Name of manufacturer and model number? Where were the
important leads to earth ground. It only had two leads?

Rather surprised so little knowledge here about how
effective protection has long been installed. After all,
earliest research was on amateur radio equipment. Much of
what we know about protection today - why 'whole house'
protectors are so effective - was proven by early 1900s radio
amateurs. In the radio industry, properly earthed surge
protector are so well appreciated that these industry
benchmark application notes are considered legendary. Do they
discuss their product line? Of course not. They discuss the
most important feature in any surge protection system -
earthing:
http://www.polyphaser.com/ppc_pen_home.asp

A surge protector being only as effective as its earth
ground.

m II wrote:
I put in one of those units last week. The instructions on the back
of the package say to connect the two leads of the device to the
two power lines where they enter the house OR inside of the meter
base on two of the lugs. (Highly illegal and unsafe, too).

Pure stupidity on the part of the manufacturer. This is a major
law suit waiting to happen. I don't know how it got past the
'certification' types.

I wound up wiring the thing into it's own two pole 15A. breaker via
a half inch knockout on the side of the panel. It's the ONLY way to
do it right.