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Lightning strike --> Ethernet problem

R

Robotics Guy

Weaksauce
Joined
Jul 8, 2009
Messages
102
There was a lightning strike near my house a few months ago and ever since then whenever I wake my desktop up from sleep, it is disconnected from the internet and takes about 20 seconds before it connects.

Every once in a while (once a day or less), internet connectivity drops out when I'm in the middle of using the computer. This doesn't happen very often, but it does happen every time I wake the computer up from sleep. Both times, the internet icon shows the red "x" meaning there's no connection.

Aside from the internet connectivity issue, I haven't noticed any other problems with the computer.

I remember when the lightning strike happened there was a very loup "pop" in my headphones (connected to the desktop). I had the desktop and my ASUS router connected through both a power strip w/surge protector and a UPS, but the modem and router stopped working completely (had to get a new modem from comcast and send the router to ASUS for repair) and that's when this issue with Ethernet started happening.

Since the modem and router were, for lack a a better term, "fried" when the lightning strike happened, I'm thinking that the power surge came in through cable line->modem->router->computer.

Do you think there's any way to fix this problem, aside from buying a new MOBO?

This is my MOBO: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131820
 
Aside from a new mobo? Get a dedicated ethernet card. Presuming you tried the standard troubleshooting like uninstall/re-install drivers etc.

Lightning can do some amazing and odd shit to electronics.
 
I would assume you've done these basic things already, but you don't say so I'll ask: does it only happen to your PC, and not any other PCs? Have you replaced all of the Ethernet cables in the network?
 
There is a reason why some service providers use optical isolation in critical networks too. Very easy to recover from this problem; you just swap in a new media converter.

To the OP, do you access to a NIC card that you could swap into your machine and test with it? That would probably be the easiest/cheapest way to determine if it is the motherboard or not. You can probably pick them up for $10 online these days. If you were local, hell, I'd give you one.
 
I had this happen twice after I bought a house north of Dallas, TX in a new development and I was one of just a few houses there. So when we had a bad storm, and there were many there, I had by far the tallest structure within maybe 500 feet and I think I attracted the lightning. I had a modem and router fried and twice the ethernet on my mobo stopped working. I simply put in a old NIC I had lying around, problem solved.

Once the neighborhood was built, I never had this issue again.
 
I actually have not tried uninstalling and reinstalling the ethernet driver. I never thought that might be an issue since that's a software and not hardware thing. I can try it, though.

No, I didn't replace the ethernet cables. Could that really be the issue?
 
Robotics Guy said:
I actually have not tried uninstalling and reinstalling the ethernet driver. I never thought that might be an issue since that's a software and not hardware thing. I can try it, though.

No, I didn't replace the ethernet cables. Could that really be the issue?
Click to expand...

Think about that for a second. Ethernet uses relatively tiny wires so if they actually did get a spike somewhere the cables could have been damaged.
 
FnordMan said:
Think about that for a second. Ethernet uses relatively tiny wires so if they actually did get a spike somewhere the cables could have been damaged.
Click to expand...

Right, but if the cables were damaged, then it seems like the Ethernet wouldn't work at all. Since the problem is only when the computer wakes up from sleep (as well as every once in a while when it's on), it doesn't seem like it would be a problem with the cables.
 
From dealing with remote sites that suffered from lighting the NIC is much more likely to get damaged than the cabling. Service was restored with workstation or NIC replacement along with switch, printer, etc. without touching the cabling. And, when you think about it if it's strong enough to burn the wires then it's guaranteed the NIC will be fried too. The best assurance if you're expecting lightning is to disconnect both the electrical and data cabling from your equipment.
 
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