j2sw
join:2006-05-02
Williamsport, IN | reply to Inssomniak
Re: Who runs around after storms to fix customers?
Storms are just part of it. We try and mount everything in the easiest to get to place on the customer end. Our installers have learned they might have to go back by themselves to replace a unit.
Justin |
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petecarlson
join:2004-11-06
Baltimore, MD
| reply to Inssomniak
Baltimore got hit hard last night.
Ethernet link between an SLE and VXR is showing down on both devices. This link is one of our main feeds so when it went down we had some inbound routing issues because I have not yet set up BGP so all of the space is advertised from where it is used but rather is advertised from all of the edges. I was able to get in to the edge router via ssh from my phone going over at&t and turn off bgp on that router. I am counting this as 2 min and 30 seconds of down time even though we were only black holed from about half of the internet. I am praying that it is the transector and should know in about an hour...
We also had a cpe router lose it's OSPF configuration but I think someone forgot to copy run start. I was able to get in from an adjacent router and re-configure.
So far that's all the damage I have heard about. |
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shorthairedp
join:2005-11-21
united state
| reply to Inssomniak
We still have a couple of customers showing down after the storms here a few weeks ago. I used to try to make contact, but Ive found they never call back anyway. Eventually they decide to use their interweb, it doesnt work, they reboot, its all good.
I love the customers who call up in the middle of the thunderstorm complaining of the outage, like there is anything we can do...
i do though wish it were appropriate to put customers names up publicly, we have this one guy who seriously is a WISPs dream (absolutely no sarcasm, really a good guy), this guy desreves a thumbs up.
Any time there is an outage affecting him, he calls and leaves a very polite message to let us know he is down. When service is restored he calls back and leaves a very polite message to let us know its back up. He even says thank you every time.
This guy, I would go remount his equipment on a tv tower in the middle of a thunderstorm, but of course, he never has damaged equipment. |
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GNca George
GorillaNET
Premium
join:2008-07-12
Minden, ON
| reply to kewlkeed
said by kewlkeed  :I second the "Religious Zeal for grounding" above hehehe. It pays off. But again oddly I have some units that have less problems when NOT grounded, go figure. The big trick sometimes is knowing where ground really is. We sit on a bunch of granite here in cottage country, and often have to run really long, multiple ground paths to where the nearest moist earth is. In some cases, more than 100' away.
A real PITA, particularly when the price of copper was way up there.
George
--
Don't steal, the government doesn't like competition!!! |
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gunther_01
Premium
join:2004-03-29
Saybrook, IL
| reply to Inssomniak
Half the time in these real old farm houses, you may end up grounding the house through your CPE and Cat5. If you do it wrong and just drive a ground rod in the ground and attach it to your CPE.
I love old homes. No grounds on outlets. No ground rod at all except a hundred feet away from the house where the aerial comes in. My favorite is aluminum wiring in the attic, with ceramic insulators  Good stuff. |
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public
join:2002-01-19
Santa Clara, CA
 ·DSL EXTREME
| reply to kewlkeed
said by kewlkeed :Let me clarify. I have some units that, when grounded properly to spec, have blown repeatedly... But when floated and not grounded, they don't. There is no simple universal ground to spec. You are connecting to an existing grounding system that is often poorly constructed.
If a surge comes in on existing wiring from outside, and the lowest impedance ground is at the cpe, then you are likely to see damage. |
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gunther_01
Premium
join:2004-03-29
Saybrook, IL
| reply to kewlkeed
in the case of routers,CPE, and NIC's..
we charge for replacement of lightning damaged equipment. By the hour, and equipment costs.
We dont claim to be a fix all for Mother nature. And most of the time there are other pieces in the home that were damaged as well as a result of lightning. It's called, home owners insurance. |
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kewlkeed
Grouch
Premium
join:2005-02-05
Knowlton, QC
| reply to Inssomniak
I never said it was a proper solution. Please don't change the meaning of what I'm saying.
Let me clarify. I have some units that, when grounded properly to spec, have blown repeatedly... But when floated and not grounded, they don't.
I don't go around and randomly pull off grounds and figure it works better because it doesn't blow up.
--
Justin - DSLR resident grouch and Mr Negativity
TSI Fanboy - "Dontchya wish your 'net was hot like mine! Ohhh Dontchya!"
Have a nice day! |
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public
join:2002-01-19
Santa Clara, CA
·DSL EXTREME
| reply to kewlkeed
said by kewlkeed :I second the "Religious Zeal for grounding" above hehehe. It pays off. But again oddly I have some units that have less problems when NOT grounded, go figure. Randomly grounding parts is not a proper protection solution. You must analyze where the surge current is likely to flow, and what voltage rises can be expected. |
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kewlkeed
Grouch
Premium
join:2005-02-05
Knowlton, QC
| reply to Inssomniak
It's wild the difference between regions. For instance some people hate Ubnt for lightning and praise Moto, then I know others who hate Moto for it and praise Tranzeo, then I know others who hate Tranzeo....
lol
For us the Ubnt's lost over 2 years can be counted on one hand. Be it lightning or whatever. With this storm like I said we toasted cables, but the radio just kept on going. We did toast another PS though but it was a heavy strike that would have arced across any circuit board regardless of make.
I second the "Religious Zeal for grounding" above hehehe. It pays off. But again oddly I have some units that have less problems when NOT grounded, go figure.
--
Justin - DSLR resident grouch and Mr Negativity
TSI Fanboy - "Dontchya wish your 'net was hot like mine! Ohhh Dontchya!"
Have a nice day! |
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mtroup
Marty
Premium
join:2007-06-28
Hermitage, AR
| reply to Inssomniak
said by Inssomniak :Would you charge again the customer for a new router? and replacement ethernet cards? It just depends, but I do not generally warranty anything past the CPE (which I retain ownership of, and replace for free) |
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milbrath
join:2006-03-27
Dresden, TN | reply to Inssomniak
Yes, without a doubt! If u do it once at not cost...guess what..your replacing it next time at no cost! |
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Inssomniak
Premium
join:2005-04-06
Cayuga, ON
| reply to Inssomniak
We installed a customer 2 weeks ago.
During this aforementioned storm he was hit by lightning. We supplied and installed a router, and wired in 2 computers. The router was fried, as well as the ethernet ports in both computers, as well as the CPE (we saved that by using another port).
Would you charge again the customer for a new router? and replacement ethernet cards? |
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anonsurge
@covad.net
| reply to Inssomniak
I have to say, I have had hundreds of Canopy's up for 5+ years and can count on one hand the Canopy's I lost over the years. We started deploying Ubiquity's NS series last summer and these things blow their Ethernet ports at the mere mention of lightning. It is very frustrating. Even after jumping through hoops to ground them. We are going to start deploying the Engenius and see how they hold up. Ubiquity needs to make some changes, I love the radios except for this one flaw. And its a show stopper. |
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gunther_01
Premium
join:2004-03-29
Saybrook, IL
| reply to Inssomniak
WE do, We do.
I had one today, where Lightning hit a tree in the yard. He lost a few things in his NEW house. And our PS, POE, both ends of the cat5 (Keystone jacks) and the WAR1 board for his CPE. Didn't lose the radio card though LOL.
It's hit or miss for us though. Some times a bunch of stuff is broken. Other times, not a thing.
But in all fairness, I have been resetting electronics and radio transmitters after storms since I was in my early teens. I'm kind of used to it. Didn't say like it though  |
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sigmtr
join:2007-01-04
Danville, IL
·AT&T Midwest
| reply to Inssomniak
In the Midwest US it's just a fact of doing business. We mostly see damaged CPE like routers or NIC devices. Any nearby strike can induce a voltage on Cat 5 that will fry Ethernet-level interfaces, but thankfully it rarely travels up and bites our subscriber units.
Even so, we expect to lose a half-dozen or so SU's during a typical summer storm season. We use a mixture of YDI/Terabeam/Proxim and Tranzeo units on the 2.4GHz system, and our 900MHz system is all Trango. The latter seem to be very robust in storms.
Now our presence on a "hot" AM tower is another story, but suffice it to say we lose some gear there at least once a season.
First post here, shows me as AT&T Midwest since I have DSL at home. But I do work for a WISP in Illinois. |
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delmarvawifi
join:2008-07-15 | reply to Inssomniak
We've never lost a Canopy radio to lightening. Everything else Ubiquiti, Tranzeo, Mikrotik is a dime a dozen come lightening time. |
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maxit
join:2009-02-22
Fort St James, BC
| reply to Inssomniak
I was away for a week last summer and left only office staff. Heard of a rude customer who'd lost her connection calling every couple hours demanding I personally return to fix her system. Got to hear the ranting, literally screaming threats on the message machine!
When I did return, went directly to her house and there was a scorched circle 10-12 feet around, the radio shattered on a metal pole and the clothesline that was attached melted away and on the ground. Not one mention of that or the fact her hydro also had to be rehung on the message machine, she tried to give the "I had no idea" look when I pointed it out.
That's the only radio we've lost to lightning in 7 years. |
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Splitpair
Premium
join:2000-07-29
Cow Towne
 ·T-Mobile US
| reply to Inssomniak
said by Inssomniak :Does anyone else have this problem? I cringe when I see thunderstorm warnings. Two of my favorite things in life are thunderstorms and anything made by Marconi as they both fill my wallet.
Wayne
--
If you cannot fix it with a buttset and some beanies you ain't a technician |
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Inssomniak
Premium
join:2005-04-06
Cayuga, ON
| reply to GNca George
said by GNca George :Those are really good. Must have been some storm. It was |
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