Mi-fi routers

Carrerasax

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Mi-fi routers

so how do these work.
are they any different to data on mobile.
i have 4 gb a month which is plenty but I find internet often slow and radio buffers a lot.
would one of these with a data only SIM card be any different?
mike
 
Lots of options in this area. Mifi as I know it, is just a mini wifi receiver and should work in high reception areas. I had one in a poor reception area(2 years ago) in a rural valley in Wales at a sited caravan and it was useless-Vodafone. Sent it back and then this year we emerged from Victorian times with intermittent 4G reception and I got a voda tablet (free! hA!) which now works well. I had trouble setting it up(don't we all?) and took it to t'shop who did it for me and charged me £15-straight on the blower to voda and got that back pronto! How well they work varies as to where you are on the planet. For uk there is a map of networks coverage by each manufac/provider-search for your companies version online. Some are better value than others. Me? Lifes too short to be a tight b'stard so I stick with what/who I know. I rent 2 mobiles and one tablet. I get 2gb pm and no buffers Clarabelle. Pay your money and...as they say. Wifi and data-wifi will include video and voices, data is without sound ie data/information only.
 
Probably teaching my grandpa/ma to suck eggs with this reply but I figured other people may read your topic who don't know anything about mi-fi or what's available :)

A mi-fi unit works on exactly the same principle as mobile phone data, ie connecting to the internet via a sim card. The main difference was that a mi-fi device connects itself to the internet and then puts out a wi-fi signal, so you can connect a phone, laptop, tablet, etc, all at once, usually up to 5 devices. These days though, most phones will allow you to set them up as a 'hotspot', so that you can share the connection in the same way. Personally, I've found that my mi-fi unit usually gives me a better internet connection than my phone but it's possible that could be about the mobile provider rather than the device I guess. You can buy mi-fi devices that have an aerial socket... stick the aerial outside the skylight for an even better signal. When all's said and done, it's still a sim connection but if your phone is 3G and a mi-fi is 4G, then you'll gain speed using the mi-fi's wireless signal.

The big drawback with using your phone as a wi-fi hotspot is that you're stuck with your own phone sim and whatever data allowance you get through your provider. If you can't get a signal somewhere on your phone, then that's it, no signal. With a mi-fi unit, provided you have an unlocked one, you can switch to a spare PAYG data sim from any other mobile company... and could even buy a local one abroad if that looked like a better bargain. Personally, I don't think it's worth getting a data sim on contract, a) because you're stuck with one company again and b) because you can pay around £2 per GB for PAYG data and that's far cheaper than with most contract data sims, plus you don't have to lose any data if you don't use it within a month. For example, Trio sims from 3 are really good value and have good coverage in the UK and Europe. The 12GB one is valid for up to a year (depending how quickly you use the 12GB) and the 24GB one is valid for up to 2 years. They're currently £28 and £45 respectively... see links below.

https://www.mymemory.co.uk/3-payg-4g...12gb-data.html

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Mobil...+trio+sim+24gb
 
You can use your mobile as a router to create a hotspot that you can connect tablet, etc to, but that needs a good signal and eats into your data allowance. The MiFi is really no different from the previous method as it still needs a SIM and like the mobile a good signal. You can also use a standalone WiFi router, ALFA 60 which can have a dongle similar to previous and creates a hotspot or has its own added booster aerial to pickup local wifi ie MacDonalds etc and again creates a local hotspot. I use the ALFA with aerial and get good results. Hope this helps
 
Further to my other message to you and in light of what others are saying. My 'tablet' is a Voda one and has its own phone number(but not to be used as a phone for chats etc.) It doesn't need a dongle, dingle, dangle or a mifi. It connects directly to internet and has no limitations. Has my e-mails and all the apps you could ever need/want and more available. As I said i'm on a contract with voda and am totally satisfied with it- it has no downsides whatsoever. Separate mifi when used to 'assist' a pc, laptop or tablet are renowned for buffering thereby perhaps spoiling your enjoyment. It really depends on what you want to do and where you want to do it. Independent experts are hard to find-if you are a beginner then check out money saving experts site for starters and also google away. If you're on a contract speak to your provider.
 
Good point shortcircuit :) A wi-fi booster is a different ballgame altogether... no sim involved and possibly a good wi-fi network available in area where you can't get a mobile signal. As you say, the directional aerial and router/booster work to pick up free/unsecured wi-fi from a much greater distance than you could normally manage and then share it to your devices. They often need a laptop connected so that you can choose between signals but I honestly don't know if they all do or just some of them. Not everyone carries a laptop in the van now that tablets and phones are more prevalent. I'm going to start carrying my laptop again though because I'm getting a wi-fi system in a week or so to complete my collection of devices that feed my internet habit!! :rolleyes:
 
It costs me £18 a month on contract with 3 for 15 Gig of data. I had our landline taken out at home and we use the Huawei mifi at home and in the van. I use a Netbook and it is very rare I cannot get online with a good signal.
 
I invested in a fixed router with a 3 data sim in the van as an alternative to satellite TV. While touring France, Spain and Belgium recently we had good quality reception on UK TV channels using TVCatchup also iplayer, Amazon and lots more with a Chromecast dongle. In the UK it's a backup in case we can't get a TV signal.
Bd..
 
Slightly misleading. It is an ALFA R36 router I use and I can set it up on tablet, laptop or smart phone. Like all of the options suggested they need good signals
 
I've found the advantage to using a MIFI is you can put it on the roof of your van so get best signal available and also both of us can use the same sim card
 
As we do not have a tv I stripped the Status aerial and put the insides of a Wifi booster aerial inside and it works ok.
 
shortcircuit;n31560 said:
Slightly misleading. It is an ALFA R36 router I use and I can set it up on tablet, laptop or smart phone. Like all of the options suggested they need good signals
Click to expand...

Ah OK, so it's a 3G/4G sim based router rather than a wi-fi booster system. Sorry, I misunderstood.
I'm still really happy with my Huawei mi-fi but it's the wi-fi booster I'm getting soon, in the hope it'll fill the gaps when I can't get a 3G connection... or when I run out of data! :)
 
This thread has been really useful to me, being a hammer and spanner type. What we've wound up with is a 3g Huwaiegd mifi with a 3 network sim on the 12gb 12 month deal. I think this will supplement our two Giff Gaff £7.50 a month jobbies that have 1gb of data apiece.

But if all else fails I'll revert to pigeon post.

Cheers

H
 
"Ah OK, so it's a 3G/4G sim based router rather than a wi-fi booster system. Sorry, I misunderstood.
I'm still really happy with my Huawei mi-fi but it's the wi-fi booster I'm getting soon, in the hope it'll fill the gaps when I can't get a 3G connection... or when I run out of data! :)"

Yes and no. You can attach a dongle, with a sim, to connect to the internet, in which case it is the same as an MiFi unit providing your local hotspot. Alternatively you can attach a WiFi booster aerial and connect, using available open WiFi signals, again creating your local hotspot. With the first method you will be paying for the data used. With the second you are attaching to free open wifi sources e.g. McDonalds etc.
 
Oh wow! That really is the bees knees and definitely the best of both worlds. I didn't know they existed :Thumbs_Up_Hand_Sign
 
Just to add, I found in Spain, that not all ISPs will allow you to tether using you mobile phone or a SIM in a MiFi unit. Check before you purchase a SIM
 
Minisorella;n31484 said:
Probably teaching my grandpa/ma to suck eggs with this reply but I figured other people may read your topic who don't know anything about mi-fi or what's available :)

A mi-fi unit works on exactly the same principle as mobile phone data, ie connecting to the internet via a sim card. The main difference was that a mi-fi device connects itself to the internet and then puts out a wi-fi signal, so you can connect a phone, laptop, tablet, etc, all at once, usually up to 5 devices. These days though, most phones will allow you to set them up as a 'hotspot', so that you can share the connection in the same way. Personally, I've found that my mi-fi unit usually gives me a better internet connection than my phone but it's possible that could be about the mobile provider rather than the device I guess. You can buy mi-fi devices that have an aerial socket... stick the aerial outside the skylight for an even better signal. When all's said and done, it's still a sim connection but if your phone is 3G and a mi-fi is 4G, then you'll gain speed using the mi-fi's wireless signal.

The big drawback with using your phone as a wi-fi hotspot is that you're stuck with your own phone sim and whatever data allowance you get through your provider. If you can't get a signal somewhere on your phone, then that's it, no signal. With a mi-fi unit, provided you have an unlocked one, you can switch to a spare PAYG data sim from any other mobile company... and could even buy a local one abroad if that looked like a better bargain. Personally, I don't think it's worth getting a data sim on contract, a) because you're stuck with one company again and b) because you can pay around £2 per GB for PAYG data and that's far cheaper than with most contract data sims, plus you don't have to lose any data if you don't use it within a month. For example, Trio sims from 3 are really good value and have good coverage in the UK and Europe. The 12GB one is valid for up to a year (depending how quickly you use the 12GB) and the 24GB one is valid for up to 2 years. They're currently £28 and £45 respectively... see links below.
Click to expand...

Just for a point of view : I think that £2/Gb is extraordinarily expensive.

We're in Spain and we're using an EE data sim with 15Gb per month at (IIRC) £24 per month on a 30day rolling contract. (EE allow for up to 15Gb Roaming per month, 3 are only allowing 12Gb)

We've also bought a Spanish Simyo sim card which allows us 25Gb pre-paid for €28, which also includes unlimited roaming (as far as we can make out).

We are techies and use a LOT of data so we've been doing a huge amount of research for the best deals. 3 are no longer the best company for roaming deals because they limit your monthly roaming to 12Gb; no-one else limits that low - the others either limit at 15Gb or say 'no limit - use all your data'.


For reference - we're using a Huawei 5577C, bought with an extra aerial from MotorhomeWifi, and it works very well. :) (when the networks aren't playing up!!)
 
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