Patent ID: 8243412

Claim:
A communication system having a surge protection system for outside plant Ethernet, comprising: Ethernet communication equipment configured to transmit Ethernet signals across a first conductive connection and a second conductive connection of an Ethernet cable extending through an outside plant environment, the Ethernet communication equipment configured to receive Ethernet signals from the first and second conductive connections of the Ethernet cable; an isolation transformer coupled to the first and second conductive connections between the Ethernet communication equipment and the Ethernet cable, the isolation transformer having a pass-band sufficient for passing an Ethernet signal propagating via the first and second conductive connections; at least one fuse coupled to at least one of the first and second conductive connections; and a voltage limiter coupled to and positioned between the isolation transformer and the Ethernet communication equipment, the voltage limiter configured to limit a voltage potential between the first and second conductive connections thereby suppressing high energy transients from the isolation transformer, wherein an isolation voltage of the transformer is sufficiently high such that a high energy power fault occurring on the Ethernet cable is prevented from damaging the Ethernet communication equipment, wherein an impedance of the surge protection system substantially matches an impedance of the Ethernet cable for a frequency of the Ethernet signal, and wherein the communication system is arranged such that the Ethernet signals transmitted by the Ethernet communication equipment pass through the voltage limiter, isolation transformer, and fuse and propagate across the first and second conductive connections of the Ethernet cable.