Surge protectors are everywhere. In fact, the Electrical Safety Foundation International recommends them for equipment safety. In one of their surveys, roughly 82% of working professionals noted that surge protection is vital to protecting expensive pieces of equipment.

However, that doesn’t mean one surge protector is going to last forever. In fact, we’re going to tell you why surge protectors for computers, servers, and other pieces of equipment need to be replaced periodically. How old is too old? Keep reading to find out.

How long is the lifespan of a surge protector?

If you’re looking for a length of time, that’s unfortunately not how surge protectors work. Power strip surge protectors and the like measure their ability to protect in joules. So if your surge protector can protect your equipment up to 1,000 joules, you’ll need to replace it after it has absorbed that much power. So the age of your surge protector doesn’t necessarily matter.

What if I have a really old surge protector?

Of course, age isn’t totally out of the picture when it comes to surge protector risks. While HDMI cables and USB 3 cables (which can transfer at 10 Gbps) may show their age, that isn’t always the case with surge protectors. If your surge protector is 10 years old and gathering dust and other things, it could potentially pose a fire hazard. Not only are older surge protectors potentially less effective at protecting your equipment, but older equipment is also more likely to have technical deficiencies. Loose screws, frayed cables, and any other number of hazards could cause more than your computer to shut down.

How can I tell if my surge protector needs to be replaced?

The best way to tell whether or not surge protectors for computers need to be replaced is to purchase protectors with built-in warning systems. These systems are usually lights that come on when your surge protector is no longer effective. These systems aren’t always 100% accurate, but they’re important and can often let you know when it’s time to shop for a new surge protector.

Are your surge protectors no longer protecting your equipment? If you’re concerned about their effectiveness, it’s likely time to make a chance. Make sure you’re considering more than their age when you’re considering replacing them, as well.

The very first fiber optic cable was used in 1988 to connect the U.S. to France and Britain. Since then, countless more cables have been installed all over the globe and are now one of the most popular types of long-distance networking cables available.

Here are some of the main advantages of fiber optic cables:

1. Speed — This is perhaps the main advantage of making the switch to fiber optics. Since fiber optic networks operate at speeds into the gigabits, users can navigate the web faster than ever before.
2. Distance — With fiber optics, signals can be transmitted much further without needing to be strengthened or refreshed.
3. Bandwidth — Another major advantage of using fiber cables involves bandwidth because of their large carrying capacity.
4. Maintenance — Despite all these benefits, fiber cables are actually much more affordable to maintain.
5. Resistance — Fiber cables offer greater resistance to electromagnetic noise coming from nearby cables, motors, and radios.

If you’re hoping to improve speed, efficiency, and accessibility across your network or business, you should consider buying fiber optic cables in bulk. Though these cables are durable and of the highest quality, it’s still a good idea to have some extra cables available just in case. Plus, the more cables you have in use the more opportunities available for your business! Here are some additional items you should continue purchasing to streamline your connection process:

• Fiber Optic Connector — An optical fiber connector terminates the end of the cable and enables faster connection and disconnection than splicing. The connectors mechanically couple and align the cores of fibers so light can pass through.
• Media Transfer Protocol and Multi-fiber Push On Fiber — Media Transfer Protocol (MTP)is an extension to the Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) communications protocol that allows media files to be transferred atomically to and from portable devices. Multi-Fiber Push On (MPO) is a connector for ribbon cables with four to 24 fibers.

If you want to buy bulk fiber optic cables or ethernet cables, give CableWholesale a call right away.

We rely on our gadgets for virtually everything. With more than 3.74 billion worldwide internet users in 2017, we use our smartphones, computers, tablets, and other technological devices to stay in constant contact with others both near and far. In times when we are unable to use our gadgets — like in the event of an equipment failure, a poor internet connection, or battery drainage — we realize just how important our technology is to our ability to operate. If you allow your laptop to be negatively affected by a power surge, for example, you’ll certainly come to regret your failure to adequately prepare and to protect your device. Let’s take a closer look at what might occur if you don’t take steps to prevent the negative effects of power surges.

What Can Happen to Your Laptop During a Power Surge?

Surge protectors for computers and other devices are used to divert excessive electricity during spikes or surges. This will subsequently keep your devices from being harmed. But if you do not use a surge protector, here’s what can occur.

• Your charger or battery might become damaged: In order to operate properly in the long term, your laptop computer needs to be able to have its battery recharged and be able to maintain a charge when not plugged in. Unfortunately, a power surge can render your charger and/or your battery fairly useless. Your battery may no longer take a charge, may require substantially more time to charge fully, or may exhaust its battery charge more quickly. These problems could be attributed to failures within the charger or within the battery itself. When you charge your phone or computer during a power surge, you’ll absolutely want to use a power strip surge protector to ensure you can continue using your gadgets in the aftermath.
• Your laptop may not power up: During a power surge, it’s possible that your laptop’s motherboard could be hit by excess electricity. If enough electricity is directed to the motherboard, your laptop might fail to boot up at all. Basically, that means that the interior of your computer won’t work as intended. That will make it impossible to use your device or access any information stored therein. If you’ve failed to back up your computer or are in the middle of a task, you will likely lose your ability to open or complete documents and files until your computer undergoes a replacement (which may be incredibly costly).
• Your hard drive might become sluggish: In addition to damage to your motherboard, it’s also possible that your hard drive could be harmed due to a power surge. In some cases, this could mean permanent loss of data, but it could also translate to other ongoing issues that make it difficult for you to use your device. For example, it could significantly slow down your system, cause your computer to take longer to power up or to open applications. You may be completely unable to open certain files. This can present a minor convenience or a major upheaval, depending on the circumstances.

How to Protect Your Laptop From the Effects of a Power Surge

If you don’t want to risk these outcomes, you’ll need to take steps to safeguard your laptop from harm. In the event of a surge or a spike, a surge protector can ensure that electricity is directed away from your devices and thereby ensure their inner workings are kept intact. It’s an incredibly simple and passive way to continuously make sure your technological investments aren’t ruined by a natural event. To learn more about these protective tools or about the other cables that can make your life a whole lot easier, please contact us today.

In 2016, 45% of the Earth’s population used the internet, and as of that year, 3.5 billion people around the world were internet users. Because most of the electronic devices we use involve different types of USB cable connections, it’s important to understand the different kinds of USB cables that are available, as well as what their purpose is. According to MakeUseOf, each cable type performs different tasks in order to retain compatibility and accommodate new devices. Before you buy those bulk USB cables, here’s what you need to know about each kind.

1. USB Type-A,

This is the flattened, rectangular-shaped interface at one end of almost any USB cable.
They can be found on TVs and other devices such as game consoles. USB Type-A Cables can only be inserted in one way.

2. USB Type-B.

These cables are mainly used with printers and other types of powered devices that plug into computers. This type of cable isn’t very common anymore because the majority of electronic devices have updated to accommodate smaller connections.

3. Mini- and Micro-USBs.

Before micro-USBs were developed, the Mini-USB was a smaller type of connector that was standard for use with mobile devices. You can still find these occasionally on cameras, MP3 players, and similar electronic devices.

Smaller in size than mini-USBs, Micro-USBs are currently the standard for both portable and mobile devices. Although they can still be found on many types of tablets, smartphones, game controllers, and USB battery packs, some have begun to switch to the USB Type-C cable.

4. USB Type-C.

These reversible cables are the newest USB cables. They promise to deliver higher rates of transfer than previous types of USB cables, as well as more power. In addition, they have the capability to perform multiple functions. USB Type-Cs can be seen on many of the newer laptops and smartphones, such as Pixel phones and the MacBook.

5. Lightning Cables.

This isn’t considered to be a true USB standard. However, it is the proprietary connector for Apple’s iPhone, AirPods, iPad, and other devices. Comparable in size to the USB Type-C cables, it is also standard on all Apple devices that have been released since September 2012. Apple devices that are older than this use a significantly larger 30-pin connector that is also proprietary.

With a better understanding of USB cables and their uses, you’re ready to go out and buy those bulk USB cables with confidence.

If you’re obsessed with watching all the latest offerings in entertainment, you’ve probably invested in your fair share of HDMI highspeed cables. After all, they’re the technology that allows both sound and picture to be communicated through one cable. But how can you know whether your HDMI cables are letting you down? HDMI 2.0 hardware supports bandwidth of up to 18Gb per second, but a worn-out cable won’t be able to transmit much at all. Here are a few signs that your highspeed HDMI cables might need to be replaced ASAP.

• The sound is inconsistent: If the sound of what you’re watching frequently cuts in and out, your HDMI cable might be to blame. Assuming you’ve ensured there are no tangles or kinks in the cable, it’s one of the first indicators that you may need a new cable.
• The picture is fuzzy or the resolution is poor: If you have a state-of-the-art TV but the picture quality is subpar, it’s entirely possible your HDMI highspeed cables aren’t working to their full potential. That’s especially likely if you’re relying on an older cable but your device is relatively new. And if the picture also cuts in and out, it’s time to take a closer look at the cable.
• There’s no sound or picture: A complete absence of sound and/or picture probably isn’t a good sign. It could point to other issues too, but if you know your TV is in good working order, it’s more likely that your cable is acting up. While there could be other issues at play, you should check to see whether there are any bent or broken pins within the mouth of the cable itself. This can tell you right away that you’ll need to start looking at replacement HDMI highspeed cables.
• Your TV inputs work fine: Sometimes, a poor quality picture isn’t due to a faulty cable. It could simply be that one of the cable inputs on the TV itself may be damaged. If your device has several of these cable inputs, test them with your existing cable. If the problems seem to go away entirely, it’s a problem with the device. But if the same issues persist even after testing the other connections, it’s probably your cable’s fault.

Once you purchase a new HDMI cable, you’ll be able to test your theory once and for all. If you need help selecting a new HDMI cable or fulfilling your other cabling needs, please contact us today.