[lug] OT: Medium Area Network

[Bear Giles]

Sean Reifschneider wrote:
> Definitely.  If you're going with Fiber though, you at least don't have
> to worry as much about electricity propogation between buildings and
> from lightning, if an overhead path is an option.

Lightning strikes can still damage buried cables and equipment attached 
to them.  In fact, it's arguably more dangerous since so many people 
think buried cables are immune from lightning strikes and don't take 
sufficient care with their equipment.

Think of it this way - a lightning strike has a lot of power in it. 
Where does it go when it touches the surface of either land or water? 
It doesn't just go away - it will create a large 'kill zone' in water, 
and will also dissipate in an area several meters across in the soil. 
If there's a handy metallic channel within that region....

Bear