I am looking for a solution to provide internet connectivity to my iot device through a router which would not be affected by power failures (of no more than 3 hours).

The options that I can see are the following:

  • use a standard UPS and plug the router wire on it.
  • use a 12v mini ups (which could replace or intercept the router's wire)
  • use a portable router (always connected to the power supply)

My question is: would the 3rd solution destroy the router's battery after some months? I hope that there exist some routers that can protect their battery from prolonged plugging to a socket. But I don't know how to search this feature.

  • 1
    your best be is to contact the manufacturer with that question – jsotola Feb 11 '19 at 20:05
  • Portable routers with Lithium batteries get bulged after months of it being continuously powered. Its is a fire safety hazard. – SudhirR Feb 19 '19 at 12:55

It probably won't do the battery much good as Lithium Ion batteries actually prefer to only be charged between 80% and 20% for the majority of the time to last the longest.

If you need a permanently powered 4G hotspot then it might be worth looking for 4G home broadband providers. e.g. EE in the UK do a plan that comes with a 4G devices designed to be plugged into the wall all the time without a battery. You could run this on a standard UPS and as they tend to use Lead Acid batteries which are better suited to being held at full charge and I expect the power draw from one of these devices to be pretty low so should last a long time.

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