps that you can take to limit the damage:
- Install a GOOD surge protector on each piece of electrical equipment. You need to look for more than a power strip. A good surge protector should cost between $40 and $80, and it must include replacement value insurance for your equipment. Locate a surge protector that includes protection for phone, cable, and/or data lines as needed. Do not forgot the small but expensive devices such as your credit card machine and postal printer.
- I also like to plug my cell phone into a surge protector. I know that chances are slim for damage, but I would hate to have to replace an expensive PDA/phone due to an errant spike. The same goes for notebook computers. I generally go on battery on my notebook computer during a storm.
- Check the current surge protectors once a year. Be sure that the target equipment is still plugged into them, and if they have an indicator light check that it is illuminated.
- Protect computers and servers with uninterpretable power supplies (UPS). Even small electrical interruptions can wreak havoc with software including Windows and Outlook. If the outage catches the computer at just the wrong moment, corrupted data could prevent your computer from restarting. Connect the UPS to the computer using the USB cable and install the software if included. Most units on the market will shut down Windows based computers before the battery runs out of charge. Check the batteries every six months by testing via the included software. Servers and mission critical systems should be checked on a monthly basis.
- Avoid placing computers and servers on the same electrical circuit as appliances and air conditioners. These devices can cause low voltage on the circuit when they start.
You might be thinking - why not just unplug electrical devices. That is the surest way to protect against damage, but many times we forget or a storm sneaks up while we are away from home or the office. With the low-cost of today's protection it is best to purchase the proper equipment and insurance.
Labels: lightening, surge protectors, UPS
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]