Earlier in August I suffered a lightning strike. I was at a computer during a thunderstorm, saw a flash of light from outside, simultaneously heard a BZZT and my internet connection went down.
My modem status lights were all dark (dead), my core switch status lights were all dark (dead), my router was on but later would find both the WAN and LAN1 ports (the only ones connected) were now faulty, meaning it would never recognize a device on those ports again. Without being able to use the WAN port, the router is effectively toast though it throws out a Wifi signal still.
All devices' power connections were to a CyberPower CP1000PFCLCD UPS. I also have a whole house electrical surge protector (Eaton) installed, so somewhat well protected on the electrical side. The modem's coax connection however was *not* connected to a surge protector. Ironically it used to be, until I had a Comcast technician visit in ~March 2020, he pointed it out and bypassed it. I searched this topic before posting and it sounds like legit they can cause problems (the tech was there because I was not able to hit the advertised speed). However I wondered if the coax was grounded on the outside, which many posters noted renders inline coax surge protectors not necessary, why did the lightning come in?
See attached for a picture of what the Comcast labeled box looks like on the side of my house. I think you'll spy a clear problem. The other side of that green wire isn't pictured, but it taps onto a line that is connected to a rod driven into the ground. I have a few questions for the hive mind before I call into Comcast to chat with them about it, which I haven't done yet:
1) Terminology wise, is this box called the demarcation point? (The orange wire on the right is the feed from Comcast, and it terminates to a box near the street. The two black wires on the left enter my siding and are my in-home service lines.)
2) Who owns the content of that box, and therefore owns responsibility to ensure the green ground is connected: me, the homeowner or Comcast? (The tech in ~March 2020 was in that box, I know because he disconnected the one line from the splitter as I told him I didn't use it, but I took no videos or photos)
3) Is the answer to #2 documented anywhere?
4) The day I took this picture I screwed these connectors down better and most importantly connected the ground to the left splitter, simply because it was closer to the ground line. Is this technically the best location, or should I move it from left-only to right-only because that's the line in, or should I connect to both?
I spoke to my tax guy and maybe I can write some of this off. My homeowner's insurance deductible is greater than the amount it cost me to replace everything, so that doesn't make sense.
Anyway hope you all can help me understand more of the context around this event, so that I am most prepared when I finally do call in to Comcast support. Thank you!
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