Lightning may have damaged my cameras!

[TheWhiteKnight]

Hey guys!

Lightning struck my place and I did not have my components in a surge protector at the moment it happened which was also by chance because normally it is protected. The timing sucks but initially it looked as if the only component that fried was the modem. The other parts being the router, switch and poe injector all which power on fine.

After upgrading the modem the network is back up but the switch is not showing a camera for either of the two connected on the indicator light. My SADP tool cannot find any and none seem to be powering on when looking at it from the outside. I'm worried foreign voltage may have also entered the ethernet cable and terminated at the cameras which are installed about 20ft up.

Any advice on other troubleshooting I can do to quickly identify if this is the case would be much appreciated. As far as I remember they were working after the lightning strike and only the modem had failed but it's 50/50 at this point. Is it possible the unmanaged switch or POE injector is faulty even though it still powers on?

I thought perhaps the modem changed the ip of the network but SADP should still find it as far as I know and I confirmed it is still on the same ip range as well. Port forwarding wouldn't need to be setup for it to register in BI which is simply reporting a 8000274c (timeout; check IP address and port) 0 & 80002751 (Socket error: 10065) 0 No Signal Errors which must be because they simply aren't powering on. Weird that it shows 2 slightly different errors for what should be the same issue is that a clue?

PSA: Protect your equipment at all times! Especially during hurricane season!!!

 

[Q™]

These L-com "Weatherproof 10/100 Base-T CAT5 Lightning Protectors" have worked well for me for many years...

Weatherproof 10/100 Base-T CAT5 Lightning Protector - RJ45/Screw Terminals - AL-CAT5W

 

[GCoco]

Connect a camera directly to your computer using a 12V supply. Then use SADP. If that works, then get a new POE injector and try the same thing. If that works your camera is good.

Then try your questionable POE injector. Then try your switch.

In other words, test each device separately to determine what is working and what is not.

 

[TheWhiteKnight]

These L-com "Weatherproof 10/100 Base-T CAT5 Lightning Protectors" have worked well for me for many years...

Weatherproof 10/100 Base-T CAT5 Lightning Protector - RJ45/Screw Terminals - AL-CAT5W

Those look serious, are they used in standard application for commercial? Thanks!

 

[TheWhiteKnight]

Connect a camera directly to your computer using a 12V supply. Then use SADP. If that works, then get a new POE injector and try the same thing. If that works your camera is good.

Then try your questionable POE injector. Then try your switch.

In other words, test each device separately to determine what is working and what is not.

So basically I have no other choice but to get the ladder out? Is there a chance the CAT cable itself is fried or is that impossible?

 

[Q™]

l-com lightning | eBay

 

[fenderman]

So basically I have no other choice but to get the ladder out? Is there a chance the CAT cable itself is fried or is that impossible?

before going up there, try a good known working switch...

 

[TonyR]

Is there a chance the CAT cable itself is fried or is that impossible?

With lightning, MANY things are possible...in '73 I witnessed a direct hit on the 3/8" galvanized messenger wire that supported some traffic signals turn the 4 position Bakelite terminal block inside all 8 of the traffic signal heads in the intersection from having a 600 volt dielectric rating into a 1K Ohm resistor. Physically the black phenolic terminal block looked fine except for a glossy appearance where it was bolted to the rear of the cast aluminum signal head. It presented quite a troubleshooting challenge!

 

[tigerwillow1]

I'll second the suggestion to test using the camera's 12 volt input. Looks like you have Hikvision cameras. The Dahua cameras have a bit of surge protection on the 12 volt input, which the POE supply's output is also routed through. Maybe Hik does the same thing. Since the cameras are so high up, trying another POE switch first makes a lot of sense. Could the cable be fried? Sure, but if it is, I wouldn't hold out a lot of hope for anything that was connected to it.

 

[TheWhiteKnight]

Thank the gods, it turned out it was the switch. While it still came on, it stopped providing any POE and wouldn't register an uplink. I'm almost certain the surge came through the coaxial cable as well.

Any recommendations for a product that can quickly ground it before permanently doing so later to the copper plumbing?

Thanks again guys!

 

[Q™]

Thank the gods, it turned out it was the switch.

Thank @fenderman, not the gods.

 

[Q™]

Any recommendations for a product that can quickly ground it before permanently doing so later to the copper plumbing?

I already told you: L-Com.

 

[TonyR]

+1^^^.

Also....tie it to its own driven ground rod (6 ft. copper-clad steel will suffice), not to any plumbing pipes or existing 'ground' (neither the green / bare 'grounding conductor' or the white neutral 'grounded conductor') that is part of your house's electrical system.

 

[TheWhiteKnight]

I already told you: L-Com.

I thought that was for the CAT only sorry had to take a double take and yes fenderman ftw!

+1^^^.

Also....tie it to its own driven ground rod (6 ft. copper-clad steel will suffice), not to any plumbing pipes or existing 'ground' (neither the green / bare 'grounding conductor' or the white neutral 'grounded conductor') that is part of your house's electrical system.

I remember reading some kind of law or code about having more than one grounding rod for the same property not being allowed.. I remember because Xfinity wanted to ground it to the plumbing since the main ground was too far away and said I couldn't have another grounding rod put in, do you know anything about this?

 

[tigerwillow1]

Grounding is a big can of worms and far from settled science. Multiple ground rods will each have a different potential, especially if there's a lightning strike. That's why multiple ground rods are frowned upon (or prohibited) in some locales. In an extreme case, multiple ground rods can be a shock hazard. All electronic equipment is grounded to a single source for lightning protection because even if a lightning strike raises the ground potential to thousands of volts, all the equipment will be at the same potential, preventing damaging current flow between pieces of equipment. The regulations vary at different locations, and even in the same jurisdiction what one inspector requires might be prohibited by a different inspector. A solar installer I know generally finds out who the inspector will be before he decides on the grounding configuration.

 

[TheWhiteKnight]

Grounding is a big can of worms and far from settled science. Multiple ground rods will each have a different potential, especially if there's a lightning strike. That's why multiple ground rods are frowned upon (or prohibited) in some locales. In an extreme case, multiple ground rods can be a shock hazard. All electronic equipment is grounded to a single source for lightning protection because even if a lightning strike raises the ground potential to thousands of volts, all the equipment will be at the same potential, preventing damaging current flow between pieces of equipment. The regulations vary at different locations, and even in the same jurisdiction what one inspector requires might be prohibited by a different inspector. A solar installer I know generally finds out who the inspector will be before he decides on the grounding configuration.

Well said thank you for that. What about when it's in a city and the individual grounding rods for each townhome are already so close to the neighboring townhome grounding rods, doesn't that make the idea of multiple ground rods having a different potential senseless? Is there a certain amount of feet that's accepted as a good safe distance from the next one?

 

[TonyR]

The ground rod I'm talking about has NOTHING to do with an electrical system ground. It is tied ONLY to the lug in the surge protection device and NO CURRENT OR VOLTAGE will be flowing to the rod or from the rod unless the surge protection device clamps the ESD or overvoltage to the rod at which time the voltage or current will be going TO the dedicated rod and into the earth.

I strongly advise against, and personally do not practice, redirecting any ESD or lighting to a ground rod that it tied mechanically and electrically to the electrical system of my house AND subsequently to the grounded, center-tapped secondary neutral of the power company's transformer!

So PLEASE don't start warning me about "ground loops", blah, blah...this is NOT part of any full-time, current sourcing or current sinking device or system.

I've lived most of my 69 years in the southeast U.S. next door to the 'Lighting Capital of the World" (FL) and spent over 31 years in outdoor electrical installations and then 14 more years installing networks, indoor and outdoor, here in AL and have had great success.

Forum members can take my advice or not, makes no difference to me. My advice is based on 45 years of hands-on "doing it" and not just reading about doing it.

 

[TheWhiteKnight]

The ground rod I'm talking about has NOTHING to do with an electrical system ground. It is tied ONLY to the lug in the surge protection device and NO CURRENT OR VOLTAGE will be flowing to the rod or from the rod unless the surge protection device clamps the ESD or overvoltage to the rod at which time the voltage or current will be going TO the dedicated rod and into the earth.

I strongly advise against, and personally do not practice, redirecting any ESD or lighting to a ground rod that it tied mechanically and electrically to the electrical system of my house AND subsequently to the grounded, center-tapped secondary neutral of the power company's transformer!

So PLEASE don't start warning me about "ground loops", blah, blah...this is NOT part of any full-time, current sourcing or current sinking device or system.

I've lived most of my 69 years in the southeast U.S. next door to the 'Lighting Capital of the World" (FL) and spent over 31 years in outdoor electrical installations and then 14 more years installing networks, indoor and outdoor, here in AL and have had great success.

Forum members can take my advice or not, makes no difference to me. My advice is based on 45 years of hands-on "doing it" and not just reading about doing it.

I am taking your advice just trying to learn more. Thanks a lot for your help it makes sense!

 

[TheWhiteKnight]

+1^^^.

Also....tie it to its own driven ground rod (6 ft. copper-clad steel will suffice), not to any plumbing pipes or existing 'ground' (neither the green / bare 'grounding conductor' or the white neutral 'grounded conductor') that is part of your house's electrical system.

Do you mind explaining why you prefer an independent driven ground rod instead of plumbing pipes / existing ground? I'm curious because that's exactly what Xfinity was about to do until I stopped them and from what I was told it's normal practice.

 

[GCoco]

You should tie surge ground to your electric service entrance ground. Two separate unbonded ground points will cause potential difference during a lighting strike and damage your equipment.