Yes, you should turn off and, ideally, unplug your router (and modem) during a thunderstorm.
During thunderstorms, power surges caused by lightning strikes can travel through electrical and telephone lines, potentially frying sensitive electronic equipment like your router and modem. A standard surge protector may not provide adequate protection against a direct or nearby lightning strike.
Here's a breakdown of why and how:
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Power Surges: Lightning strikes can create significant power surges, far exceeding the capacity of typical surge protectors. These surges can damage or destroy electronic components.
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Vulnerable Connections: Routers are connected to your home's electrical system and often to phone or cable lines. These connections provide a direct path for power surges to reach and damage the device.
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Unplugging is Best: Turning off the router is better than nothing, but unplugging it completely removes the physical connection to the power source and phone/cable lines, providing the best protection.
Here's a simple table summarizing the actions:
| Action | Effectiveness | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Turning off router | Some protection | Stops the router from actively drawing power, but still leaves it connected to the power grid and potentially vulnerable to surges. |
| Unplugging router | Best protection | Completely disconnects the router from the power grid and phone/cable lines, preventing surges from reaching it. |
| Using a surge protector | Limited protection | Surge protectors can help, but they are not foolproof, especially against strong lightning strikes. They can be overwhelmed. Unplugging offers greater safety. |
Therefore, to protect your router and modem from lightning strikes, the best course of action is to unplug them completely during a thunderstorm. This preventative measure can save you the expense and hassle of replacing damaged equipment.
