A network port expansion device for a mini router

Abstract

The utility model discloses a network port expansion device of mini router, including device body, the lower extreme of device body is provided with network port and power management interface, and network port includes a WAN input port and a plurality of LAN output ports, network port is connected with built -in circuit board no.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of communication network technology, and in particular to a network port expansion device for a mini router. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing number of network devices in homes and small offices, such as NAS storage servers, network printers, IPTV set-top boxes, and multiple computers, users' demand for multi-port wired network connections is growing stronger. However, most mini wireless routers on the market only integrate one Ethernet port, severely limiting their network expansion capabilities. Users typically need to connect external switches to meet their connectivity needs, which not only increases the complexity and cost of device cabling but also affects the overall aesthetics and desktop tidiness. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a compact, aesthetically pleasing, practical expansion module solution with good compatibility and high bandwidth capabilities.

[0003] Mini wireless routers offer several network port expansion technologies, including: Client mode, which uses the mini router as a wireless network card, allowing wired devices to access the network wirelessly; Access Point mode (AP), which converts the wired network into a wireless signal, providing a wireless hotspot function, essentially acting as a "wireless switch"; and Repeater mode, which extends network coverage by relaying wireless signals, automatically switching channels to match the main router without requiring fixed configuration. A typical application is the repeater mode setting of the TP-Link mini router, which can improve signal strength from -70dBm to -30dBm, covering an apartment of approximately 95 square meters. USB interface conversion expands communication interfaces through USB-HUB and USB-ETH chips, saving space on external switches. A typical implementation is the patented technology of TISCO Schaeffler Rail Transit Technology, which uses a combination of ARM chips, USB-HUB chips, and USB-ETH chips.

[0004] Common technical solutions currently available on the market include: 1) Standalone switch devices, which, while supporting multiple LAN port expansion, are typically bulky, lack structural integration, cannot achieve a unified appearance with mini routers, and are unsuitable for compact installation scenarios such as wall mounting. 2) USB to RJ45 expansion modules, which rely on USB interfaces for network expansion, suffer from bandwidth bottlenecks (most are USB 2.0 interfaces, limited to a 480Mbps transmission rate), require additional driver installation, and have limited compatibility. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a network port expansion device for a mini router. The device has a compact design, enhances the wired network expansion capability of the mini router, and eliminates the need for an external switch. It supports gigabit data transmission and meets the bandwidth requirements of concurrent access by multiple devices.

[0006] The purpose of this utility model is achieved as follows: A network port expansion device for a mini router includes a device body. The lower end of the device body is provided with a network port and a power management interface. The network port includes a WAN input port and multiple LAN output ports. The network port is connected to a first built-in circuit board, which has a network switching chip. The upper end of the device body is provided with a connector for plugging into a router interface. The connector is connected to a second built-in circuit board, and the first and second circuit boards are connected by a flexible connector. The device body is provided with a slot structure for fitting and engaging with a router.

[0007] When in operation, this device intelligently distributes received WAN data through a built-in gigabit unmanaged Ethernet switching chip. This switching chip supports automatic identification of the MAC addresses of connected terminal devices, enabling automatic learning and data forwarding without manual configuration by the user. Once the WAN port is connected to the main network, the network switching chip intelligently distributes data to the three LAN ports according to the communication requests of the connected terminals, enabling high-speed concurrent communication among multiple devices. LED indicators display the network connection and data transmission status in real time, enhancing the user's visual management capabilities. The device itself and the mini router are connected via a card slot, forming a structurally integrated design that effectively reduces wiring and installation difficulty, making it suitable for desktop or embedded networking environments.

[0008] Compared with the prior art, the present invention adopts the above technical solution and has the following advantages: The present invention has a built-in network switching chip and network port, realizing the expansion from a single network port to a multi-port (1 WAN + 3 LAN) structure, supporting gigabit data transmission, meeting the bandwidth requirements of concurrent access of multiple devices, improving the wired network expansion capability of the mini router, and eliminating the need for an external switch; the installation method is flexible, it can be placed on a desktop or fixed in the wall, suitable for a variety of scenarios, and has a complete power supply protection mechanism to improve the stability and security of the device.

[0009] Furthermore, a housing is provided on the outer side of the device body, and the housing is a one-piece shell made of ABS plastic; a rear cover plate is provided on the rear side of the housing, and the rear cover plate is connected to the housing by bolts.

[0010] To ensure adequate heat dissipation and facilitate wall mounting, the rear cover is equipped with embedded clips.

[0011] To support plug-and-play connectivity for the router, the connectors include a DC power supply interface connector and an RJ45 interface connector.

[0012] To facilitate observation of the network port connection status, each network port is equipped with an LED status indicator light above it to display the network port connection status and data transmission status.

[0013] Furthermore, all of the network ports use RJ45 interfaces.

[0014] To enable DC power input for the device, the power management interface is a composite power supply interface consisting of a Type-C to DC round port.

[0015] Furthermore, the flexible connector is an FFC flexible connector or an FPC flexible connector.

[0016] In order to automatically identify the port speed and forward data, the network switching chip adopts the SW8328M Ethernet switching chip. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the utility model.

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the rear cover plate of this utility model.

[0019] Figure 3 Bottom view of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 This utility model is illustrated in the assembly diagram of a router.

[0022] The components include: 1. Device body, 1-1. Housing, 2. Power management interface, 3. Network port, 4. Circuit board one, 5. Circuit board two, 6. DC power supply interface connector, 7. RJ45 interface connector, 8. Flexible connector, 9. Rear cover, 10. Embedded buckle, 11. Bolt, and 12. Router. Detailed Implementation

[0023] like Figure 1The diagram illustrates a mini router's network port expansion device, comprising a device body 1. The lower end of the device body 1 has a network port 3 and a power management interface 2. The power management interface 2 is a composite power supply interface combining a Type-C to DC round-hole connector; it uses 9V / 1.6A DC power supply, supports Type-C to DC 3.5x1.35mm interface input, is compatible with PD protocol power banks, and has overvoltage and overcurrent protection circuits; the DC 3.5×1.35mm round-hole connector is a DC power female socket with an outer diameter of 3.5mm and an inner diameter of 1.35mm, and the Type-C female input is compatible with USB via an adapter. Powered by a PD protocol power bank, supporting 9V / 1.6A output; the device body 1 has a built-in PD protocol chip, in this embodiment using an ECP5701 chip to achieve intelligent voltage negotiation, dynamically matching 5V / 9V / 12V / 15V / 20V input, and completing power negotiation and status monitoring through the VBUS and CC pins of the Type-C interface; automatically negotiates 9V output through the Type-C interface, and the built-in GATE pin can directly turn off the MOSFET to achieve overvoltage protection, supporting 1.6A current limiting, and voltage division through the TP pin. The system features a resistance setting for protection thresholds; Overvoltage protection (OVP): using the FPF2895C programmable OVP chip, a trigger threshold of 9V±10% can be set, with a response time of <1μs; a parallel Zener diode (such as BZX84C9V1) is used to achieve 9.1V clamping protection; Overcurrent protection (OCP) uses the SC9712A synchronous buck controller with built-in cycle-by-cycle current limiting function, supporting 1.6A / 9V output protection. The sampling resistor + comparator constitute hard protection: when the current exceeds 1.8A, the thyristor is triggered to shut down the output.

[0024] Network port 3 includes one WAN input port and three LAN output ports, all of which use RJ45 interfaces. Network port 3 is connected to the built-in circuit board 4, which is equipped with a network switching chip. The network switching chip is an SW8328M Ethernet switching chip. The SW8328M Ethernet switching chip supports the IEEE 802.3 / 802.3u / 802.3ab protocol, automatically identifies the port speed, and forwards data. The upper end of the device body 1 is equipped with connectors for connecting to the router 12 interface. The connectors include a DC power supply interface connector 6 and an RJ45 interface connector 7. The connector is connected to the built-in circuit board 2 5. Circuit board 1 4 and circuit board 2 5 are connected by a flexible connector 8, which is an FFC flexible connector or an FPC flexible connector. The device body 1 is provided with a slot structure that fits and mates with the router 12. The outer side of the device body 1 is provided with a housing 1-1, which is a one-piece shell made of ABS plastic. A rear cover 9 is provided on the rear side of the housing 1-1. The rear cover 9 is connected to the housing 1-1 by bolts 11. An embedded buckle 10 is provided on the rear cover 9. An LED status indicator is provided above each network port 3 to display the connection status and data transmission status of the network port 3.

[0025] When in operation, this device intelligently distributes received WAN data through a built-in gigabit unmanaged Ethernet switching chip. This switching chip supports automatic identification of the MAC addresses of connected terminal devices, enabling automatic learning and data forwarding without manual configuration by the user. Once the WAN port is connected to the main network, the network switching chip intelligently distributes data to the three LAN ports according to the communication requests of the connected terminals, enabling high-speed concurrent communication among multiple devices. The device is powered by a 9V DC input, supports PD protocol conversion, and has built-in voltage regulation and overload protection circuits to ensure stable operation. LED indicators display the network connection and data transmission status in real time, enhancing the user's visual management capabilities. The device body 1 and the mini router are connected via a card slot, forming an integrated structural design that effectively reduces wiring and installation difficulty, making it suitable for desktop or embedded networking environments.

[0026] This utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. Based on the technical solutions disclosed in this utility model, those skilled in the art can make some substitutions and modifications to some of the technical features without creative labor, and these substitutions and modifications are all within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A network port expansion device for a mini router, comprising a device body, characterized in that, The lower end of the device body is provided with a network port and a power management interface. The network port includes a WAN input port and multiple LAN output ports. The network port is connected to an internal circuit board one, on which a network switching chip is installed. The upper end of the device body is provided with a connector for plugging into a router interface. The connector is connected to an internal circuit board two, and the two circuit boards are connected by a flexible connector. The device body is provided with a slot structure for fitting and docking with a router.

2. The network port expansion device for a mini router according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer side of the device body is provided with a housing, which is a one-piece shell made of ABS plastic; a rear cover plate is provided on the rear side of the housing, and the rear cover plate is connected to the housing by bolts.

3. The network port expansion device for a mini router according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rear cover plate is provided with an embedded buckle.

4. The network port expansion device for a mini router according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connectors include a DC power supply interface connector and an RJ45 interface connector.

5. The network port expansion device for a mini router according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each network port is equipped with an LED status indicator above it to display the network port connection status and data transmission status.

6. The network port expansion device for a mini router according to claim 1, characterized in that, All network ports use RJ45 interfaces.

7. The network port expansion device for a mini router according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power management interface is a composite power supply interface that is a Type-C to DC round hole interface.

8. The network port expansion device for a mini router according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible connector is either an FFC flexible connector or an FPC flexible connector.

9. The network port expansion device for a mini router according to claim 1, characterized in that, The network switching chip is the SW8328M Ethernet switching chip.

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