I’ve got a Slate and a phone tethered via USB for cell data connections. Trouble is the Slate really doesn’t provide enough power to keep the phone charged. I’ve worked around this by using a Qi wireless charge cradle for the phone. But I’d like to find a single-connection solution into the phone.
Is it possible to use a powered hub in this mix?
Or has anyone found a working USB splitter that’d pass the USB connection for tethering while allowing use of a second USB source to power the phone?
A USB 3.0 Y splitter cable works on my GL-AR750S Slate for both tethering and charging. They are available on Amazon.
A powered hub did not work for me.
I do not work for and I am not directly associated with GL.iNet
I think the problem is the USB port on the Slate does not pass sufficient voltage for a tethered phone to maintain a charge. I did some checking using two USB volt meters. One from Klein on the input to the Slate: USB Digital Meter, USB-A and USB-C - ET920 | Klein Tools - For Professionals since 1857
Then another in-line between the Slate and a Samsung S8 phone being used for cell data tethering via USB. This one passes both voltage AND allows tethering: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DCSNHNB
This one, unfortunately does NOT allow tethering (so don’t get it): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JYVPLLJ/
My discovery was that the Slate does not pass the full voltage to the USB port. It varied a bit, but even with between 5.04 to 5.17 vdc into the Slate, the USB output was only between 4.5 and 4.6 vdc with the phone tethered (at .155 amps). I think this lower voltage prevents the phone from charging itself effectively. Thus the battery runs down while it’s tethering and eventually the phone dies.
I also have a B1300 and that does a better job of passing voltage. From it’s 12vdc wall adapter it would pass 5.03 vdc without a load, and 4.88 with a .85A load (the phone tethered and at a 5% charge).
I did not try it with other phones. I’ve previously used a Google Pixel for this, but that had other problems with being unable to be defaulted to keeping the tethered state active.
I don’t know if this means my Slate is ‘defective’ or if the design of the voltage regulator in it isn’t up to the task of keeping an actively tethered S8 phone charged.
Wondering if you found a solution to this?
Don’t reply a 3-year old post. Create a new one.
3 year? looks like it is only 2 months old.
Don’t insult members, please. I wouldn’t think this would have to be said.
I started the thread back in July of this year. I did not find an effective solution using a splitter.
However, I did note that the Slate seems to lose enough voltage that it was helpful to use a different source to power it. I haven’t found a good long-term solution, but a quick-fix was to use an industrial USB hub to power it. Sort of overkill, but it’s something I already had on-hand.
I use this to take the onboard 12vdc (which can range from 11.9 to 14.1 since it’s an engine-driven setup in a boat). The hub accepts 7-48vdc and regulates it to provide USB power. I power two other USB devices through this, in addition to the Slate. Using this seems to give the Slate enough power to pass to the S8. I don’t recall the specific voltages (notes are… somewhere…) but the difference of .3 to .4 volts lost between the input to the Slate and output to the S8 was enough to keep the S8 from maintaining a charge. I used this to debug some of the voltages:
Another angle on this was to use a wireless Qi charging cradle. That worked as a temporary fix, but was less than ideal since the Slate still needed to be connected via USB.
My longer-term solution is probably going to be using something more robust like a Pepwave.
Sorry my bad. Made date wrong.
