Saturday, January 06, 2018

DIY Router UPS for Under $2 with a Battery Bank

A low-cost uninterruptible power supply for your broadband Wi-Fi router using a USB battery bank and a 5 V to 12 V DC boost cable (~1 EUR from AliExpress). Keeps your router running through short power outages so you don't lose calls or downloads while the backup generator kicks in.

The boost cable

A USB 5 V to DC 12 V step-up cable with a 2.1 × 5.5 mm barrel connector — sold for about 1 EUR including shipping.

USB 5V to 12V DC boost cable

USB 5 V to 12 V boost cable — the black housing contains an MT3068 converter PCB.

MT3068 boost converter PCB inside the cable housing

Inside the housing — MT3068-based boost converter.

This cable provides up to ~8 W output, which is enough for a standard broadband router. If your router draws more than 8 W, look for a higher-capacity boost cable.

Setup

Connect a 5 V DC adapter to the battery bank's charging port. The battery bank's USB output feeds the boost cable, which powers the router at 12 V.

Complete UPS setup — adapter, battery bank, boost cable, and router

Complete setup — 5 V adapter charges the battery bank, which powers the router through the boost cable.

Backup duration depends on the battery bank capacity. A smaller battery handles short outages (a few minutes while a generator starts); a larger one extends runtime for longer outages.

5 comments:

VARKEY said...

Hi Albert,

This is an excellent idea. Could you please give the approx batter backup you are getting and the type of power bank you are using?

Thanks,
Vivek

rushi said...

HI Albert,

thanks for sharing an wonderful idea, can you please also share from where we can get usb 5v to 12v dc step up converter cable

ADAV said...

u can get it on aliexpress

Unknown said...

Wonderful Idea - Can I extend this solution for more than one device, in my case I need to provide power backup for two devices ( 12V 0.5 A - Wireless router and 12V 1.5A - Fiber Optic Modem )?

ankur said...

Does this impact router's life in anyways ?