This Surge protector is exactly what you need! APC stands behind their products with an easy to deal with customer service group. In our situation, this one protector replaced 3 others we were using. The fact that it combines all the major ways of connecting your equipment in one device is what sold me. The fact that half of the outlets are sized for transformers is even better. Where we have been through 3 cable modems, 2 vonage boxes, and 3 wireless routers with our old setup, this new protector has offered us a worry free summer in Florida's lighting an surge prone environment. APC 11-Outlet 3400J Surge Protector
You get what you pay for.
Remember to send in your registration or no warranty.
In 2000 I had a six thousand dollar claim, APC paid with no issue.
Made a believer out of me.
Will continue to purchase UPS's, line conditioners, and surge bars from APC only...
Just my two cents worth.
I purchase this because it had a great layout of receptacles. The one issue I have with this unit is the coaxial filter degrades signal too much where It drops my internet connection and I do not get a Picture on my TV. the Manufacture sent me another one and the same problem occurred. These are great surge protectors but if you want coaxial protection look elsewhere or buy a separate protector....
I have both this model--the P11VNT3--as well as a couple of the previous version (the PF11VT3). An improvement in this new model is a better recessed on-off switch, so less of a chance of accidentally shutting off your cable-modem, or your DVR (tho I still think it could be even more recessed, or perhaps a spring-loaded slider switch that would be nearly impossible to shut off accidentally). The surge numbers are basically the same, tho you should also look at the actual "joules surge energy" rating, which is a lower number on both old and new units than the 3400 "eJoules" rating. The new unit has outlet shutters that you flick to the right to allow access to the outlet itself; the older version had shutters, but you had to push the plug into them pretty hard to get them to open. But the old unit had a longer (ten foot) cord, vs. the new unit's eight-footer.
I personally liked the look of the older unit better--the new unit seems a bit "old-fashioned" to my eyes--but this is just esthetics as it will probably be buried behind your TV cabinet or under your computer desk.
I think the co-ax filter is more marketing hype than of any real use--I have asked every single cable guy I ever met, as well as cable company tech support at several different companies, and they all say the co-ax filter isn't needed, that co-ax cables don't have surges. You can take that w/a grain of salt, but at one point (before I knew this) I had my cable hooked up to the co-ax filter on a high-end APC Back-UPS, and my cable signal kept dropping. The cable guy who came out told me that the filter was partly to blame for the signal degradation, and sure enough once it was unhooked my internet connection got better. So bottom line, if it makes you feel better to use the co-ax filter and doesn't cause any signal-degradation problems, then go for it. But if you are using the filter and are having cable problems, bypass the co-ax filter first before you call your cable guy.
Otherwise, a solidly-built unit that should last a long time (or until the next lightning strike). Still waiting to see how Schneider-Electric's recent acquisition of APC may or may not affect their quality and customer service.
I've had the 3400J since mid-February. Until last week, I only had it hooked up to a bedroom 24" Sony and a DVD player, but I transferred it to my living room where I have a home theater system. (So I'm ordering a new one for the bedroom setup.)
(I had a leftover APC UPS that I had been using for the home theater, but the battery finally died after four years of over-use! Instead of replacing the battery, I'm just getting another 3400J.)
Must aggree with other reviewers: Excellent layout for multiple devices.
I am using the coax protector and find it in no way affects my picture quality. I've tried it with straight digital feed, standard cable, and the HDMI cable box. Crystal clear. (I tried all the input methods because of reading two other reviews that complained about "pixelization." I found no problems--and I don't understand how a degraded signal would cause pixelization. Snow maybe, but pixelization? That is usually a compression issue, not a connection problem.)
Could this protect us against a massive surge? I sure hope we never need to find out. When lightning comes here in Central Florida, we unplug the home theater and computer. But we have had some brownouts and surges that trigger our computer's UPS alarm, and these fluctuations seem to be handled well by the 3400J.
I'm giving 5 stars because of ease of use, four months of trouble-free ownership, and the APC brand (which I've relied on for server and PC protection since the early 90's). I did have a customer service need for a UPS once, about two years ago, and found APC to be helpful and pretty easy to get through to. - Power Strip - Apc - Quality Product - Surge Protectors'
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