Machines that go Bing!: MiFi router brings wireless internet connections to your WiFi-only devices

MiFi router brings wireless internet connections to your WiFi-only devices

Posted: 09 Oct 2009 06:33 AM PDT

3’s mobile WiFi product (a re-badged Huawei E5830) provides a mobile internet connection (either 3G or HSDPA) to any device with a WiFi interface and a browser. This means you can browse the internet from your iPod Touch while on the move or even from a Sony PSP or Nintendo DSi.

MiFi explained

So what is MiFi? MiFi or Mobile WiFi is the connection of WiFi-enabled devices to a mobile phone data internet connection.

Mobile internet connections have historically involved fitting your laptop with a dongle supplied my your mobile provider so that internet data was routed through the mobile data network. 3’s device is a little different though. It is a MiFi router and it creates a mobile WiFi hotspot. And, since it’s battery operated you can carry that hotspot around with you anywhere there’s a mobile signal. It also means that you can hook up a large number of devices instead of just having it just plugged into one machine.

What’s in the box

The MiFi router arrives in a small box containing:

Card containing SSID and password
SIM and phone number details
Stack of cards giving usage instructions
Power cord
USB peripheral cable
MiFi Router
Miscellaneous ’small print’ documentation

Setting up a mobile WiFi hotspot

The first thing you’re going to have to do is fit the supplied SIM and battery and charge up the router for twelve hours. Once this is done press the power button for two seconds.

The small screen comes to life with a number of esoteric symbols most of which have to be looked up in the accompanying instruction cards to make sense. Annoyingly, these lights go out after a couple of seconds so you have to keep touching the power button to see the status of the device.

You can now use a WiFi device to log in to the WiFi hotspot created by the router.

Incidentally, I found that although the password provided contained spaces you must omit these when typing the password or the login will fail.

But you’re not done yet. Now you must press the connect button on the side of the router to connect to the mobile network. Once done you should have access to wireless internet in ways you never could before.

To change the router’s configuration you have to plug into a PC using the USB cable provided. If you’re running Windows XP or Vista software on the device will auto-start and install all necessary drivers and the WiFi configuration software.

Uses

Many possible uses come to mind for such a device:

Surf the internet away from home or office (OK, that one was obvious)
Turn your PSP or Nintendo DSi into a mobile phone
Turn your iPod Touch into an iPhone (minus the geolocation) - use Skype for calls
Set up a WiFi network on the train for a group of colleagues

Performance

We wouldn’t expect mobile internet service speeds to match hard-wired broadband either over HSDPA or (slower) 3G and indeed they’re not. But the results I experienced on the fringes of North West London were quite tolerable. Average download speeds of around 2.5Mbps were achieved with upload speeds of about 0.8Mbps. The best results achieved were 3.02Mbps download and 1.0Mbps upload.

The range of the 3 MiFi router was about 25 meters before falling off quite suddenly so there’s plenty of open-air range available. Of course, masonry walls will significantly cut down this range.

Wi-Fi support is limited to Wireless B and G. N is not supported but this should not be a problem while surfing the mobile internet since the provider’s network will be the bottleneck. The only time the older WiFi standard may become apparent will be when transferring files from one device to another.

Specifications

Power: Li 1500mAh battery, Charger (Std. 3-pin UK), charge time in use: 5 hours
Connectivity: USB cable (mini plug/standard plug)
Network: WiFi 802.11b/g
Memory: MicroSD Memory card supported up to 32GB
Dimensions: 86 x 46.5 x 10.5mm with 90g weight
User interface: 5 x LEDs

Summary

The MiFi router is a great way of providing wireless internet services for devices in the home, office or in the field that only have a WiFi interface built-in. I provides a roaming hotspot wherever there is a mobile signal and can accommodate several simultaneous connections. Speed is subject to your mobile provider network but I found 3’s to be adequate.

The screen is confusing and annoying. The meaning of the icons is not always clear and some use colour to convey information which in the days of accessibility and user-friendly design feels clunky and old-fashioned. A improved screen (perhaps LCD) and user interface and a longer battery life would make this product a no-brainer.

Pricing

The following pricing options are available:

From free on £12/month, 18-month contract, with 1GB data and 20 text message allowance every month.
From free on £17/month, 18-month contract, with 5GB data and 20 text message allowance every month.
At £99.99 with 3GB credit pre-loaded or £69.99 with a capped, £15 a month contract. (top-up and convert to add-on when preload runs out).
At £69.99 on pay-as-you-go.

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