In a SOHO(Small Office Home Office) setup, you may not have the most expensive or mission critical infrastructure - but thats NO reason to downplay problems with power. When you expect the least, where you expect the least, you suddenly come across power aberrations which may suddenly leave you wondering what went wrong. Remember, it doesn't take even a second for unprotected power to create havoc in your systems and its not worth the risk.

Here are a couple of pointers to aid you in the decision.

The Source and Scope of Power Problems
Due to the popularity of surge protectors, most people think of power surges when they think of power problems. The truth is, there are many types of power problems that can potentially damage a standalone PC, modem or telephone or a network configuration involving any of these devices. You need to understand the scope and source of power problems so you can be sure to choose a solution that protects against the wide variety of power disruptions that commonly occur in a single or multiple locations.

Problems Start Anywhere
It may sound like a bit of an overstatement, but power problems literally can start almost anywhere, from a surprisingly wide range of sources. Existing equipment in a building has huge potential for creating power disturbances. This includes air-conditioning system, copiers, and laser printers. Even the elevators in some buildings or a microwave oven in the office kitchen can cause problems. In industrial settings, the problems become more complex. Heavy equipment being turned on and off can lead to rapid reduction in the power load, creating surges or swells that damage hardware and other electronics. Process equipment like curing ovens and assembly robotics can cause staggering jumps and drops in power usage.

High Rate of Occurrences
Power problems occur more frequently than most would guess, as well. According to recent industry studies, they average nearly one per day. If you don't believe your system could be affected so frequently, consider the definition of "problem." Many of us don't think of the "unexplained" annoyances so common to our computerized age - system crashes, keyboard lock ups, or scrambled data, to name a few - as power related. Yet they very well may be. It doesn't take a complete power outage to affect critical equipment and processes. From drive crashes to error messages and unreadable data to perplexing server re-boots, a moment of less than "pure" power can create havoc or, at the very least, those exasperating "unexplained" processing problems.

Are all solutions created equal?
Now that you're more familiar with problem, what's the solution? Fortunately, there is Emerson Network Power