Reddit reviews Ubiquiti ETH-SP Ethernet Surge Protector

This might be more readily available, works well, havnt had any issues with them. This mounts on the pole, near your entry into the house. Use a small grounding rod + solid copper lead. I wouldn't worry much about lightning, as you said, everthing will fry anyways... but POE radios, like the one you are using are sensitive to static buildup. The wind, and especially snow/hail against the mast will create huge amounts of static charge, this has killed many radios (I worked at a WISP). The surge arrestor will ground this charge and make everything stable. Use shielded ethernet cable, for your sanity and as a tribute to those radios whom which we've lost.



https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-ETH-SP-External-Suppressor/dp/B00R20OIAY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484862505&sr=8-1&keywords=ubnt+surge

It sounds like it should work fine to me. However make sure you include a lightning arrester in there. Last thing you want is a lightning strike going right into your structured wiring.



Something like this:

Ubiquiti ETH-SP Ethernet Surge Protector https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R20OIAY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_mWewCbBHMH1WC

Are you supposed to put a ETH-SP on both sides of the outdoor cable? I would assume so... Let me know. I ran cat5 out to my shed for a camera and will be adding the cam in the spring. Thanks!

Not sure what poe switch you have but you may want to try a different switch and use a POE injector/splitter as a test.
I use these with cheap tp-link switches...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DZLSRJC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also ... I power all my cams with a old Dell GX series power supply using those Injector/splitter and use a Ubiquiti Networks ETH-SP Poe External Surge Suppressor before the switch/injector.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R20OIAY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Why ... we are on top of the ridge take a lot of lightning strikes near by.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. But they do sell ethernet surge protectors.

Check out something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-ETH-SP-External-Suppressor/dp/B00R20OIAY/ref=pd_sim_147_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00R20OIAY&pd_rd_r=JSB3GXVMAQA08DDBPP62&pd_rd_w=W9CCZ&pd_rd_wg=XGsVp&psc=1&refRID=JSB3GXVMAQA08DDBPP62

Thanks. I didn't realize running ethernet cable outdoors, even when using outdoor grade cable, could be so risky. While I'm naturally getting the Unifi 8-150W switch for the main house, I'm reluctant to get another SFP switch for the lane way house - mostly for cost reasons. Besides the AP, I doubt I'd have more than 2 ethernet ports in that lane way, so an 8 port switch with SFP would be somewhat wasted with so much excess capacity.

As an alternative, could I just use ethernet surge protectors? Maybe on both ends? Oh look, Ubiquiti even sells PoE surge protectors too!

If you go with copper, install lightning protection at each end of the cable, as close as possible to where it enters the building. Run a #14AWG or bigger copper ground wire from the protector to a suitable grounding place like an existing ground rod or a buried metal water pipe or a piece of rebar sticking up from a concrete foundation. Make the ground wire as short and as straight as practicable. Here's a cheap Ethernet surge suppressor. http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-ETH-SP-External-Suppressor/dp/B00R20OIAY

i bought one of these and asked my aunt to bring it
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-ETH-SP-External-Suppressor/dp/B00R20OIAY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468508730&sr=8-1&keywords=ubiquiti+surge

but as u/Deccarin has said, might not be enough to stop such a huge amount of energy. I would have thought the wires on cat5 would be thin enough to burn out before transfering the surge, but i was obviously wrong.

If I was going to do this and didn't know how to terminate Ethernet cables and didn't have a big budget, I would get one of these plus two of these.

Put one surge protector at each end of the outdoor cable, and make sure the bolt hole in each surge protector is connected to an electrical ground with a good copper cable.

But it depends if you need something that is going to last a few months or if you need it to last multiple years.