I have had no success with little USB-A to USB-C adapters and two old USB CD/DVD drives on my M2 MacBook Air or a brother's M3(?) Air: they just sit making a little chunk sound and flashing the LED.

It's weird because the drives work fine when connected through an old Satechi multi-port adapter or a UGREEN multi-port adaptor; neither have separate power. (My brother tried a different multi-port adapter which did not work.) And the small fob adapters work with a 2016 Pro and an M4 mini.