Holy jesus: Lightning CAN strike through your computer

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EyeMWing

Banned
Jun 13, 2003
15,670
1
0
Originally posted by: Kaervak
Originally posted by: EyeMWing
Originally posted by: MrBond
Mythbusters didn't test computers, they tested phones and bathtubs/showers.
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They had a computer plugged in, and tested it minimally by checking to see if it still POSTed.
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The computer was plugged in, however it wasn't running during the test. Reduced the chance of it being damaged by a substantial amount.
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True. Very true. Also worth noting is that the computer that I was using WASN'T damaged in any way, shape or form.
 
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CraigRT

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
31,440
5
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holy crap that's freaky...
lightning struck nearby last year at my place, my computer went out in a blaze of glory. glad it was just my Antec 400W PSU that saved the rest of my system... it was dead beyond repair however. poor guy :p
everything else continued to work perfectly!!!!!!!
sucks about your damages!!
 
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EyeMWing

Banned
Jun 13, 2003
15,670
1
0
Originally posted by: CraigRT
holy crap that's freaky...
lightning struck nearby last year at my place, my computer went out in a blaze of glory. glad it was just my Antec 400W PSU that saved the rest of my system... it was dead beyond repair however. poor guy :p
everything else continued to work perfectly!!!!!!!
sucks about your damages!!
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PSUs are selfless creatures, sacraficing themselvse to save everything else (actually, you just tripped the fuse. Coulda fixed that for like $2)
 
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cjgallen

Diamond Member
Jan 20, 2003
6,419
0
0
Happened to me. Lightning struck the cable line, went through the modem, router, and out to all of our computers.
 
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EyeMWing

Banned
Jun 13, 2003
15,670
1
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tami

Lifer
Nov 14, 2004
11,588
3
81
in 1992, my dad bought me my first computer from the reputable brandsmart USA. :roll: it was an IBM PS/2 (170mb harddrive, 2mb ram, 386sx/25).

i enjoyed using it a lot, and since i was living in florida at the time, naturally, i was well aware of regular rainstorms and we had surge protectors throughout the house.

once upon a time, during a pretty heavy thunderstorm, our house was struck with lightning. my computer survived, but the modem inside was fried (it was under warranty at brandsmart USA, but it took them a good two and a half MONTHS before they gave it back to us. i was pissed). also, two televisions in various parts of the house died. if you turned them on, they'd show a green horizontal line in the center of the screen and do nothing more.

it sucked. so yes, it's possible, and your damage sounds worse than average.
 
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marvdmartian

Diamond Member
Apr 12, 2002
5,444
27
91
tami said:
in 1992, my dad bought me my first computer from the reputable brandsmart USA. it was an IBM PS/2 (170mb harddrive, 2mb ram, 386sx/25).
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Dang, I am sooo jealous!! :laugh:

Hey, you guys DO know that they make surge suppressors with cable connections now, don'tcha?? Same as the ones for phone lines, these will keep those monstrous surges from going thru your cables. I have one on the cable going to my expensive tv set, and one going to my cable modem, and have survived plenty of thunderstorms with nary a flicker. And here in TX, we know how to have thunderstorms, let me tell ya!! :shocked:
 

Mythbusters shouldnt be the end all of your conclusions when it comes to things like this. Some of their experiements dont exactly follow the scientific method, thus their conclusions can't be trusted.
 
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tfinch2

Lifer
Feb 3, 2004
22,114
1
0
Originally posted by: cjgallen
Happened to me. Lightning struck the cable line, went through the modem, router, and out to all of our computers.
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Ding ding ding...winnar. This happened in my office last week and I had to replace a dead cable modem, 2 dead switches, every NIC in the building, and some units had damaged mobo/CPU. What a pain. Good thing I work in a small office.
 
mrSHEiK124

mrSHEiK124

Lifer
Mar 6, 2004
11,488
2
0
Originally posted by: arcenite
If the point of entry was through the cable lines, how did it kill a monitor?
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Well, the cable line goes to the router, the router goes to various NICs, and various NICs are obviously parts of various computers, and there are monitors connected! :shocked:
Anyways, once the electricity got to the computers, it pretty much went everywhere I guess. Wonder what would happen to an LCD in a situation like this, would it like explode and send LCD juice goin everywhere?
 
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Doboji

Diamond Member
May 18, 2001
7,912
0
76
Originally posted by: EyeMWing
Can I sue them?

I was sitting here, neffing in full confidence during a lightning storm when suddenly, I was launched a full 3 feet from my keyboard and mouse, complete with the sounds of firecrackers as electricity arc'd between various goodies for a full second or two (seemed like an eternity to me)

The computer continued to act as normal. Still playing music, ATOT still sitting on the screen, my half-typed post still intact.

After recovering myself and yanking the plug to every electronic device I have, I discovered that I have some light burns on both my hands and forearms, apparently I managed to get clear pretty quickly.

All the computers around the house powered up, the TV's flickered (but not the lights).

Damage count thus far is:
1 - RTL-8139C NIC
1 - 8-port switch
1 - 16-port managed switch
1 - Verizon landline
1 - KDS VS-7i monitor (17") - Will have to call for a replacement. I think it's still under warranty.
1 - R9600XT
1 - Asus A7n8x Deluxe
1 - AthlonXP 2500+
And all I've checked thus far has been the absolute ROOT services on my network - gateway, domain controller, switches. Most of the computers are still unplugged.

Point of entry, as best as I can guess, was through the cable line, jumped the modem (it isn't damaged at all), through the network, and across components from there.
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SHENS
 
Jeff7181

Jeff7181

Lifer
Aug 21, 2002
18,368
11
81
Good thing you weren't pleasuring yourself while watching internet porn... point of entry...
 
arcenite

arcenite

Lifer
Dec 9, 2001
10,660
7
81
Originally posted by: sheik124
Originally posted by: arcenite
If the point of entry was through the cable lines, how did it kill a monitor?
Click to expand...

Well, the cable line goes to the router, the router goes to various NICs, and various NICs are obviously parts of various computers, and there are monitors connected! :shocked:
Anyways, once the electricity got to the computers, it pretty much went everywhere I guess. Wonder what would happen to an LCD in a situation like this, would it like explode and send LCD juice goin everywhere?
Click to expand...

Still doesn't make sense to me, I thought an analog signal was just that... a signal.

 
So

So

Lifer
Jul 2, 2001
25,923
17
81
Originally posted by: arcenite
Originally posted by: sheik124
Originally posted by: arcenite
If the point of entry was through the cable lines, how did it kill a monitor?
Click to expand...

Well, the cable line goes to the router, the router goes to various NICs, and various NICs are obviously parts of various computers, and there are monitors connected! :shocked:
Anyways, once the electricity got to the computers, it pretty much went everywhere I guess. Wonder what would happen to an LCD in a situation like this, would it like explode and send LCD juice goin everywhere?
Click to expand...

Still doesn't make sense to me, I thought an analog signal was just that... a signal.
Click to expand...

Yes, but it is a signal that carries a HUGE amount of energy.
 
V

Viperoni

Lifer
Jan 4, 2000
11,084
1
71
So the surge went through your mouse and kb cables and to your hands....

/looks at mouse cord
/looks at kb cord

....
 
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