Personal WiFi/Hotspot Hub

[dfchelbay]

Anyone have any experience with this. We have a Sprint mobile broadband card for the laptops when traveling and was wondering if it is worth it to get once of these. Right now, we either share a laptop, or wait til one of us is done and switch the wireless card to another laptop.

Here's the one I'm considering. You can hook up to five things up at one time wirelessly thru Wifi:

http://shop.sprint.com/NASApp/onlinestore/en/Action/DisplayPhones?phoneSKU=NV2200WFDO

So, what do you all think? Does this really work for getting a couple of laptops online at once. Let me know your experiences, good or bad. For all you techies out there, what are your thoughts too. Is this worth getting for the price. Thanks all.

 

[doggydoc]

I can't comment on the Sprint device but we have a Verizon MiFi and love it. DW teaches online so she has to have internet access wherever we go. We have used it in the car while traveling, while camping on the beach, just about everywhere. I recall at least one time on vacation when she was teaching a class, I was using my laptop to buy tickets and make reservations and my DD was downloading maps to her IPod all at the same time with no problem.

 

[angwill]

We had one of the sprint 3G/4G hubs for under a month. Our two issues were that they knew we are only in a 3G area not 4G but they told us it was unlimited. It is only unlimited access in 4G areas and you are limited in a 3G area. It would have cost us a small fortune over the $59 charge had we kept it and not researched to find out it was not unlimited for us. 2nd issue is that Sprint tech services have very limited knowledge on how the new black hub works and it took hours on the phone with them to get it working correctly. If it had come with instructions I would have figured it out faster.

Keep in mind you would pay monthly for both the mobile broadband card and the hub so you it would be better to just get the hub. You can use it at home as well as take it with you and hook up more than one laptop on it. As long as you are in a 4G area I would go for the hub so you can access it on more than one device at the same time.

HTH

 

[dfchelbay]

We had one of the sprint 3G/4G hubs for under a month. Our two issues were that they knew we are only in a 3G area not 4G but they told us it was unlimited. It is only unlimited access in 4G areas and you are limited in a 3G area. It would have cost us a small fortune over the $59 charge had we kept it and not researched to find out it was not unlimited for us. 2nd issue is that Sprint tech services have very limited knowledge on how the new black hub works and it took hours on the phone with them to get it working correctly. If it had come with instructions I would have figured it out faster.

Keep in mind you would pay monthly for both the mobile broadband card and the hub so you it would be better to just get the hub. You can use it at home as well as take it with you and hook up more than one laptop on it. As long as you are in a 4G area I would go for the hub so you can access it on more than one device at the same time.

HTH

Thanks for that information. I had no idea they divided them into two categories. I'll make sure to read further on their website and also look into tech websites that talk about this hub.

 

[luvthemouse71]

I have the Virgin Mobile Mifi..it works very well. Planning to bring it to WDW along with my iPad. It's also prepaid so you can buy the time you need.

 

[dfchelbay]

I have the Virgin Mobile Mifi..it works very well. Planning to bring it to WDW along with my iPad. It's also prepaid so you can buy the time you need.

Thanks, I'll look into the Virgin Mobile one. I like the idea that I pay ahead...no hidden overage to find out after the fact.

 

[byerspc]

I have the Virgin Mobile Mifi..it works very well. Planning to bring it to WDW along with my iPad. It's also prepaid so you can buy the time you need.

Let us know how it works. Are you staying on property? I am thinking of getting one.

 

[angwill]

The virgin mobil mifi looks like a better deal than having a Sprint contract. Yeah you pay and extra $50 for the unit but if you don't want 5mb you can pay less for what you do need and the cost is the same as Sprint with 5mb. It is on Sprints service anyway so it would be the same coverage with no contract. You pay less when you use less too. Please let us know how it works at WDW.

 

[Debbie7452]

I guess this doesn't pertain to the OP but I've only recently figured out how to use my Droid (with unlimited Data plan) as a wifi hub. There is a free app for it and it works pretty good. It's not lightening speed but I was thrilled to get internet when we are traveling in our RV and are away from any Wifi spots.

Maybe everyone already knows this stuff. I am not very up on modern technology!