Power usage of various router and modem combinations

[xdavidx]

As part of another thread, a discussion started about power usage of various routers and modems. That discussion starts here: https://wirelessjoint.com/viewtopic.php?f=15 ... 2647#p2641

I'll continue the discussion with this new topic:

I caved and bought one of those DC meters and some barrel connector pigtails. It won't be applicable to your Pi situation (@swwifty) and POE, directly, but I should be able to show:

- WE1326 idle power usage
- WE1326 + EM7565 idle power usage
- WE1326 LAN side data transfer power usage
- WE1326 + EM7565 3CA and 2CA download power usage at various Tx power levels
- WE1326 + EM7565 upload power usage

I'll be able to show the last 3 of those through ethernet and wifi.

Additionally, I'll be able to show:

- Voltage drop with a DC extension cables of various lengths and how much/if the router adjusts the current to compensate.
- If I increase the length of the DC cable enough, I should be able to find a point where the AC/DC adapter can't satisfy the additional current draw (assuming the power supply in the router does try to compensate) and this might cause the low power disconnect/reboot issue. This should give us some thresholds.

If a router has a bunch of routing filters configured, or is doing VPN processing, or has a lot of clients concurrently transferring data, then that's going to consume more power too. I don't think I'll go to that extent of testing. Mine will be for the use case of the router just acting as an LTE WAN source pass through device, which is how I'll eventually have it set up.

Anyone, feel free to comment and/or post your measurements and experiences of power usage of your equipment here.

[swwifty]

I'm probably going to get one of those AC measuring devices, as I need one anyways. I'll take some measurements of the PI with a few modems and see what happens.

[xdavidx]

My DC extension cable arrived in record time -- under 22 hours from when it shipped!

My router is currently on the roof, with the AC/DC adapter plugged into an AC extension cord. I put the DC extension cord in place and went back inside to test on an ethernet connected laptop. It worked fine for a bit and then got slow. I checked the temp and saw that was getting kind of high, yet was under the limit. I restarted the modem and speeds went back to normal. Got slow again and I checked in time to see it was over the temp limit.

The router is inside a white garbage bag, down toward the open end, to protect it from rain, but sitting on the roof currently. It is very sunny out. I wasn't sure if it was the weather and its location or if it was low voltage causing it to draw more current and heating it up.

I took out the extension cable and went back to just AC/DC adapter and cord. The same thing happened again with running back to back tests. It is just the weather conditions. A heat sink on the modem would probably also help.

So, the quick and dirty test results are that the WE1326 + EM7565 works with its normal AC/DC adapter and cord + a 10 foot, 18 gauge, supposedly real copper, stranded, extension cord. I was only getting 2CA at the time and 40-50 Mbps max download, on weak connections, due to how I have things aimed currently. Tx power was up in the mid 20s.

There has to be some voltage drop with that extension cord, but it handled it fine in the little bit of testing I did. The temperature issue was a red herring.

I'll update with more test results when I get my DC meter.

This is the cord I'm using: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LF ... UTF8&psc=1

[swwifty]

The router is inside a white garbage bag, down toward the open end, to protect it from rain, but sitting on the roof currently. It is very sunny out. I wasn't sure if it was the weather and its location or if it was low voltage causing it to draw more current and heating it up.

Wait, what? In a garbage bag on the roof?

Time to get yourself a nema enclosure bro

Regardless that is a new record for delivery for sure!

[xdavidx]

Wait, what? In a garbage bag on the roof?

Time to get yourself a nema enclosure bro

HA! I have 2 of them! It was hanging from the mast, inside that bag, so there was enough air flow and it wasn't being heated by the shingles. My mast is lying down now, so it isn't....um..optimal.

I have an incremental process going on here. Very, very incremental.

Regardless that is a new record for delivery for sure!

As much as I grumble when Amazon Prime delivery takes longer than 2 days (shouldn't be called Prime if isn't 2 days), you have to admit that we live in an amazing time. You can think about wanting something unusual, research and order it, and have it in your hands in under a week from some far away place. I don't know how the settlers managed to wait for weeks, for horse deliveries, to test their RF electronics.

[swwifty]

HA! I have 2 of them! It was hanging from the mast, inside that bag, so there was enough air flow and it wasn't being heated by the shingles. My mast is lying down now, so it isn't....um..optimal.

I have an incremental process going on here. Very, very incremental.


As much as I grumble when Amazon Prime delivery takes longer than 2 days (shouldn't be called Prime if isn't 2 days), you have to admit that we live in an amazing time. You can think about wanting something unusual, research and order it, and have it in your hands in under a week from some far away place. I don't know how the settlers managed to wait for weeks, for horse deliveries, to test their RF electronics.

haha yeah, time to get on with it already

It is pretty amazing the times we live in. Hard to believe the early settlers preferred horse delivery over amazon prime

[xdavidx]

haha yeah, time to get on with it already

I've had all sorts of things break in the past month (cars and computers), so I've got too may projects going on concurrently. Unfortunately, the LTE router is lower in priority right now.