MiFi Information

Novatel Wireless facing up to challenge posed by Sierra Wireless

In the world of the various and wide network race, there is no knowing on who will climb on to the top spot and more importantly, who will be able to STAY? And preferably head the heating race?

Recently, a certain issue raised many eyebrows and deliberately drew a lot of attention. It was when Sierra Wireless (Nasdaq: SWIR) was reportedly moving into the intelligent mobile hotspot which was said to be occupied by Novatel Wireless. This news, made Sierra wireless look like a tough challenger, and Novatel Wireless as an unintentional underdog.

Why come up with this type of speculation in the first place? This is so, because, Novatel Wireless has been in the state of overproduction of Mifi devices, overpowering customer demand. A weak market makes a company weak itself. To ensure a table market there should have a stable demand for production, unlike in Novatel’s case, wherein they expected a comeback from rival companies.

However, Novatel Wireless contradicted and will be facing the challenge head on with Sierra Wireless in terms of the Machine-to-Machine sector or M2M develops a cellular technology which will be able to link several devices to a computer server for fast data connection.

Sprint MiFi Personal Wireless Hotspot

Share the Sprint Now network with MiFi a portable wireless hotspot for up to five people or devices. Watch a demo of the Mobile MiFi TM 2200 by Novatel Wireless. Connect laptops, mp3 players, digital cameras, printers, portable gaming devices and more with one touch. Now you can carry Americas most dependable 3G network with you where ever you go. Get more information at: www.sprint.com

MiFi Demonstration – The portable wireless hotspot

A demonstration of the Verizon MiFi - the portable wireless hotspot that uses the cellular network to create a WiFi bubble around the unit for up to 5 devices to share Internet access simultaneously. This handy little device is manufactured by Novatel and currently offered by Verizon and Sprint. MiFi is a great way to bring broadband with you on the move and share broadband with several devices. The device is either battery powered (about 4 hours of use), powered by a USB connection or the ...

Sprint MiFi Unboxing

I unbox the MiFi from Sprint, just in time for CloudCamp.

Sprint vs. Verizon: Which MiFi provider is right for you?

Verizon Wireless MiFi Data Plans

Verizon Wireless was the first cellular company to offer data plans for the MiFi. Verizon currently has three plans available for consumers. The first plan is $59.99 per month and offers five GB of data throughput and additional five cents over each per megabyte is charged after the first five GB. This plan is well suited for users who download sizable amounts of multimedia such as video and music. It is also great for users who plan to use the vice at least 15 days out of the month.

The second plan which is a bit less expensive at $39.95 per month and offers 250 MB of data throughput but has a charge of $.10 per megabyte for after the first 250 MB. This plan is a good choice for business users who do not necessarily need a very large is amount of data useage or multimedia downloads, and plan to use the  MiFi for connecting to corporate networks and typical web browsing  activity. Although the $39.95 per month rate may seem like a decent bargain versus the $59.99 rate, this plan can be a disaster if the $.10 surcharge is regularly exceeded each month. You may end up spending way more than $60 even though you have not passed the five GB monthly download limit. Read more...

Advice for buying a MiFi without signing up for a contract.

Every advertisement you see for the MiFi recently is offering the device for around $60 or less. There are even a number of resellers that will sell you the MiFi for 1 cent (which we assume as "free"). Alas, every "deal" nowadays comes with the standard "catch" - you need to sign up for a 2 year service plan in order to buy it.  For current Sprint customers that have existing cellular data card plans, and are in the middle of an existing contract, buying the MiFi with "no contract required" may be a good idea.  Verizon MiFi customers can also purchase the device without a contract and simply opt to use it on a $15-per-day fixed rate on whatever days they decides - in addition, there is no surcharges for exceeding the monthly data limit. The no-contract Verizon MiFi mobuile hotspot device may also be a great choice for existing Verizon wireless broadband customers, as they can arrange to have the remainder of their contract switched over to their new MiFi.

The one single biggest negative about buying the MiFi without a contract is that you will not receive the carriers customer subsidy, so you can expect to pay around $200 more (around $270 total). Given the fact the the monthly data access plan for the MiFi costs around $60, that cost can be offset in hust over 3 months.

Extending the MiFi with Signal Boosters and Battery Packs

The MiFi Mobile Hotspot has been something of a technical revolution in it's marriage of mobile broadband modem, 5 user managed router and integrated 4 hour battery power.  The MiFi out of the box offers the chance for up to five users and/or devices that are within a range of  30 feet of the MiFi to connect to the Internet at fast 3G speeds for about 4 hours, all while running on its own battery. While this configuration is well suited for perhaps the great majority of MiFi owners, there will nonetheless be power users and other mobile broadband warriors who what to push the limits of the MiFi's functionality. Here is a look at two popular accessories that may satisfy those urges: Read more...

Can the MiFi Mobile Hotspot replace your wired broadband connection at home?

  A new debate arises after the recent release of a new generation of portable, multiuser internet access devices, such as the  MiFi Mobile Hotspot . Can wireless broadband technology upstage the tried and tested wired home broadband connections? Is the MiFi 3G device a feasible replacement for your home's wired cable modem, FIOS, or DSL connection?  

The MiFi is a mobile hotspot by Novatel which is being retailed by Verizon and Sprint along with their connection plans in the United States. It has a range radius of 30-40 ft. and has a battery life of four hours continuous usage or forty hours standby time and of course it doesn’t have any wires  (except if you want to use the plug in AC Adaptor charger).  It connects to your 3G provider and turns the 3G signal into a regular WiFi signal, all while on the go. The MiFi mobile hotspot is a clear winner outside of the home, so let compare "apples-to-apples" where we can in seeing who might benfit from a single univeral internet connection provided by the MiFi. 

Price: 

The data service plan for the MiFi Mobile hotspot range from $40 to $60 per month. Since you’re dealing with Sprint or Verizon, tack on another $15 in taxes and fees, so you are looking at around $75 per month. The two price tiers are for different data caps - in this case the $40 monthly rate allows for (only) 250 Megabytes of usage per month. Since the MiFi will we used as a primary home connection, I would not recommend this low-cap option. When comparing the $75 monthly fee, it’s important that you count in any possible recoverable fees you may be currently incurring. Assuming you have a "triple play" (voice, data, TV) wired broadband service, subtract the cost of what you are paying for the all-in-one service with the TV only subscription. The MiFi can utilize Skype or several other low cost or free VOIP providers to deliver voice and telephone service to you home. Generally you will find this price differential to be a wash, with the costs negating each other. On first appearance it may seem like the cost is the same, but then factor in any existing mobile data plans you have that the MiFi can replace, and you will see the MiFi as an effective cost savings. The MiFi's build in router may also present some potential saving of having to buy an existing wireless home router. 

Speed: 

 The MiFi will deliver around 5 Mbs download speed, but more realistically in dense urban areas, you may see around half that speed. Cable modems are generally 10 Mbs, while FIOS is around 25 Mbs. The speed winner on face value is clearly wired broadband. The caveat is that not everyone needs 10 mbs download speeds. Remember browsing in the web in the late 1990's with a 56K modem? For regular, everyday "web stuff" 56K is not too shabby - 5Mbs is about 8 times faster then 56K, and should be fast enough for downloading songs and watching videos. The MiFi Mobile Hotspot also has the added benefit of a managed 5 user router build in, so the fact that the fast connection can be shared is a bonus on top. 

 Suitability: 

 If you are a person who lives on the go and takes your connection where they go, the MiFi Mobile Hotspot may be a great alternative. After all, the MiFi device will always be "with you", and the "you", be it at home or on the road, will always be assured a fast connection. The MiFi is likely NOT going to be a realistic replacement for your home broadband if you have a need for the mobile and wired environments to coexist.  The ideal candidate for a MiFi-Only scenario would be a single person who does not need a dedicated wired home connection when they are on the road, but wants a high speed broadband connection wherever they are, be it home or abroad. Plug the MiFi into the wall adaptor and you have for all practical purposes the same setup as a cable modem and WiFi router. The MiFi-Only setup would not be a great choice for a family that needs on-the-go connectivity but has users or other family members at home the same time. The "MiFi as a Primary Home Connection" also would NOT be a feasible choice for those who mass download BitTorrent or Newsgroups, since the 5GB monthly cap would likely be exceeded. 

Conclusion: The MiFi was never intended or marketed as a full time replacement for a wired home broadband connection, however, in my opinion there is a fairly large demographic that I would call the "constantly connected single person" who could greatly benefit from a practical device that can provide both mobile and stationary broadband service for voice and internet at a substantial cost savings over traditional plans.

The MiFi Mobile Hotspot on family trips and vacations: The perfect travel companion

            The MiFi mobile hotspot is the first of its kind. It has the same capabilities as your regular router (802.11b/g) but mobile and without the hassle of your usual 3G, Ad-Hoc or HSDP connections. The MiFi’s design was made by company Novatel and was first released to the public by one of the leading cellular companies Verizon Wireless.

            Why is this gadget great on family trips and vacations? Because it is very small and light (size comparable to a deck of cards and weighs around 2-3 oz.) you can take it with you basically anywhere and anything that can connect to a wireless router can connect to it. Unlike the older 3GP, Ad-Hoc and HSDP connections which have lots of underlying issues the MiFi doesn’t. It is very easy to setup, just plug it in using its USB jack and install the software needed for activation on any computer. After the preliminary setup, just turn it on and it acts as a wireless mobile hotspot.  The concept of a "mobile hotspot" is not new. Companies like Cradlepoint have been making 3G routers for years - but these products always required you to couple them with a separate USB 3D data modem. There has never been a truly self contained mobile hotspot, in as "all-in-one"  (tiny) package until Novatel released the MiFi 2200 in early 2009. Read more...

What You Need to Know about Traveling with your MiFi.

The Novatel Wireless MiFi is the best 3G mobile hotspot device in the market. As an added bonus, it’s very portable, just thicker than a regular credit card. The MiFi connects to the Internet through high-speed networks, and this connection can be shared among five devices up to thirty feet away via WiFi. Users of this technology can be connected to the internet while traveling, practically in any location where a regular cellular signal is present.

However, users who buy the American MiFi 2200 may not be able to use the wireless internet device in other countries. The difference in cellular standards between different countries (CDMA and GSM) is causing this problem for MiFi users.

The Novatel Wireless Mifi 2200, currently available in the United States, only work with two networks – Sprint and Verizon. Once each user has chosen the cellular company, the MiFi is permanently attached to that network. Both networks run a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) cellular network, an algorithm which is used by radio communication technologies to direct the information sent and received. It was originally made for high-bandwidth devices which need the best reception available such as cellular phones. CDMA devices are permanently attached to the network they start with, so switching networks is impossible for these devices. This makes traveling overseas with CDMA devices expensive as roaming charges are applied – only in North America is CDMA widely used. Read more...

What is the MiFi Mobile Hotspot?

What is the Novatel MiFi Mobile Hotspot?

The development of WiFi over the past 10 years or so has been one of the biggest breakthroughs in internet technology. For any place with WiFi, anyone can connect with the internet through their laptops after just a few easy clicks. Not only does this maximize connectivity for personal and professional use both at home and in public locations, but it also shows how great the developments are becoming in internet technology. As great as WiFi may be,  the number of locations WITHOUT WiFi signals withing range still to this day greatly outnumbers those with.  Flash forward to 2009 - there has to be a way to offer WiFi connection WHEREVER you may be. Right?

The solution to universal WiFi coverage is the Novatel MiFi, the latest in wireless internet connectivity.

Novatel has developed the MiFi so that anyone can take their high-speed wireless internet connection with them wherever they go. It’s now termed an “Intelligent Mobile Hotspot,” and from its early reviews, it sure seems to be hot among the WiFi crowd. Everyone is calling it the next big thing, and with specifications which make so many new things possible for both users and developers, the possibilities with this technology are endless.

The MiFi device is a small and sleek one, which is just about the size of a credit card –  it is, however, a bit fatter than that. It also only has one switch, to turn it on or off. That simple and that small a device, and yet its development is a huge leap in mobile broadband technology. Such a compact piece of equipment, if one were to maximize its use, would be very powerful. It allows connections for up to five of your or your friends’ devices at once to access the internet over a single wireless 3G account.

Once it’s turned on, it creates a 30 foot (10 meter) radius where anyone can connect to the internet with their laptops, cameras, or other devices which could benefit from it. And with a battery life of four hours of usage and forty hours of standby, it also packs quite a charge for those long bus rides and family trips. Imagine being able to finish all your business reports, your online games, or your book report – perhaps even all at once – on the trip to grandma. That’s high-speed connectivity at its most convenient.

So what does the Novatel MiFi have over regular WiFi? Well, aside from being able to take the high-speed wireless connection that you enjoy with you anywhere, the mobile hotspot also pushes the speed limit to 3G speeds. Compared to other portable broadband connections, this speed is much, much faster than everything that has been currently developed up to this date. Also, a portable 3G wireless connection opens the possibilities for developers to create more mobile applications which require high-speed connections, since you’ll have this connection with you at all times. Uploading and downloading pictures you’ve taken right away from your camera would be something very possible and hassle-free with Novatel MiFi, when before you’d have to wait to get home first to do so.

Novatel has really developed something very important with MiFi. It’s a cool thing, being able to connect to the internet wherever you are and at whatever time. However, this technology is a sign of just how far connectivity has come. From smoke signals, we’re now able to bring high-speed internet connections wherever we are. Read more...