Surge protectors..

[SidewinderINC]

OK, So I've got a UPS for my PC but now I've finally got a console and will soon have a nicer TV to go with it I'm thinking about surge protection for the stuff around that area.

I've seen them range from £3.99 in woolies up to >£50 for some rediculous belkin thing.
I don't trust belkin for network gear, but are their surge protectors any good? I've seen a load on play.com for £6.99 and £9.99 which seems a reasonable price to me.

one of the main reasons I'm after one is because I actually just need more sockets, only have 2 behind the TV unit and need at least 6.

It needs to be quite low profile, as there's not much space between the sockets and the unit.

What's the verdict?

Ta.

[Mark]

Generally the more you pay the more protection and features you get. Don't forget you should really protect all points of entry - not just the power. What you need to protect depends on what setup you have, but consider power, aerial, phone, set-top boxes etc.

I also distrust Belkin, but apply a simple rule: If it has firmware or batteries, get out the barge pole. If it doesn't, it'll probably be fine. All my surge protection (excluding the UPS) is Belkin.

In other words, you only need to avoid their switches/routers and their UPS (I got one uber cheap to see what they were like but the battery died with a year, whereas my 5yo APC is still going strong).

[SidewinderINC]

http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/615672/Belkin-PureAV-Home-Cinema-Surge-Protector-8-Socket-Tel-AV-Protection/Product.html

Worth a punt?

[LeperousDust]

That looks alright, heres (http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9829646.htm?storeId=10001&referredURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.argos.co.uk%2Fstatic% 2FProduct%2FpartNumber%2F9829646.htm&jspStoreDir=argos&referrer=COJUN&cmpid=COJUN) one for £12

[LeperousDust]

Bah, they were on offer last week! But they're back to £20, i probably should have checked when i posted the link :)

[SidewinderINC]

Bah, they were on offer last week! But they're back to £20, i probably should have checked when i posted the link :)

It was still cheap when you posted the link :p

[MarcLister]

That looks alright, heres (http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9829646.htm?storeId=10001&referredURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.argos.co.uk%2Fstatic% 2FProduct%2FpartNumber%2F9829646.htm&jspStoreDir=argos&referrer=COJUN&cmpid=COJUN) one for £12That looks cool. And I could connect my phone line into that and take it out to my router?

By the way does anyone know of those socket things where you have one main plug for say a PC and then slave sockets for other things like monitors etc so when you turn the PC on the sockets for the other items are turned on as well?

[Mark]

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9820896.htm :)

[MarcLister]

Excellente. So I could plug that into the surge protector?

[Mark]

Er, no...

# With Surge Protection.
# UK 2,000 connected equipment warranty.
;)

[MarcLister]

It was a test. You passed. :D

[SidewinderINC]

That's almost tempting!

[semi-pro waster]

I've got a couple of Belkin surge protectors that I got as a double pack a few years back and so far I haven't had anything lost to electrical spikes, you can view that as them working well or that the power has been pretty stable here or perhaps some combination of the two but I've got no complaints. No idea about the surge protection value of the phone socket stuff but I wouldn't have thought it all that important - I don't have anything more expensive than a £50 router plugged in though so that rather colours my views.

[karbon]

i've got about 5 of the belkin 6 way ones. used to pick them up when i worked in evesham as we got them at cost price so about £4.

no issues here, though our leccy supply is pretty stable