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vegasmar6's avatar
vegasmar6
Contributor II

Surge Protector

I have a question support always requests that all surge protection or multi power outlet/power strip/bars are bypassed and the modem/router/gateway 2 in 1  directly plugged into the wall outlet/plate. My question is normally a wall outlet/plate has already 2 plugs that it can be inserted into top or bottom my question is there isnt a difference between using top or bottom and whichever you use can the other be used as well by maybe say a power strip? Just looking at what grants the best most stable power to the modem/router/gateway 2 in 1 device. Mostly asking cause all the diagrams just show the 2 in 1 being plugged into the bottom outlet of the wall plate wall outlet and the top being empty. Always wanted to get a straight answer on when bypassing like how much is necessary and how much will definitely rule out electrical stability. Thank You

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  • ColleenD's avatar
    ColleenD
    Moderator
    vegasmar6,

    In theory there should be no difference between the electricity supplied by the 2 outlets on your wall. If you have concerns, I suggest contacting a certified electrician for further assistance.
    As far as surge protectors go, Cox no way to test their functionality, and it is not uncommon as part of troubleshooting to bypass the surge strip to rule out any contributions it may make to connectivity problems.



  • vegasmar6's avatar
    vegasmar6
    Contributor II

    So my question is should the modem always be plugged into a wall outlet for best performance or is it ok to use a surge protector even if you have no noticeable issues? How about for the 2 in 1's? When the technician asks to bypass everything they dont care whether I use the top or bottom outlet on the same duplex receptacle and whether or not the other outlet is in use by say another modem, router, or surge protector with many devices on it as long as just the modem is direct into some sort of wall plate outlet? Just want to make sure its getting max power and all because I read that using surge protectors or any kind of power splitting similar to cable splitting isnt recommended even if you aren't experiencing any issues and that most likely the modem/router has a built in surge protector of sorts and you'd get max power from both modem, router, or 2 in 1 if everything is direct which could see improvements. No guides really cover this they just say bypass and plug into the wall but never mention anything further I just wanted to make sure that its not like they want the modem into one outlet and the other outlet top or bottom to be free and if i say had a router then to plug it into a different wall plate also by itself on either the top or bottom with the other not being used. Is there a list of internet related devices that should be direct to wall for best performance and benefit and do not need surge protection as it is either built in or hinders the device by splitting or sharing an outlet to many devices? Some examples would be modem, router, gateway, laptop, etc..

  • StephanieS's avatar
    StephanieS
    Moderator
    vegasmar6

    Whichever situation the modem performs it's best is fine, with or without the surge protector. If the modem shares a power source with any other devices that use a lot of electricity, (like a TV, a clothes dryer etc..), that could cause some electrical interference. -Steff