Summer is fast approaching and with the season comes powerful thunderstorms. Thunderstorms usually result in a lot of electrical fluctuation, including power surges, brown outs and complete power outages. These power fluctuations obviously affect all electrical devices but your computer and network equipment are especially susceptible to damage.

The most commonly affected piece of equipment is your computer. All it takes is one power surge and your computer could be kaput. The best way to protect any equipment from power surges and electrical storms is to invest in a battery backup, also known as a UPS.

Now you might say "I don't need a battery backup, I have a surge protector." Unfortunately a surge protector is not designed to provide the continuous clean power a computer requires. In a study done by APC it was found that an average computer can experience 100 voltage fluctuations in a single day. These voltage fluctuations are most destructive to hard drives and can result in data corruption or even catastrophic data loss. Surge protectors can not fully protect your computer from those everyday voltage fluctuations. Also, be forewarned a regular power strip does not provide any protection for your computer, in some cases it can actually harm it.

Battery backup is the #1 solution for protecting your computer from everyday voltage fluctuations as well as electrical storms and outages. At Onsite we recommend you invest in an APC battery backup. You can purchase lower end models at any local office supply store, such as Staples or Office Depot. If you need a higher end model, especially for a server you can purchase directly through APC or Dell. For any questions or recommendations regarding power supplies contact Onsite at 856-626-3349.