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The MiFi’s name is a lovely portmanteau of acronyms – take mobile broadband, add Wi-Fi, and you get MiFi.
The device is far cleverer than word play, though. It's a mobile dongle that, instead of plugging into a USB port to create your connection, creates an instant wireless hotspot by broadcasting its 3G modem.
The same, but better
3 has covered this territory before, with the Sharedock – a small router with a USB port in the top for the modem. The difference with MiFi is that it's entirely self-contained, needs no external power source and fits in your pocket.
The advantage over a normal dongle is that just like your router at home, you can connect several devices – your iPod, DS, netbook and laptop, say – at once, and don't need software running in the background.
Simple set-up
The MiFi device itself is a simple silver lozenge with three keys down one side, and a mini USB port at the bottom for charging. The large black area on the front isn't an LCD screen – it covers four status icons which light up different colours to show battery life, signal strength, and router and modem status.
This, really, is the only flaw in the MiFi's design. Set-up is, theoretically, simple. Turn on the power, turn on the router, turn on the 3G radio.
When it goes well, all is fine. But trying to troubleshoot any connection problems is baffling. Especially when the meaning of some light and icon combinations isn't even in the manual.
Review continues after the break...
Coverage plans
Of all the major mobile networks, 3 is the one that's dedicated to exploiting broadband on the go. It doesn't have the same restrictions as the others for using VoIP from its 3G handsets, for example, and the MiFi is great for Skype, Spotify or any other low bandwidth app you can think of. We wouldn't recommend trying iPlayer on it, though – this isn't WiMAX, you know.
The downside to 3's usage generosity is that its coverage isn't as geographically comprehensive as most. That should change over the next few months as it upgrades its network.
When you have a strong connection and the device is working, it's hard to fault the MiFi. It may be pricier than a normal modem, but its potential – particularly for connecting iPod and games consoles on the go – is enormous.
Comments
scott.deagan
3 years ago
This device is pure unadulterated awesomeness wrapped in a case not much bigger than your average chocolate bar (and certainly lighter than a chocolate bar). To cut a long story short - I went on holiday, paid for 24 hours of BTOpenZone from my hotel room, but an hour into using the BT service the signal was completely lost and never re-appeared. The next day I made my way to the nearest 3-Store with the intention of purchasing a PAYG dongle, but when I saw this intriguing device I decided to purchase one instead. I paid £70 on PAYG, and this included 3GB of traffic (that expires in 3 months). I don't know where to begin. When I returned to my hotel room, I inserted the SIM card and battery, and plugged it into the supplied USB charger. My laptop detected the WiFi, and I attached using the supplied key. Everything just worked! After successfully connecting, my first course of action was testing the speed (http://www.speedtest.net/). The reported result was just over 1 MBit/sec downstream, and a 300 Kbit/sec upstream. Not bad considering I was out in the middle of nowhere (40 odd miles from the nearest city). Life was good - really good! I could connect my mobile and laptop simultaneously, just as I could at home. The spec claims that no more than 4 devices can be attached. I have yet to test this. What I did take a quick look at, however, was the features exposed via the admin app. The 3 MiFi device has a firewall, configurable DHCP server, port forwarding (virtual server), and even DMZ options! What I really love about this device is NO DEVICE SPECIFIC DRIVERS ARE REQUIRED!!! If your device has WiFi, it can use MiFi :). This is particularly good news for me as I'm a Linux enthusiast running Ubuntu Netbook Remix on a Toshiba NB200 netbook. I for one am sick and tired of drivers (or the lack thereof) determining the OS I "need" to use. I love Linux and want to use it as my primary (exclusive) operating system at home. The 3 MiFi brings me one step closer to realizing my dream. Even though I've only had this device for 2 days, I would unreservedly give it 5 out of 5 stars. I'm going to carry this device with me wherever I go. Being a walking WiFi hotspot is quite a strange experience. The 3 MiFi is definitely the best (most useful) gadget I have purchased in a very long time.