Surge protection for outdoor cameras (IPC 6030 and IPC 6930)

[andryann_ntambwe]

I would like to know if somebody know suitable and recommended surge protection method or device for Cisco outdoor cameras (IPC 6030 and IPC 6930), to protect against lightning? Because I am experiencing lightning attacks hitting cameras (POE and POE+) but the network switch is still alive.

[Philip D'Ath]

If you are having actual lightning strikes then I would forget lightening arrestors.  They really only protect against nearby strikes.

Instead use fibre.  The longer the fibre run the longer the electricity has to arc to get back to your switch.

Your cameras will get terminated, but the switches and other infrastructure will survive then.

[Philip D'Ath]

Also lightening strikes the highest point.  Have you considered simply having a lightening pole installed on a high point (well above the cameras) and grounded?  And to get extra marks for cool, you can get a strike counter for the pole, so you can see how many times it has been hit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_rod

[andryann_ntambwe]

3 cameras are installed on a 62 meters tower which already have lightning protection rod and grounding installation. 2 cameras are at 6 meters and one at 25 meters (PTZ). But most of the time we are getting those cameras burnt when lightning is hitting the location, although we have grounding installed at the place, and most of the time switches are surviving. While re-thinking about grounding installation, I would like to know if there is surge specific protection for POE devices or cameras.

[Philip D'Ath]

I don't think you can do much more then.

You can get PoE surge protection lightning arrestors - but they wouldn't stop the problem you are having.

Here is an idea.  I'm guessing the cameras mostly point one way. How about getting a metallic mesh cage with one side missing put around them, and ground it.  The idea being to try and divert the excess energy away from the camera housing.

You could also look at full on camera environment enclosures, so the cameras are inside a special box.

[andryann_ntambwe]

Thank you very much for the idea. Do you have any documentation reference about grounding techniques you are suggesting for cameras?

[Philip D'Ath]

No.  It just just an idea I thought of. If you provide an easier way for the electricity to escape (through a grounded cage around the camera) then it is less likely to try and go around the camera itself and burn it.

I guess you could also consider wrapping the cameras in a heat resistant material like cement cloth.

[StephanMC]

Some of the home users on https://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread.php/4258-Cat5-Lightning-protection

had been using these:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B008060BU0/ref=nosim/ipctk-20