so Erik, is this item Baaske MI1005 going to provide the protection that you getting from the Everstar or the TrippLite units that you speak of?
There is no power through the ethernet connection only data, so I presume the only reason you are using these are a as surge protector, from lighting strikes and the like. Is this correct?
OP - Yes. The IEC standard is the key part. As far as I know, all the audio Ethernet isolators are essentially these devices without the high voltage testing but rely on very similar isolator components. In the case of high voltage isolation and surge protection it’s not just the components but how you lay them out that matters, and thats what the testing / certification will prove was correct. I have noticed that all the certified isolators tend to be a little physically larger, perhaps due to the layout requirements.
I note that in the diagram the surge protection happens after the isolation, and does not shunt to ground. Seems like a much better situation than any grounding Ethernet surge protector. There’s no risk of a common mode surge becoming differential and hopping the downstream isolation, and in fact seems to convert from differential to common, a good thing, as less likely to pass downstream.
I have about 40’ of Ethernet between my router and home entertainment center. At the end of that I put the EverStar just before the 8 port switch which feeds all my HT components and Roon streamer. The reason I put it there, despite paranoid surge protection at my data closet is the 40' of cable can act as an antenna and a local strike can induce a surge voltage. The longer the cable the more voltage could appear.