Powering mobile hotspot router: Inrush current and best practices [closed]
Recently I have purchased a mobile hotspot router for my home office. Since I plan to use it as stationary device most of the time (except for when traveling), I decided to remove its battery after having it fully charged initially and power the device by AC outlet (many people on Netgear forum have also confirmed doing the same with success).
My main question is the following. What is better for the device from its safety and longevity perspectives: leaving it constantly powered on by AC outlet (via a USB charger / power supply and a relevant USB cable) or turning the device on and off every day, using a switchable power strip which the USB charger is connected to?
Even though modern electronic devices have many safeguards against adverse conditions and their reliability is generally quite high, my concern, which prompted this question, is related to potential adverse effects of inrush current on device longevity - after reading this post.
I realize that, since the router is powered by USB charger, most or all of the in rush current effects interact with USB charger and not the router itself. However, that depends on how well the USB charger is designed to withstand in rush current and not pass any "secondary" inrush current across the USB channel. Just my quick thoughts on this ...
To clarify, my typical short-term usage scenario for the router would be to use it from several hours per day to more than 10-12 hours per day (depending on circumstances).
The secondary question I have is about an LCD indicator on the same router device. Under normal conditions, it blinks once about every five seconds. There is a way to turn it off in the device configuration, but I'd prefer to leave it on for "situational awareness" at a glance. Thus, my question is how do constant on/off cycles every five seconds or so affect LED indicator's longevity?
Thank you very much in advance and happy holidays!
power usb
asked Dec 27 '18 at 3:15
Aleksandr BlekhAleksandr Blekh
10828
migration rejected from electronics.stackexchange.com Dec 27 '18 at 20:52
This question came from our site for electronics and electrical engineering professionals, students, and enthusiasts. Votes, comments, and answers are locked due to the question being closed here, but it may be eligible for editing and reopening on the site where it originated.
closed as primarily opinion-based by DavidPostill♦ Dec 27 '18 at 20:52
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
comments disabled on deleted / locked posts / reviews |
show 1 more comment
Recently I have purchased a mobile hotspot router for my home office. Since I plan to use it as stationary device most of the time (except for when traveling), I decided to remove its battery after having it fully charged initially and power the device by AC outlet (many people on Netgear forum have also confirmed doing the same with success).
My main question is the following. What is better for the device from its safety and longevity perspectives: leaving it constantly powered on by AC outlet (via a USB charger / power supply and a relevant USB cable) or turning the device on and off every day, using a switchable power strip which the USB charger is connected to?
Even though modern electronic devices have many safeguards against adverse conditions and their reliability is generally quite high, my concern, which prompted this question, is related to potential adverse effects of inrush current on device longevity - after reading this post.
I realize that, since the router is powered by USB charger, most or all of the in rush current effects interact with USB charger and not the router itself. However, that depends on how well the USB charger is designed to withstand in rush current and not pass any "secondary" inrush current across the USB channel. Just my quick thoughts on this ...
To clarify, my typical short-term usage scenario for the router would be to use it from several hours per day to more than 10-12 hours per day (depending on circumstances).
The secondary question I have is about an LCD indicator on the same router device. Under normal conditions, it blinks once about every five seconds. There is a way to turn it off in the device configuration, but I'd prefer to leave it on for "situational awareness" at a glance. Thus, my question is how do constant on/off cycles every five seconds or so affect LED indicator's longevity?
Thank you very much in advance and happy holidays!
power usb
asked Dec 27 '18 at 3:15
Aleksandr BlekhAleksandr Blekh
10828
migration rejected from electronics.stackexchange.com Dec 27 '18 at 20:52
This question came from our site for electronics and electrical engineering professionals, students, and enthusiasts. Votes, comments, and answers are locked due to the question being closed here, but it may be eligible for editing and reopening on the site where it originated.
closed as primarily opinion-based by DavidPostill♦ Dec 27 '18 at 20:52
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
This is unanswerable without details of the particular design, the general reason for which all questions on the usage (vs design) of consumer products are off topic here
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:31
@ChrisStratton Sorry, I was unaware of such restrictions within this particular SE site. Would you recommend a more suitable SE site to ask my question? I can try to find it as well (I'm not new to SE). Either way, I hope that my question could be migrated there. Please advise.
– Aleksandr Blekh
Dec 27 '18 at 3:37
I doubt there is a suitable place - only the manufacturer of your particular device would be in a position to know, and they may not actually care to (even if you hand't admitted to modifying it, but obviously now that you have). Someone else would have to take it apart and do an in-depth analysis of all the possible factors to give you a meaningful answer.
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:38
@ChrisStratton Hmm, this is strange ... IMO, my question is not too specific to pertain to a particular design (or device, or model, for that matter) and not too general to be opinion-based. I would classify it as belonging to an imaginary category of "safety / reliability effects of specific EE usage patterns". I would assume that people with even average expertise in EE would be able to provide some valuable / actionable advice. In any case, please do not close this question for a bit - I will try to find a better suitable SE site and ask for a migration.
– Aleksandr Blekh
Dec 27 '18 at 3:46
On the contrary, it's quite obviously too broad to belong anywhere, in addition to being too lacking in design detail to belong here - you have things like heat driven aging and power consumption pointing towards turning it off, and things like thermal cycling and filesystem state pointing towards leaving it on. Without know how well the design addressed each concern (and those are only the ones I could think of quickly) or how you have installed it, the balance of factors is completely unweighable.
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:49
comments disabled on deleted / locked posts / reviews |
show 1 more comment
Recently I have purchased a mobile hotspot router for my home office. Since I plan to use it as stationary device most of the time (except for when traveling), I decided to remove its battery after having it fully charged initially and power the device by AC outlet (many people on Netgear forum have also confirmed doing the same with success).
My main question is the following. What is better for the device from its safety and longevity perspectives: leaving it constantly powered on by AC outlet (via a USB charger / power supply and a relevant USB cable) or turning the device on and off every day, using a switchable power strip which the USB charger is connected to?
Even though modern electronic devices have many safeguards against adverse conditions and their reliability is generally quite high, my concern, which prompted this question, is related to potential adverse effects of inrush current on device longevity - after reading this post.
I realize that, since the router is powered by USB charger, most or all of the in rush current effects interact with USB charger and not the router itself. However, that depends on how well the USB charger is designed to withstand in rush current and not pass any "secondary" inrush current across the USB channel. Just my quick thoughts on this ...
To clarify, my typical short-term usage scenario for the router would be to use it from several hours per day to more than 10-12 hours per day (depending on circumstances).
The secondary question I have is about an LCD indicator on the same router device. Under normal conditions, it blinks once about every five seconds. There is a way to turn it off in the device configuration, but I'd prefer to leave it on for "situational awareness" at a glance. Thus, my question is how do constant on/off cycles every five seconds or so affect LED indicator's longevity?
Thank you very much in advance and happy holidays!
power usb
asked Dec 27 '18 at 3:15
Aleksandr BlekhAleksandr Blekh
10828
Recently I have purchased a mobile hotspot router for my home office. Since I plan to use it as stationary device most of the time (except for when traveling), I decided to remove its battery after having it fully charged initially and power the device by AC outlet (many people on Netgear forum have also confirmed doing the same with success).
My main question is the following. What is better for the device from its safety and longevity perspectives: leaving it constantly powered on by AC outlet (via a USB charger / power supply and a relevant USB cable) or turning the device on and off every day, using a switchable power strip which the USB charger is connected to?
Even though modern electronic devices have many safeguards against adverse conditions and their reliability is generally quite high, my concern, which prompted this question, is related to potential adverse effects of inrush current on device longevity - after reading this post.
I realize that, since the router is powered by USB charger, most or all of the in rush current effects interact with USB charger and not the router itself. However, that depends on how well the USB charger is designed to withstand in rush current and not pass any "secondary" inrush current across the USB channel. Just my quick thoughts on this ...
To clarify, my typical short-term usage scenario for the router would be to use it from several hours per day to more than 10-12 hours per day (depending on circumstances).
The secondary question I have is about an LCD indicator on the same router device. Under normal conditions, it blinks once about every five seconds. There is a way to turn it off in the device configuration, but I'd prefer to leave it on for "situational awareness" at a glance. Thus, my question is how do constant on/off cycles every five seconds or so affect LED indicator's longevity?
Thank you very much in advance and happy holidays!
power usb
power usb
asked Dec 27 '18 at 3:15
Aleksandr BlekhAleksandr Blekh
10828
asked Dec 27 '18 at 3:15
Aleksandr BlekhAleksandr Blekh
10828
asked Dec 27 '18 at 3:15
Aleksandr BlekhAleksandr Blekh
10828
asked Dec 27 '18 at 3:15
Aleksandr BlekhAleksandr Blekh
10828
asked Dec 27 '18 at 3:15
Aleksandr BlekhAleksandr Blekh
10828
10828
migration rejected from electronics.stackexchange.com Dec 27 '18 at 20:52
This question came from our site for electronics and electrical engineering professionals, students, and enthusiasts. Votes, comments, and answers are locked due to the question being closed here, but it may be eligible for editing and reopening on the site where it originated.
closed as primarily opinion-based by DavidPostill♦ Dec 27 '18 at 20:52
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
migration rejected from electronics.stackexchange.com Dec 27 '18 at 20:52
This question came from our site for electronics and electrical engineering professionals, students, and enthusiasts. Votes, comments, and answers are locked due to the question being closed here, but it may be eligible for editing and reopening on the site where it originated.
closed as primarily opinion-based by DavidPostill♦ Dec 27 '18 at 20:52
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
This is unanswerable without details of the particular design, the general reason for which all questions on the usage (vs design) of consumer products are off topic here
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:31
@ChrisStratton Sorry, I was unaware of such restrictions within this particular SE site. Would you recommend a more suitable SE site to ask my question? I can try to find it as well (I'm not new to SE). Either way, I hope that my question could be migrated there. Please advise.
– Aleksandr Blekh
Dec 27 '18 at 3:37
I doubt there is a suitable place - only the manufacturer of your particular device would be in a position to know, and they may not actually care to (even if you hand't admitted to modifying it, but obviously now that you have). Someone else would have to take it apart and do an in-depth analysis of all the possible factors to give you a meaningful answer.
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:38
@ChrisStratton Hmm, this is strange ... IMO, my question is not too specific to pertain to a particular design (or device, or model, for that matter) and not too general to be opinion-based. I would classify it as belonging to an imaginary category of "safety / reliability effects of specific EE usage patterns". I would assume that people with even average expertise in EE would be able to provide some valuable / actionable advice. In any case, please do not close this question for a bit - I will try to find a better suitable SE site and ask for a migration.
– Aleksandr Blekh
Dec 27 '18 at 3:46
On the contrary, it's quite obviously too broad to belong anywhere, in addition to being too lacking in design detail to belong here - you have things like heat driven aging and power consumption pointing towards turning it off, and things like thermal cycling and filesystem state pointing towards leaving it on. Without know how well the design addressed each concern (and those are only the ones I could think of quickly) or how you have installed it, the balance of factors is completely unweighable.
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:49
comments disabled on deleted / locked posts / reviews |
show 1 more comment
This is unanswerable without details of the particular design, the general reason for which all questions on the usage (vs design) of consumer products are off topic here
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:31
@ChrisStratton Sorry, I was unaware of such restrictions within this particular SE site. Would you recommend a more suitable SE site to ask my question? I can try to find it as well (I'm not new to SE). Either way, I hope that my question could be migrated there. Please advise.
– Aleksandr Blekh
Dec 27 '18 at 3:37
I doubt there is a suitable place - only the manufacturer of your particular device would be in a position to know, and they may not actually care to (even if you hand't admitted to modifying it, but obviously now that you have). Someone else would have to take it apart and do an in-depth analysis of all the possible factors to give you a meaningful answer.
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:38
@ChrisStratton Hmm, this is strange ... IMO, my question is not too specific to pertain to a particular design (or device, or model, for that matter) and not too general to be opinion-based. I would classify it as belonging to an imaginary category of "safety / reliability effects of specific EE usage patterns". I would assume that people with even average expertise in EE would be able to provide some valuable / actionable advice. In any case, please do not close this question for a bit - I will try to find a better suitable SE site and ask for a migration.
– Aleksandr Blekh
Dec 27 '18 at 3:46
On the contrary, it's quite obviously too broad to belong anywhere, in addition to being too lacking in design detail to belong here - you have things like heat driven aging and power consumption pointing towards turning it off, and things like thermal cycling and filesystem state pointing towards leaving it on. Without know how well the design addressed each concern (and those are only the ones I could think of quickly) or how you have installed it, the balance of factors is completely unweighable.
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:49
This is unanswerable without details of the particular design, the general reason for which all questions on the usage (vs design) of consumer products are off topic here
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:31
This is unanswerable without details of the particular design, the general reason for which all questions on the usage (vs design) of consumer products are off topic here
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:31
@ChrisStratton Sorry, I was unaware of such restrictions within this particular SE site. Would you recommend a more suitable SE site to ask my question? I can try to find it as well (I'm not new to SE). Either way, I hope that my question could be migrated there. Please advise.
– Aleksandr Blekh
Dec 27 '18 at 3:37
@ChrisStratton Sorry, I was unaware of such restrictions within this particular SE site. Would you recommend a more suitable SE site to ask my question? I can try to find it as well (I'm not new to SE). Either way, I hope that my question could be migrated there. Please advise.
– Aleksandr Blekh
Dec 27 '18 at 3:37
I doubt there is a suitable place - only the manufacturer of your particular device would be in a position to know, and they may not actually care to (even if you hand't admitted to modifying it, but obviously now that you have). Someone else would have to take it apart and do an in-depth analysis of all the possible factors to give you a meaningful answer.
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:38
I doubt there is a suitable place - only the manufacturer of your particular device would be in a position to know, and they may not actually care to (even if you hand't admitted to modifying it, but obviously now that you have). Someone else would have to take it apart and do an in-depth analysis of all the possible factors to give you a meaningful answer.
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:38
@ChrisStratton Hmm, this is strange ... IMO, my question is not too specific to pertain to a particular design (or device, or model, for that matter) and not too general to be opinion-based. I would classify it as belonging to an imaginary category of "safety / reliability effects of specific EE usage patterns". I would assume that people with even average expertise in EE would be able to provide some valuable / actionable advice. In any case, please do not close this question for a bit - I will try to find a better suitable SE site and ask for a migration.
– Aleksandr Blekh
Dec 27 '18 at 3:46
@ChrisStratton Hmm, this is strange ... IMO, my question is not too specific to pertain to a particular design (or device, or model, for that matter) and not too general to be opinion-based. I would classify it as belonging to an imaginary category of "safety / reliability effects of specific EE usage patterns". I would assume that people with even average expertise in EE would be able to provide some valuable / actionable advice. In any case, please do not close this question for a bit - I will try to find a better suitable SE site and ask for a migration.
– Aleksandr Blekh
Dec 27 '18 at 3:46
On the contrary, it's quite obviously too broad to belong anywhere, in addition to being too lacking in design detail to belong here - you have things like heat driven aging and power consumption pointing towards turning it off, and things like thermal cycling and filesystem state pointing towards leaving it on. Without know how well the design addressed each concern (and those are only the ones I could think of quickly) or how you have installed it, the balance of factors is completely unweighable.
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:49
On the contrary, it's quite obviously too broad to belong anywhere, in addition to being too lacking in design detail to belong here - you have things like heat driven aging and power consumption pointing towards turning it off, and things like thermal cycling and filesystem state pointing towards leaving it on. Without know how well the design addressed each concern (and those are only the ones I could think of quickly) or how you have installed it, the balance of factors is completely unweighable.
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:49
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This is unanswerable without details of the particular design, the general reason for which all questions on the usage (vs design) of consumer products are off topic here
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:31
@ChrisStratton Sorry, I was unaware of such restrictions within this particular SE site. Would you recommend a more suitable SE site to ask my question? I can try to find it as well (I'm not new to SE). Either way, I hope that my question could be migrated there. Please advise.
– Aleksandr Blekh
Dec 27 '18 at 3:37
I doubt there is a suitable place - only the manufacturer of your particular device would be in a position to know, and they may not actually care to (even if you hand't admitted to modifying it, but obviously now that you have). Someone else would have to take it apart and do an in-depth analysis of all the possible factors to give you a meaningful answer.
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:38
@ChrisStratton Hmm, this is strange ... IMO, my question is not too specific to pertain to a particular design (or device, or model, for that matter) and not too general to be opinion-based. I would classify it as belonging to an imaginary category of "safety / reliability effects of specific EE usage patterns". I would assume that people with even average expertise in EE would be able to provide some valuable / actionable advice. In any case, please do not close this question for a bit - I will try to find a better suitable SE site and ask for a migration.
– Aleksandr Blekh
Dec 27 '18 at 3:46
On the contrary, it's quite obviously too broad to belong anywhere, in addition to being too lacking in design detail to belong here - you have things like heat driven aging and power consumption pointing towards turning it off, and things like thermal cycling and filesystem state pointing towards leaving it on. Without know how well the design addressed each concern (and those are only the ones I could think of quickly) or how you have installed it, the balance of factors is completely unweighable.
– Chris Stratton
Dec 27 '18 at 3:49