Our computers require better electricity than the electric companies deliver to them. For emphasis, let me repeat. The electricity we get from our power companies is inadequate to safely run our computers. There is a mismatch. A study from Contingency Planning showed that Data loss from power surges and failures were more frequent than the combined total of: storm damage, fire, explosion, flood, water damage, earthquake, human error and sabotage.
A study by IBM has showed that a typical computer is subject to more than 120 power problems per month. The symptoms include lockups, and flakey computers as components degrade, as well as complete motherboard or port fry. The problem will get worse as we pack more and more transistors into smaller and smaller packages, making our computers more not less sensitive to electrical quality. These problems will be compounded as the power grids work to balance a load which is in short supply.
There are two broad categories of protection:
- Protection from overvoltage (surge protection)
- Protection from overvoltage and undervoltage (UPS)
If you have no valuable information on your computer (perhaps all the information is stored on a network server, or you have a home machine that isn't used for business), then surge protection is sufficient. If you have important information, then a UPS is the right way to go. I can't imagine running my business machine without a good UPS.
Surge Protection
If all you want to do is protect your computer from surges, then a good surge protector is all that is necessary. Don't be fooled by boxes with pictures of computers on them. That doesn't make them good surge protectors, it just means that whoever made the box found a computer picture in a clipart package. Don't be fooled by UL approval. That means the device won't start a fire. There are three things all acceptable surge protectors have, and two more that are worth checking for:
- A down line warranty. All decent surge protectors promise to compensate you if your computer is hurt because of a power surge.
- An "Am I working?" light. It will be able to test itself to determine if it's surge protection is working. That way, if it get hit by a surge which blows out its protective components, it can alert you. This is not the "Am I on?" light.
- A site wiring light. The surge protector will test the electrical line for common problems which would prevent it from working properly. Problems such as, no ground, or reversed polarity are checked.
- If you have a modem, then you'll need modem protection.
- Network protection is beginning to appear as well.
Do not buy any surge protector which does not have at least the first three conditions listed above. Expect to pay from $30 to $50 for protection. I, and most computer consultants I know, recommend the APC brand. They stand behind their product. They offer three levels of protection, Personal (for toasters), Professional (for computer workstations) and Network (for critical stations that don't require a UPS (if there is such a thing).
UPS (Backup Power)
f you have important information in your computer, then you should have a UPS protecting your data. As with most things, the quality of construction and whether the manufacturer stands behind their product are important factors to consider. I recommend the APC brand for your UPS. There are a few points to consider when selecting a UPS.
- Surge Protection: All of the factors for surge protection apply to UPS protection as well, since it also provides surge protection.
- VA Rating: What is the VA rating? VA stands for volt amps and indicates how much power the UPS can provide. Since you normally plug both your computer and monitor into the battery protection outlets, you must be able to handle those two devices. Larger monitors require more juice. Today's faster computers with more memory require significantly more power than computers from just a couple of years ago. As a result it is normally a serious mistake to use anything smaller than about 350 VA for ANY workstation, and 500 or more must be recommended. Consult your computer consultant for a recommendation. If you already have a UPS, don't be surprised if your new computer is too juice dependent for your old UPS.
- Power Regulation: Some UPS's have power regulation in addition to battery backup. This means that if the voltage drops or rises an intermediate amount, the power is regulated and brought back within acceptable parameters. This will kick in before power has dropped to the level necessary to engage the battery or surged high enough to engage surge protection. You will pay extra for this feature and for how well it is implemented.
- Intelligence: Yes, some UPS's come complete with brains. Not only can they shut down automatically, but they can be managed remotely and provide extensive diagnostics. You need one of these on your server.
- Followup support: How do I get replacement batteries? How do I change batteries? How is warranty service handled? Can I make an exchange in a couple of years when I get a new computer and need a bigger UPS?
This is not an exhaustive list of considerations, but it covers the basics.
