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I like my MiFi: A micro hotspot that fits in your shirt pocket

June 14, 2009 By

mifiI bought a NovatelWireless MiFi for business use this week.  Like lots of other mobile users I need good connectivity and am not always places where WiFi is available and I also have several devices so the idea of having my own mobile hotspot sounded like something I would have to try.   I purchased the MiFi 2200 from Verizon and tested it out soon after.

I’m really impressed.  The device is small– it is the size of a stack of about 5 credit cards.  But it is very powerful.  After configuring my laptop and the card I can now securely log into the MiFi and have configured it to work with several of my devices.  Now I really do have my own mobile hotspot.  I have tested it with my MacBook, my Netbook and an iPod Touch and have had them all accessing the Internet at the same time and all performed GREAT!   I was expecting horribly slow page downloads but it really isn’t bad at all.   You can also do streaming video (at least the psuedo streaming video of sites like YouTube).  I opened multiple YouTube sessions on multiple computers accessing the net via the tiny MiFi and, although it took more time for the video to start playing, once it did it was fine.

The quality of connection is so good, in fact, I don’t think I’ll be using connectivity from hotel’s when I travel.  I’ll just use my MiFi.

The comms from the MiFi to the Internet are provided by Verizon’s 3G network.  Real download speeds on the net from the MiFi are up to 1400 Kbps and upload is around 800 Kbps.  You might ask how that compares to Comcast cable or Verizon Fios.   By my calculation and observed performance it is about 8% of the speed of Comcast cable (I just tested my  download speed at 17745 Kbps).  From what I read, FIOS delivers up to 30,000 Kbps, so the MiFi is only going to deliver about 4.5% of the bandwidth of FIOS.

But those are the wrong metrics!   The MiFi is designed to give you a hotspot where comms don’t exist and at the same time allow you to network your devices together.   Download from the net at 1400 Kbps is infinately larger than no connectivity, and will get you most websites down in under a second.

This is the best solution to mobile laptop/iPod/printer/netbook connectivity that I know of.

The MiFi is available via Amazon. The list the price as free if you get the service plan.

Novatel MiFi 2200 Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot Modem (Verizon Wireless)

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About BobGourley

Bob Gourley is Crucial Point LLC’s founder and editor of CTOvision.com. Bob has received industry recognition including Infoworld top CTO award, AFCEA’s meritorious service award, and recognition as one of the top 100 “Tech Titans” in DC by Washingtonian magazine. He was named one of the “Top 25 Most Fascinating Communicators in Government IT.”

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  • http://www.defefx.com Duane

    That's a pretty neat device! I'm not so sure I'd want to keep in my shirt pocket though, with all the evdo radiation next to my heart ;) soon there won't be hotspots anymore, just coldspots.

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  • http://crucialpointllc.com Bob Gourley

    Duane, I agree! I think I'll keep it in my briefcase and away from the shirt pocket.

    Cheers,

    Bob

  • Mark Milligan

    How does it charge?

    • http://crucialpointllc.com Bob Gourley

      Mark,

      It can charge two ways. It plugs into the wall with a micro usb adapter, or it plugs into your computer usb port.

      Cheers,

      Bob

  • Lora

    Can you get a mifi to replace your fios at home? How much does it cost each month and is there a limit of how much you can download?

    • http://crucialpointllc.com RyanKamauff

      Lora,

      Verizon's MiFi costs either $20, $35 or $50 a month for tiered plans. It is $20 for 1Gb, $35 for 3Gb, and $50 for 5Gb. Verizon will also charge you for any overages you incur. If you require high-speed data at home, the MiFi will NOT replace your traditional broadband. But if you just do a little surfing and e-mail checking at home, you should be fine with a MiFi.

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