Do not you have a surge protection? It is cheap and it also provides Telephone, Ethernet and Coaxial Protection.
Yes, actually, I do have one.
What are you using? Understand a surge and spike protector (S&SP) is kinda like a motorcycle helmet. If it saves your noggin once, it did its job and needs to be replaced.
Even if you never had a major surge or spike, constant pounding over time from lessor surges and spikes WILL wear down the MOVs and other protection components, reducing or even totally negating any protective qualities of the components.
That said, a S&SP really is little more than a fancy and expensive extension cord. For "excessive" surges and spikes, if lucky, they just kill power to connected devices - never good for computers.
But a S&SP does absolutely nothing for low voltage anomalies like sags (opposites of surges), dips (opposite of spikes), and brownouts (long duration sags). These anomalies at best, put excess strain on your device's power supplies and regulator circuits (increasing heat). At worst, they cause your equipment to suddenly shut down.
So I always recommend all computers be on a "good" UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation). Many refer to these as "battery backups" but the reality is, power during a full power outage is just a
minor bonus feature. It is the AVR that makes them so valuable.
A decent UPS will protect your computer, monitor(s) and all your network gear too.
As for a router, at this point, even a budget router is MUCH better than nothing. I would not worry about extra software. Your Windows Firewall is fine for that. What's more important is to keep Windows and your security software current. And that you, the user and ALWAYS weakest link in security, are not "click-happy" on unsolicited links, downloads, attachments and popups.
Because this does sound like power (and/or grounding) issues, I think it should be checked out. Every home and every computer user should have access to a
AC Outlet Tester to ensure your outlet is properly wired
and grounded. I recommend one with a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupt) indicator as it can be used to test bathroom and kitchen outlets (outlets near water) too. These testers can be found for your type and voltage outlet, foreign or domestic at most home improvement stores, or even the electrical department at Wal-Mart. Use it to test all the outlets in the home and if a fault is shown, have it fixed by a qualified electrician.
If you have a multimeter and feel qualified to use it, check the voltage at your wall outlet too. I came home one night to hear all my UPS beeping - but the lights were on. A quick check of the UPS status display panel showed my line voltage sitting at 146VAC!
It should be ~120VAC. I verified this with my multimeter and checked the 240VAC too and it was at 292VAC. I called the power company, explained I was a technician and warned them they would be buying everyone in the neighborhood new refrigerators, freezers and air conditioner compressors if they didn't come right away and fix this.
No kidding - in less than 15 minutes, they were at my house! They verified at my meter that the incoming voltage on the drop was 292VAC. Within 30 minutes, another crew with a bucket truck was at the transformer - moving the tap to a different position. This dropped the voltage in the house to 127VAC and 254VAC. Better, but still a bit high so they scheduled us for a brand new transformer - which we got 3 days later.
Now my voltage is at 119VAC.
