When to disconnect the router?

[Ardua]

We had a thunderstorm at 9pm last night and 3 heavy storms today. My router logs unrecoverable errors as reported by the BT mainframe (which apparently may be different from the CRCs shown in the router log). Each time we had a storm the unrecoverable error rate went up by 100 to 200%. Fortunately, the router maintained the connection.

I confess that I cannot find any advice on when to pull the router plug. Looking at Aussie forums there are many comments about 'toasted' routers after an electrical storm. Thoughts/comments?

[FritzBox]

We had a thunderstorm at 9pm last night and 3 heavy storms today. My router logs unrecoverable errors as reported by the BT mainframe (which apparently may be different from the CRCs shown in the router log). Each time we had a storm the unrecoverable error rate went up by 100 to 200%. Fortunately, the router maintained the connection.

I confess that I cannot find any advice on when to pull the router plug. Looking at Aussie forums there are many comments about 'toasted' routers after an electrical storm. Thoughts/comments?

Had tons of disconnections on the 7390 last night, yep thunderstorms, now running that Beta firmware. Never had this problem with a 2700, no matter what the weather

[Simon]

I think you'd be advised here to power down and disconnect the router from the phone line in the event of an electrical storm, but I have to confess, I never think to do so myself.

[sobranie]

I usually go here;
http://www.isleofwightweather.co.uk/live_storm_data.htm
When the storms are heading my way I unplug the router.
I am led to believe that most fried routers are the result of lightning strikes on the telephone lines and fried TV's normally the result of strikes on the outside aerial.

[Ardua]

Had tons of disconnections on the 7390 last night, yep thunderstorms, now running that Beta firmware. Never had this problem with a 2700, no matter what the weather

My 7390 has remained rock solid for 10 plus days with a downstream SNR of 7. This is the advice that I got from a guy in Belguim who seems to know a lot about these boxes:

You can (slightly) reduce upstream speed (and hence increase upstream SNR) yourself by moving the "resistance interference" sliders. I suggest you try to move the "upstream SNR" slider in steps, making sure your SNR > 7. This will have a positive effect on your line stability.

It took 3 weeks for my box out how to do this for itself!   All my sliders remain hard right.

You can contact him (Phillipe_D) on the Whirlpool Fritz!Box overseas thread.

[Rik]

I confess that I cannot find any advice on when to pull the router plug. Looking at Aussie forums there are many comments about 'toasted' routers after an electrical storm. Thoughts/comments?

Storms cause two problems, one of which you experienced - lightning generates RFI and causes an increase in errors. This might be enough to trigger a resync which will generally be at a lower speed so your profile will suffer.

The second problem is far more serious. If the ground potential at either end of the connection changes relative to the other, ie there's a ground lightning strike at one end of the line, that potential will flow to earth through the phone line and connected equipment. The voltage can take out not only your router but any equipment attached to it.

I use the same site as Rick, augmented by the noise margin from the router, to decide when I need to pull the plug.

[pctech]

I think this is an occasion to forget and just disconnect unless you can afford to replace the connected equipment and/or risk potential injury if you or someone is sitting at the PC.


I did have a serial dial up modem taken out in this manner. fortunately the PC was not on at the time and its internals did not transmit the current onto the serial port, had the PC been on at the time it might well have done and the motherboard would have been fried.