Wireless Access

So *any* surge protection in general is meant to protect upstream or downstream devices from large surge events. Something like a direct or near direct strike should NOT be considered 'protected from' with either the internal surge protection (which is more about POE and inbound surge currents towards the AP from the network), and the ground lug on the AP bonded to a building or common ground is more of a 'sink' to shunt any buildup of static or nearby surge from the AP (electricity will always take least resistive path to ground).

For the ethernet cable, the 'surge protector' on the ethernet is meant to be a path to ground sink for anything that may build up on the wire, or connection from the AP to the switch (in essence the ethernet surge protection is meant to protect the upstream switch). So without a ground sink in the ethernet path, any charge from the AP or interconnect could get induced/shunted to the ethernet cable and if the best ground path is the pins on the switch port, it's certainly possible that it could short out that switch port, a block of ports on that switch, fry the switch altogether, or (very worst case) other devices connected to that switch (and it goes both ways, if there's something like a cable modem connected to that switch and a surge comes in over the coax, it could jump to ethernet into the switch and fry the switch as well).

So in terms of 'best practices' it's generally never bad to use an ethernet ground surge protector (either passive or active when integrated inside an outdoor power injector like the PD-9001GO). But it depends on local electrical code in the area where the APs are being deployed. And some customers feel storms and surge are not a huge risk and will assume that risk not using an ethernet surge protector. it's like UPS or Surge protectors on electronic equipment in the buildings. 

So *any* surge protection in general is meant to protect upstream or downstream devices from large surge events. Something like a direct or near direct strike should NOT be considered 'protected from' with either the internal surge protection (which is more about POE and inbound surge currents towards the AP from the network), and the ground lug on the AP bonded to a building or common ground is more of a 'sink' to shunt any buildup of static or nearby surge from the AP (electricity will always take least resistive path to ground).

For the ethernet cable, the 'surge protector' on the ethernet is meant to be a path to ground sink for anything that may build up on the wire, or connection from the AP to the switch (in essence the ethernet surge protection is meant to protect the upstream switch). So without a ground sink in the ethernet path, any charge from the AP or interconnect could get induced/shunted to the ethernet cable and if the best ground path is the pins on the switch port, it's certainly possible that it could short out that switch port, a block of ports on that switch, fry the switch altogether, or (very worst case) other devices connected to that switch (and it goes both ways, if there's something like a cable modem connected to that switch and a surge comes in over the coax, it could jump to ethernet into the switch and fry the switch as well).

So in terms of 'best practices' it's generally never bad to use an ethernet ground surge protector (either passive or active when integrated inside an outdoor power injector like the PD-9001GO). But it depends on local electrical code in the area where the APs are being deployed. And some customers feel storms and surge are not a huge risk and will assume that risk not using an ethernet surge protector. it's like UPS or Surge protectors on electronic equipment in the buildings. 

So *any* surge protection in general is meant to protect upstream or downstream devices from large surge events. Something like a direct or near direct strike should NOT be considered 'protected from' with either the internal surge protection (which is more about POE and inbound surge currents towards the AP from the network), and the ground lug on the AP bonded to a building or common ground is more of a 'sink' to shunt any buildup of static or nearby surge from the AP (electricity will always take least resistive path to ground).

For the ethernet cable, the 'surge protector' on the ethernet is meant to be a path to ground sink for anything that may build up on the wire, or connection from the AP to the switch (in essence the ethernet surge protection is meant to protect the upstream switch). So without a ground sink in the ethernet path, any charge from the AP or interconnect could get induced/shunted to the ethernet cable and if the best ground path is the pins on the switch port, it's certainly possible that it could short out that switch port, a block of ports on that switch, fry the switch altogether, or (very worst case) other devices connected to that switch (and it goes both ways, if there's something like a cable modem connected to that switch and a surge comes in over the coax, it could jump to ethernet into the switch and fry the switch as well).

So in terms of 'best practices' it's generally never bad to use an ethernet ground surge protector (either passive or active when integrated inside an outdoor power injector like the PD-9001GO). But it depends on local electrical code in the area where the APs are being deployed. And some customers feel storms and surge are not a huge risk and will assume that risk not using an ethernet surge protector. it's like UPS or Surge protectors on electronic equipment in the buildings. 

So *any* surge protection in general is meant to protect upstream or downstream devices from large surge events. Something like a direct or near direct strike should NOT be considered 'protected from' with either the internal surge protection (which is more about POE and inbound surge currents towards the AP from the network), and the ground lug on the AP bonded to a building or common ground is more of a 'sink' to shunt any buildup of static or nearby surge from the AP (electricity will always take least resistive path to ground).

For the ethernet cable, the 'surge protector' on the ethernet is meant to be a path to ground sink for anything that may build up on the wire, or connection from the AP to the switch (in essence the ethernet surge protection is meant to protect the upstream switch). So without a ground sink in the ethernet path, any charge from the AP or interconnect could get induced/shunted to the ethernet cable and if the best ground path is the pins on the switch port, it's certainly possible that it could short out that switch port, a block of ports on that switch, fry the switch altogether, or (very worst case) other devices connected to that switch (and it goes both ways, if there's something like a cable modem connected to that switch and a surge comes in over the coax, it could jump to ethernet into the switch and fry the switch as well).

So in terms of 'best practices' it's generally never bad to use an ethernet ground surge protector (either passive or active when integrated inside an outdoor power injector like the PD-9001GO). But it depends on local electrical code in the area where the APs are being deployed. And some customers feel storms and surge are not a huge risk and will assume that risk not using an ethernet surge protector. it's like UPS or Surge protectors on electronic equipment in the buildings.