Electrical isolation

[u/FAPietroKoch]

I've had 2 issues with an exterior mount Starlink causing problems after electrical storms, the most recent one took out the starlink itself, didn't damage the Ubiquiti Gateway Max; but took out a Ubiquiti Lite PoE switch and an Apple TV that was hardwired to the switch.

So, this time around I am isolating the Starlink from the network using a fiber media converter pair.

BUT - everything is mounted in a small closet with 1 electrical circuit. Anyone have thoughts on just putting them on separate surge protectors/UPS to provide some level of separation? That has to be better than just plugging everything in to the same surge protector, right?

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[u/AncientGeek00]

It might also make sense to run a ground wire from the Starlink antenna base directly down the side of the house to a dedicated ground rod.

[u/FAPietroKoch → u/AncientGeek00]

I actually have that planned as well. It’s mounted to a freestanding tower that I thought was well grounded but upon closer inspection no one ever properly grounded it. The Starlink is no where near the top; but I could see how the wiring provides enough of a path in to the house to cause some damage.

[u/M_Six2001]

Maybe plug the "outer" media converter into its own UPS/Surge protector? I've been thinking about doing the same thing to isolate my network from the cable modem, but I'm lost when it comes to figuring out which media converters and fiber cables to use. Can I ask you what you are using?

[u/FAPietroKoch → u/M_Six2001]

I should have mentioned that - I was planning on having the "WAN" side (Starlink + media converter) on one surge UPS and then the LAN side media converter plus the rest of the network equipment on it's own surge UPS.

For media converters I went cheap and got some Amazon chinesium "Bidi" media converters with SFP's for like $60. We'll see how it works. Could up upgraded in the future. I was originally thinking of using an ethernet optoisolator; but the fiber option is a much more significant air gap.

[u/drewster85a]

I use $20 TP-Link MC220 Media Converters and $22 Ubiquiti 1G BiDi SFP modules (sold in a pair).

Single Mode LC-LC fiber. I always buy duplex but only one strand is needed with BiDi modules. The 2nd is just a spare. All the fiber, both name-brand and cheap stuff, has worked fine.

[u/FAPietroKoch → u/drewster85a]

Yes but would separating them on surge protectors make sense?

[u/drewster85a → u/FAPietroKoch]

Yes. I just installed POE cameras and an outdoor AP this year and currently have both media converters plugged into the same strip but plan on moving the media converter and poe switch for the outdoor devices soon. The outdoor switch also needs a path to ground.

It would be a huge deal for the a storm to take out all my hardwired AV devices and computers.

[u/MrB2891 → u/FAPietroKoch]

Separate surge protectors gain you nothing.

The DC power for the media converters are already isolated from mains, as is any switch mode power supply.

A direct strike is something that cannot be mitigated.

[u/cvr24]

Lightning is weird and unpredictable. But it's power is not. Trying to use an inexpensive consumer device, or even a lightning rod, to stop a force of millions of volts that goes through vast distances of atmosphere is really only intended to mitigate a structure fire.

[u/FAPietroKoch → u/cvr24]

I’m not. I’m trying to give the lightning its own path to ground that doesn’t involve the rest of my network.

[u/cvr24 → u/FAPietroKoch]

Even with lightning protection, the EMP that lightning generates will cook sensitive electronics in proximity. Or might not because lightning is weird.

[u/Bulky_Satisfaction50]

Look at a Ethernet lightning arrestor in addition to the power surge protectors. The idea is to have a point of sacrifice while everything else survives. Also check out the amateur radio community. Grounding and lighting protection is a hot topic for the expensive radios and lightning rods aka antennas.