What is a mobile wifi hotspot? A wifi hotspot is an area where someone is able to wirelessly connect wifi ready devices such as MP3 player, laptop, Smartphone, iPad or iPod to the internet. A mobile wifi hotspot is a wifi hotspot area which moves with you and allows you to connect to the internet anywhere you are. Novatel has developed a device the size of a business card that allows you to create a 30 foot wide mobile hotspot, the device is called Mifi.
There are three devices for worldwide coverage. The Mifi 2200 covers the United States. The Mifi 2372 covers not only United States, but also Canada and the rest of North America. And finally the Mifi 2352 services Europe and the rest of the world.
The Mifi device allows you to connect 5 wifi ready devices to it wirelessly and all of the devices can be connected at the same time. There are three cell phone carriers in the United States, Verizon, Sprint and AT&T that allow you to create your own hotspot. Verizon and Sprint use the Mifi 2200 with CDMA Bands: 800, 1900 MHz to create its hotspot. AT&T uses the Mifi 2372 with a Sim card on Tri-band HSUPA/HSDPA: 900/1900/2100 MHz to create its hotspot.
The big question comes is whether you should buy a Mifi or lease one. Verizon and Sprint give you the Mifi 2200 for free when you sign a two year contract at $60.00 per month. You have to have good credit and the $720.00 or $1,440.00 for the two year commitment.
Verizon is the only carrier that offers a pre-paid data plan, where you can buy time just when you want it for $15.00 for the day, $30.00 for the week or $50.00 for the month. With Verizon there is no credit check. If you don't need access to the Internet 365 days a year, then buying a mobile wifi hotspot device and using the Verizon's pre-paid plan is the cheaper and better way to go. Verizon sells the Mifi 2200 device for $299.00 with a $35.00 activation fee. You can buy the Mifi 2200 without the activation fee if you buy the unit and the prepaid plan at the same time from someone other than Verizon. So you can create your own mobile wifi hotspot by simply taking the Mifi out of the box and pushing one button to turn the mobile wifi device on, that simple.
The beauty of the mobile wifi hotspot is that you can use it anywhere. The mobile wifi hotspot can be utilized while you are riding in a car, at the beach, at the airport or on the deck of a boat, or virtually anywhere. Hotspots have been gaining in popularity in parks, at Starbucks and other locations but unlike the Mifi's mobile wifi hotspot which is password secure, Wifi hotspots are not secure and therefore in today's world not really safe.
The reason the mobile wifi hotspot can be mobile is because the Mifi coverts the cell phone signal into a wifi signal, and since the signal is in the air, the conversion allows you to have a mobile wifi hotspot wherever you are and wherever there is a cell phone signal available.
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