Powering EM20-G in adapter enclosure

[LTEFix0404]

I plan to use the EM20-G in that M.2 NGFF to USB 3.0 adapter and power it with a single USB cable coming from a WG3526 router and that router's upgraded power supply. Will this be enough power, or do I need to send power to the aux power port, too?

Ideally, I'd like to run only 1 USB cable from the modem to the router. If needed, how would I properly add sufficient power to the aux port? Doesn't USB support only up to 0.9A power? Even if I used a Y cable, wouldn't I still be limited by either 1) only an additional 0.9A from USB or 2) only the max power output of the router? If I used a second, standalone USB cable for the aux power, what voltage/amps would I need for the power supply? I have very little knowledge about circuits, and I'm sure it shows.

Also, are there any known performance issues with connecting an EM20-G to a router via that USB adapter vs. directly on a router's PCB (e.g. WG3526's)?

[BillA]

Why not just install the modem into the router? It would be much simpler, unless you want to install the modem/enclosure at a remote location (you didn't specify). In that case you would need to plug a USB3 hub into the router with a minimum 2amp power adapter for the hub, then plug then modem/enclosure into the hub which will supply enough power to the modem/enclosure. By the way, a USB2 hub is unable to supply enough power, that's why you need a USB3 hub.

[LTEFix0404]

Yes the modem/enclosure will be in a remote location, 10 ft above a steep roof, and I’d like to have easy access to the router. The alternative would be running 4x 15 ft of coax to get the modem indoors, but that seems like too much signal loss to me.

I saw recommendations for USB hubs in search, but the concept didn’t make sense to me at first. I didn’t understand how that could supply additional power, but I didn’t consider one that could have its own power input. Thanks for the clarification.

Would a Y cable + USB 2.0 type A to USB 2.0 micro cable also work? Like this cable and this cable. If the USB 3.0 micro-b is plugged into the enclosure, the USB 2.0 type A would be at the other end of that Y cable, which seems kinda funny to also plug in to the enclosure, leaving the USB 3.0 type A to go to the router with an extension cable.

[BillA]

Yes the modem/enclosure will be in a remote location, 10 ft above a steep roof, and I’d like to have easy access to the router. The alternative would be running 4x 15 ft of coax to get the modem indoors, but that seems like too much signal loss to me.

I saw recommendations for USB hubs in search, but the concept didn’t make sense to me at first. I didn’t understand how that could supply additional power, but I didn’t consider one that could have its own power input. Thanks for the clarification.

Would a Y cable + USB 2.0 type A to USB 2.0 micro cable also work? Like this cable and this cable. If the USB 3.0 micro-b is plugged into the enclosure, the USB 2.0 type A would be at the other end of that Y cable, which seems kinda funny to also plug in to the enclosure, leaving the USB 3.0 type A to go to the router with an extension cable.

The USB2 power lead of the Y cable shouldn't matter, but the main extension cable should be a USB3 in order to be able to carry the extra power and higher speeds for the modem. I posted in another thread about a USB3 extension cable which should work fine, that's what I use. You can also daisy chain multiple extension cables as long as you don't exceed 300 feet (about 100 meters), otherwise you would need a dedicated power adapter for the modem/enclosure. I wouldn't mix USB2 with USB3 cables (except for the power lead).