CompuServe Messages

The best article I saw on the faults of surge protection was in a MAC magazine of about a year ago. Basically (and oversimplified to the point that I think I understand it) the little microspikes fry the tiny junction point in the MOV that does the switching. Doesn't keep it from working, just slows it down by a few silly microsecond. You need a well equipped laboratory to detect the difference. Unfortunately your motherboard knows the difference in a real lightning spike. There are Surgers that work on different principles but cost better than $100. The article also went into gory detail about how, even when your surge protector works right, it will cause nasties to run back up the ground line into your modem and into the motherboard. Not quite as scary as AIDS but more likely. Sleep well. —–Paul—-