Best Mobile/MiFi?

[Akshun]

I have been interested in getting a mobile or MiFi hotspot for when tradeshows or travel etc.
I was eyeing this http://shop.windmobile.ca/ProductCatalog/Handsets/DatastickDetails.aspx?id=Huawei E583(WINDCA)

But have heard/read some horrible reviews. Anyone know of a good plan for this type of service?

Thanks in advance.

 

[silverbullet132]

I have been interested in getting a mobile or MiFi hotspot for when tradeshows or travel etc.
I was eyeing this http://shop.windmobile.ca/ProductCatalog/Handsets/DatastickDetails.aspx?id=Huawei%20E583%28WINDCA%29

But have heard/read some horrible reviews. Anyone know of a good plan for this type of service?

Thanks in advance.

Just get one of their normal $40 phone plans that has unlimited internet and get a phone with it that can make a wifi hotspot. Same speed service + you get a phone you can use with it for the same price.

 

[Lightcycle]

Just get one of their normal $40 phone plans that has unlimited internet and get a phone with it that can make a wifi hotspot. Same speed service + you get a phone you can use with it for the same price.

I like the tethering option over the MiFi as well. We use the Personal Hotspot capabilities of the iPhone all the time to share 3G. BTW, which provider in Canada offers unlimited mobile Internet for $40/month?

The only drawbacks for the tethering I can see is that some providers charge you extra for that capability. You can hack the phones (jailbreaking) to get around that, but that means voiding your warranty. Also, the Personal Hotspot + 3G drains the iPhone battery very fast, so if there's no AC or external power supply, you're going to be 3Ging for a couple of hours at the most...

 

[Akshun]

Good info! Thanks guys! I'll see what my provider (Telus) will do for me first. If not I'm guessing a cheapy phone from Wind will work.

 

[silverbullet132]

Good info! Thanks guys! I'll see what my provider (Telus) will do for me first. If not I'm guessing a cheapy phone from Wind will work.

Wind and mobilicity both offer plans that will work, mobilicity has a plan for 22.50 a month right now (price locked in for a year) that gives you pretty much unlimited everything + tethering (wifi hotspots etc).

You can do it on your telus phone if it is android, just root it and install PDAnet. I tested it on bell with my unlimited data plan (no tethering) used up 160gb with no extra charges

 

[WoBblyCaT]

If you're going to a tradeshow, you can bring a spare charged up motorcycle battery and 12V cigarette lighter adapter to power your phone. Or if you bring a whole motorcycle, just use a pigtail out of the battery box. You could even jerry rig something up with a 12V cordless drill battery as long as it's still in good shape.

 

[nfq]

Good info! Thanks guys! I'll see what my provider (Telus) will do for me first. If not I'm guessing a cheapy phone from Wind will work.

Make sure you'll have coverage as WIND/Mobilicity has smaller 'zones' relative to the established phone companies (Bell, Rogers, Telus).
If this is something that is for your business, is a need for your tradeshows or what not, go with the established Rogers/Bell, etc solution. If it's something you just wanna see how it works, then WIND is a good option. Mobilicity's data isn't regarded as the best or most stable.

 

[LiNK666]

When you speak to Telus just say you want to leave and if they say you are under contract just say it's fine because the savings you have under the lifetime with tab and the plans is well worth it etc...

 

[Akshun]

Thank you guys for the tips!!

 

[TwistedKestrel]

While we're on the topic, is there a way to rent these things while travelling in the US? I know there's several options for this when travelling in Europe. It would be nice for trips that pass through major city centres, especially when stopping at conventions or tradeshows - the WiFi on hand tends to be terrible, ridiculously overpriced, or both.

 

[Lightcycle]

Is there a way to rent these things while travelling in the US?

Do you want the actual device or the service? If you have a smartphone, just pick up an AT&T SIM chip (free) and stick a pre-paid data plan on it. Cost us $25 and you get a month's worth of service and the coverage is extensive.

 

[TwistedKestrel]

Do you want the actual device or the service? If you have a smartphone, just pick up an AT&T SIM chip (free) and stick a pre-paid data plan on it. Cost us $25 and you get a month's worth of service and the coverage is extensive.

Mostly just the service, though it seems the best value for data is usually bundled with the devices. Are you saying you can get a pre-paid SIM and ONLY have a data package on it? Or do you mean $25 on top of whatever the pre-paid voice plan you had was?

 

[Lightcycle]

Sorry, my bad, it was a $25 for a voice plan (unlimited nationwide calling) and then on top of it:

$25 for 1GB
$15 for 200MB
$5 for 50MB

http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/plans/prepaidplans.html

 

[nfq]

Another option is T-Mobile. Pay by the day $3 gets unlimited talk and text (us only) and 200 MB of data.
http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/pay-by-the-day-cell-phone-plans

 

[WoBblyCaT]

I'm guessing you have to unlock your phones to get this in the US

 

[daught]

I like the tethering option over the MiFi as well. We use the Personal Hotspot capabilities of the iPhone all the time to share 3G. BTW, which provider in Canada offers unlimited mobile Internet for $40/month?

The only drawbacks for the tethering I can see is that some providers charge you extra for that capability. You can hack the phones (jailbreaking) to get around that, but that means voiding your warranty. Also, the Personal Hotspot + 3G drains the iPhone battery very fast, so if there's no AC or external power supply, you're going to be 3Ging for a couple of hours at the most...

You might loose your warranty if apple finds out, but if you put a password on your phone they won't be able to. If you or apple reflash the phone there will be no trace of JB.

 

[Lightcycle]

I'm guessing you have to unlock your phones to get this in the US

Yep. I'll never buy a locked phone again in my life after the hassle getting Rogers to unlock my iPhone.

 

[AF4iK]

Another option is T-Mobile. Pay by the day $3 gets unlimited talk and text (us only) and 200 MB of data.
http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/pay-by-the-day-cell-phone-plans

Damn, wish I'd known about this a week ago. Good to know though, thanks!

 

[WoBblyCaT]

Yep. I'll never buy a locked phone again in my life after the hassle getting Rogers to unlock my iPhone.

I didn't even know they would do that for you. What did you have to tell them to get them to do it?

 

[Lightcycle]

I didn't even know they would do that for you. What did you have to tell them to get them to do it?

Yeah, if you call them, they charge $50 to unlock your phone, provided you are off-contract otherwise you pay a penalty to be released from your plan.

In the end, I couldn't get them to do it for me. My cellphone was registered to my old company, and when I quit my job, they didn't transfer the phone to my name (not the SIM chip, the actual device). So when I called Rogers, they told me since I wasn't the registered owner, they couldn't do it for me. This is BS, because if you buy a used iPhone off eBay or Craigslist, how else would you prove its yours to unlock it?!

Anyway, it was an exercise in futility explaining all this to them, since they have a vested interest in seeing phones locked to the Rogers network. I ended up paying $100 to one of those phone unlock companies on the Internet, and they did it on my behalf.

Well worth it, Canada and US plans are very expensive compared to the rest of the world. As we move from country to country, we just pick up a new SIM chip and we have cheap mobile Internet anywhere we travel, and they don't charge extra to tether it to your computer or another phone!