I've read all sorts of opinions here. My experience protecting equipment.
1st cause of equipment failure during electrical storms, lightning and such is induced currents due to proximity discharges, even on shielded twisted pair, the electrical transient will go through equipment, mainly low voltage one, computer's network cards, you could install surge suppressors and isolators grounded and such, these will protect to some extent but if the transient is fast it will still go through even with grounded surge suppressors. Ethernet networks are a magnet for these and will propagate to computers, switches, wireless access points, TV etc.
You will also get these currents in the mains but equipment in the mains is more resistent to these currents
Now if the lighting is close enough the transient will be high enough and will fry anything connected to the mains as well.
I have lived 51 years in the tropics (south Florida) and I know what lightning storms are.
The industrial solution to really protect (I have installed and build in communication centers and shelters for the government) the ones with big radio antennas going up 1000 ft up, is to use batteries and an ALL AROUND DC 48V datacenter fed by batteries and surge suppression on every step or in the private sector AC datacenters with equipment fed by batteries and inverters too.
At your house if you hear distant thunder unplug all valuable equipment from the mains that's the real protection.
If you are leaving the house for a few days and there is always a chance of sudden electrical storm leave unplugged all valuable equipment from the mains.
There is no better protection
Say what you want I don't care
