Plagued by high voltages and power spikes? With a Netshield power solution you can protect your buildings on all levels including distribution boxes and server cabinets
It is unfortunate, but a fact of life, that computers, computer related products, process control and data communications equipment can be damaged by high-voltage surges and spikes. Such power surges and spikes are most often caused by lightning strikes but can also be caused by power cuts, for example load shedding.
A lot can be done as far as protection is concerned. However, it is best to begin by describing the magnitude of the threat from which you need protection.
The first stroke of lightning during a thunderstorm can produce peak currents ranging from 1,000 to 100,000 Amperes with rise times of 1 microsecond. It is hard to conceive of, let alone protect against, such enormous magnitudes. Fortunately, such threats only apply to direct hits on overhead lines. Hopefully, this is a rare phenomenon.
More common is the induced surge on a buried cable. When lightning hits the ground, it creates a ripple effect such as when a drop falls into water. These ripples can travel up to 5km through buried cable and can damage unprotected equipment.
Another cause of damage to equipment comes from power cuts or power surges. This can be described by viewing electricity like a river, flowing into different channels. When a channel is closed, the water must still go somewhere causing some of the other channels to reach peak levels.
Computer equipment has often been damaged by lightning, not because of the absence of a protection device, but because inadequate attention was paid to grounding. Good quality ground connection cannot be emphasized enough.
Conceptually, lightning protection devices are switched to ground. Once a threatening surge is detected, a lightning protection device grounds the incoming signal connection point of the equipment being protected. Thus, redirecting the threatening surge on a path-of-least-resistance (impedance) to ground where it is absorbed.
When providing surge protection for a building, there are three components that need protection:
- The Street Power Distribution Box from Eskom will take the highest spike and therefore one must install the flash/trap. This installation must be executed by a qualified electrician.
- Some buildings have only one Distribution Box where others have one on each floor depending on the size of the building. In each and every one of these DB Boxes it is necessary to install an NLFC1S350/NLFC3S350, depending on whether 1-phase or 3-phase power is used. In case of a strike the trip switch will trip and will not be able to be reset again before the blown fuse, indicated by a red LED light, is replaced with a (NLRF350ST/NLRFN350ST). This ensures that no strike will go unnoticed and that the equipment might be left unprotected for only a short period of time, until the fuse in question has been replaced.
In the server room cabinet, it is necessary to install either the Netshield NLMAINLITE-2U-E, NLPROCLITE-2U-E or NLEDU-PROCxx-1U depending on the need of the user:
Basic entry level Class I & II surge protection for cabinets:
NLEDU-PROC16-1U or NLEDU-PROC32-1U Basic Entry Level Cabinet Lightning and Surge Arrestors
- 16 Amp comes with 3-pin SA plug and 32 Amp comes with a hubble industrial plug
- 16 Amp has C19 connector to feed through to UPS and the 32 AMP has a direct feed to UPS
- Both not SNMP Manageable
- Cannot add sensors
- No V11/X21 Protection
- Monitored by LCD status display
High entry level Class I & II surge protection for cabinets:
NLMAINLITE-2U-E and NLPROCLITE-2U-E High Entry Level Cabinet Lightning and Surge Arrestors
- The NLMAINLITE-2U-E offers protection to X21/V11 Telkom lines. There are two more slots available to expand to X21/V11 (NLPROV11R2)
- The NLPROCLITE-2U-E does not have these additional features.
- Both have an internal SNMP device that enables the user to connect to monitoring software. (NLMSNMP)
- Both have a Power Distribution Unit (PDU) containing 8x kettle (IEC) Connectors. It gives out 16A max
- Both can connect RS485 sensors such as temperature and humidity
- Both have Class I & II Protection
- Both have Equipment stage surge protection with Electrical VAC power measurement
- Both are monitored by LCD status display
- Both have 16 Amp feeding power sockets
- Both have 4 x 1.8Meter C13 to C14 type power cord supplied with the unit.
Power Surge Protection Devices
NLMAINLITE-2U-E | Equipment stage Surge and Lightning protection with Electrical VAC power measurement, monitoring protection 2U Rack mountable unit. The unit includes integrated type 1 + 2 surge protection with automatic fault/failure detection On-board LCD status display, User settable VAC feed power electronic trip on over/under voltage and current on internal PDU, Three prong 15Amp feeding power socket for Telco NTU (networking termination unit), On-board SNMP Management agent, RS485 expansion bus for additional probes, One X21/V11 optical isolation barrier & surge protection (expandable to 3) for one WAN X.21 Interface, PDU’s (Power Distribution Unit) with 8 x C13 IEC60320 type Low power outlets, 4 x 1.8Meter C13 to C14 type power cord supplied with the unit. |
NLPROCLITE-2U-E | Equipment stage Surge and Lightning protection with Electrical VAC power measurement, monitoring protection 2U Rack mountable unit. The unit includes integrated type 1 + 2 surge protection with automatic fault/failure detection, On-board LCD status display, User settable VAC feed power electronic trip on over/under voltage and current on internal PDU, Three prong 15Amp feeding power socket for Telco NTU (networking termination unit), On-board SNMP Management agent, RS485 expansion bus for additional probes, One X21/V11 optical isolation barrier & surge protection (expandable to 3) for one WAN X.21 Interface, PDU’s (Power Distribution Unit) with 8 x C13 IEC60320 type Low power outlets, 4 x 1.8Meter C13 to C14 type power cord supplied with the unit. |
NLEDU-PROC32-1U | 1U Rack mountable 32Amp Cabinet Class I + II Surge Protection Unit with Protection Failure indicators, Hubble power feeding plug on 3 Meter Cabtyre lead, 32Amp trip switch, power indicator and 1.5 Meter feeding power output lead for hardwiring to UPS. Earthing Stud included. |
NLEDU-PROC16-1U | 1U Rack mountable 16Amp Cabinet Class I + II Surge Protection Unit with Protection Failure indicators, 3pin SA Plug power feeding plug on 3 Meter Cabtyre lead, 16Amp trip switch, power indicator and C19 power output connector with1.5 meter C19/C20 power lead for hardwiring to UPS. Earthing Stud included. |
NLMSNMP | SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) plugging module used in 2U Surge protection System |
NLPROV11R2 | X.21 Interface Surge Protection / Optical Isolation Module / Used in 2U Surge Protection Chassis |
NLFCMON-RF1 | ISM Radio Frequency Based Transmitter for DB Compact Type 1 and Type 2 Surge Protection Unit for monitoring |
NLFC3S350 | Three Phase compact type1 + 2 surge protection units with Remote fault indicator contact management, Impulse discharge current (10/350) µs (N-PE), peak current value Iimp 100 kA, Impulse discharge current (10/350) µs (N-PE), specific energy 2500 kJ/Ω, Impulse discharge current (10/350) µs (N-PE), charge 50 As, Nominal discharge current In (8/20) µs (N-PE) 100 kA, Nominal discharge current In (8/20) µs (L-N), (L-PE) 25 kA, Follow current interrupt rating Ifi (L-N) 25 kA (264 V AC), Follow current interrupt rating Ifi (N-PE) 100 A (350 V AC), Front of wave spark over voltage at 6 kV (1.2/50) µs (L-N) ≤ 1.5 kV, (L-PE) ≤ 2.2 kV, (N-PE) ≤ 1.5 kV, Response time tA (L-N) ≤ 25 ns, Rated load current IL 125 A (< 55 °C), Standards IEC 61643-11 2011, EN 61643-11 2012 |
NLFC1S350 | Single Phase compact type1 + 2 surge protection units with Remote fault indicator contact management, Impulse discharge current (10/350) µs (N-PE), peak current value Iimp 100 kA, Impulse discharge current (10/350) µs (N-PE), specific energy 2500 kJ/Ω, Impulse discharge current (10/350) µs (N-PE), charge 50 As, Nominal discharge current In (8/20) µs (N-PE) 100 kA, Nominal discharge current In (8/20) µs (L-N), (L-PE) 25 kA, Follow current interrupt rating Ifi (L-N) 25 kA (264 V AC), Follow current interrupt rating Ifi (N-PE) 100 A (350 V AC), Front of wave spark over voltage at 6 kV (1.2/50) µs (L-N) ≤ 1.5 kV, (L-PE) ≤ 2.2 kV, (N-PE) ≤ 1.5 kV, Response time tA (L-N) ≤ 25 ns, Rated load current IL 125 A (< 55 °C), Standards IEC 61643-11 2011, EN 61643-11 2012 |
NT3-2PES-230AC-FM | Type 3 surge protection device, Arrester rated voltage UC 253 V AC, Nominal current IN 26 A (30 °C), Nominal discharge current In (8/20) µs 3 kA, 3 kA (in acc. with UL 1449), Combination wave UOC 6 kV (L-N (L)), ≤ 600 V (asymmetrical (PE) static), Voltage protection level Up (N-PE) ≤ 1.5 kV, ≤ 600 V asymmetrical (PE) static), Response time tA (L-N) ≤ 25 ns, |
NLRF350VAL | Replacement Type 1 – plug surge arrester with high-capacity Varistor free of leakage current. |
NLRF350ST | Replacement thermal spark gap type 1 + 2 unit for paths L-N and L-PEN(1 in single phase & 3 in three phase) |
NLRFN350ST | Replacement thermal spark gap and MOV type 1 unit for path N-PE, can be combined (1 in single phase & 1 in three phase) |
NT3-2PES-230AC-RP | Type 3 arrester replacement plug (device protection) for 1-phase power supply networks with separate N and PE (3-conductor system: L1, N, PE) |
NLPROETH | 10/100/1000 Ethernet Surge Protection Interface for Use in 2U Surge Protection Chassis – Gigabit and PoE (Power over Ethernet) ready |
NLPROE1 | Dual channel E1 interface Surge Protection used in 2U Surge Protection Chassis |
NLSP-M20-X21 | 3U Chassis with 20 slot of mounting of NLPROE1/ X21/ NLPROETH Modules – dual power supplies |
NLSP-M20 | 3U Chassis with 20 slot of mounting of NLPROE1 or NLPROETH Modules |
NLSP-ADSL-M | Wall-mount Single 2 Wire ADSL/Telephone line and Power surge protection device with protection monitoring |
NLSP-E1-M | Wall-mount Single 4 Wire E1/ISDN line and Power surge protection device with protection monitoring |
NLSP-ETH-M | Wall-mount Single 8 Wire10/100/1000BaseT Ethernet and Power surge protection device with protection monitoring; PoE (Power over Ethernet) and Gigabit ready |
NLCOAXPS | N type connector Plug to socket surge protection 70VDC/50VAC |
NLCUBE | BNC Type connector plug to socket surge protection180VDC/130VAC |
NLCNUBE | N type connector Plug to socket surge protection 180VDC/130VAC |
CABLE-DB15M-F1 | X21 CABLE DB15 MALE TO FEMALE 1M |
CABLE-DB15M-F5 | X21 CABLE DB15 MALE TO FEMALE 5M |
CABLE-DB15M-F7 | X21 CABLE DB15 MALE TO FEMALE 7M |





