re: How often do you replace your router?

> It's plugged into the same surge protector as a
> couple other devices and I don't have trouble
> with anything else.

You might be ready to learn what surge protectors do. A protector adjacent to appliances must somehow 'block' or 'absorb' a surge. It cannot. It does not even claim to. Numbers make that obvious.

How does its 2 cm protector part 'block' what three miles of sky could not? How does its hundreds of joules 'absorb' a surge that can be hundreds of thousands of joules? It cannot.

Worse, an adjacent protector can provide even more paths destructively inside adjacent appliances.

Are all appliances damaged? Obviously not once we include some facts. For example, all appliances already contain robust protection. But that surge must find both an incoming and an outgoing path to earth. Incoming is easy. Incoming from that protector into all appliances. Outgoing is selective. Which appliance makes the best outgoing connection to earth?

Is modem connected to a cable? That cable is required to already have effective protection - a hardwire that connects from the cable (low impedance - ie less than 10 feet) to an earth ground electrode. So the modem makes a best outgoing path. The modem (not that protector) is doing protection of all other appliances - destructively. Since a better connection to earth is destructively via that modem, then a surge need not overwhelm superior protection in other appliances.

Everything here is layman simple. Unfortunately, many forget simple things (ie how electricity works) to automatically believe myths that promote a plug-in protector.

To have damage means electricity found a best and destructive outgoing path to earth via each modem. Your mistake was to all but invite that surge current to be inside the house.

For over 100 years, facilities, that cannot have damage, earth a surge BEFORE it enters the building. A 'whole house' protector has been the proven solution for that long. It costs about $1 per protected appliance. A protector does not do protection - does not absorb hundreds of thousands of joules. That protector is so effective because it connect that energy low impedance (ie less than 10 feet) to earth. Earth is where hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate.

One final note. Only useful recommendations always include reasons why and numbers. The soundbyte summary: A protector is only as effective as its earth ground (which your protector does not have and will not discuss). Protection is always about where hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate outside a house. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground.