I've experience in using LTE modems connected to various antennas, routers, and mesh networks; however, I've never done so with a hotspot that has only a USB connection.
Is it reasonable to assume to I can connect a hotspot with only a USB port to a WiFi router using something like this:
[Hot Spot] -> [USB-to-Ethernet] ==> [Router] -< [Signal] Furthermore, does anyone have experience with something like this with which they could share their results?
31 Answer
USB has a strict host/peripheral topology: this means that two hosts or two peripherals connected together will be unable to communicate. (Contrast this with IEEE 1394/FireWire, where all nodes on the network are equal and can communicate between each other at any time.)
Both the LTE modem and USB-to-Ethernet bridges are most likely peripheral devices; they expect to be connected to a host. For this reason, using electrical adapters to connect the two together won't work. (Moreover, the LTE modem would need drivers for the USB-to-Ethernet bridge.)
If your router has a USB port, it may support connecting to the LTE modem directly, if not with its stock firmware then with a number of open firmwares if they're available for your brand of router (e.g. OpenWRT, DD-WRT).
While the topology you suggested is possible, it would require an intermediate host to act as a bridge (i.e. to command the LTE modem and bridge that interface with an Ethernet interface) in place of a simple USB-to-Ethernet adapter.
