We are getting some really nasty thunder, lightning and rain at the moment. I am tempted to turn of my systems in case we lose power. I hate to have my systems shut down because of losing power.

Enjoy Daniel. I like a good thunderstorm especially if it's right overhead but I usually unplug till it's past. Even then I've had a few scary cracks and flashes right on my desk probably because of the dsl line. Lightning protectors and surge protectors are useless in my opinion and I've seen a neighbors telephone and lightning protector totally frizzed and melted.

That is why I buy APC UPS. I am running 3 each 1400 watt UPS and 1 each 300 watt right now. One on wife computer and server, one on my computer, and one of the intertainment system. The 300 is on the boys computer upstairs.

I have two [{TYPO}surge protectors] I meant APC UPS's, one on my main computer, which is the one in my signature, and the main work computer, with all our info etc.

I agree, surge protectors are useless. I have had lightning strike a tree next to our house, it took out our phone, and computer, when both were plugged into a surge protector.

I don't think that surge protectors are useless if you are getting one that will replace any damaged equipment that is plugged into them. I know there are several that are out there that are supposedly surge protectors, but act more as a power strip instead of an actual protection unit. I don't know that I would trust them quite as much as ones that are going to replace several thousand dollars of equipment if they fail. I think that lightning striking a house or very close by though may be one of those things that will fry electronics regardless of what you're using, just due to the power surge being so close.

I wonder how good those 'warranties' are imnuts? I've never seen an analysis of the various suppliers and how much they pay.

I don't know exactly and I hope to never have to find out. My main surge protector is from the APC Professional line and warrants any damages up to $250000. I also have a small APC UPS for my router, modem, and cordless phone so I can still have phone service when power goes out. I plan on getting a larger one as well, but I feel that reputable companies will stand by their warranties. I'm sure the last thing they would want would be a lawsuit to claim the money. I know that when I was in college, several people that lived around me had the $2 surge "protectors" that you could get from the bookstore on campus just because they were cheap and worked, without thinking about what they were plugging into it. I also think that a lot of companies get away with bad equipment by selling surge suppressors instead of surge protectors as the one is likely only made to lessen the actual power surge reaching your equipment without it actually stopping it, where the other is made to stop the surge from passing on to whatever is plugged into it.