IPad & MiFi...I've got questions, you've got answers

[hookbill]

I'm really having a struggle grasping at what Verizons MiFi is all about. When you use this MiFi is it portable? Or do you have to have a pc or mac nearby to make it work?

I'm confused, it seems to me like the 3G capability should be built into the iPad itself. But it says something like you activate it on a mac or pc and then create mobil hot spots.

Now if I use my iMac to activate this mifi, if I take the iPad on the road will it still access 3G if I'm no where near my Mac?

 

[BlackHoleSlam]

U turn on the mifi where ever you are after you activate it and it makes you a mobile hot spot

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

 

[hookbill]

U turn on the mifi where ever you are after you activate it and it makes you a mobile hot spot

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

So what you're saying is it doesn't have to be near a computer, it just takes a computer to activate it?

 

[BlackHoleSlam]

Yes or activated Verizon employee

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

 

[DaveShapiro72]

Yes MiFi is a Mobile hotspot for your ipad, PC phone etc, just like if you go to a starbucks or McDonald's and use free wifi. The ipad 3G capability doesn't support CDMA network which is what Verizion and Sprint use, only GSM which is what At&T has.:greendroid:

 

[ballbanter54]

I have a friend who has had all kinds of problems with the MiFi. He is not tech savvy and has trouble with it needing to be reset. Most people would do this right off the bat, but he doesn't know what to do when it freezes up. He just needs something that works and keeps working. Have any of you had this experience with the MiFi?

 

[coondogg97]

[video=youtube;dDClMgIZwWY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDClMgIZwWY]YouTube - Verizon MiFi 2200 Review[/video]

 

[TwerpPoet]

The only thing I have to add to the video is that there is a battery indicator of sorts. When the battery gets low the power light turns yellow instead of it's usual green. When the battery is critically low (about to shut down) the light blinks red. It also uses the red, yellow, green light to give you a rough idea of it's charge state when it is charging.

I liked mine, but terminated the service when I got the Droid X. $20 vs $60 made a nice savings since my average data use was well below the 2GB limit of Droid X's hotspot.

Oh, and though the video does not mention this you can also use it tethered, much the way the dongle devices work. You just hook it up to the computer using supplied miniUSB to USB cable. If the necessary software is not already on the computer you are given a chance to install it.

This is good when the device is starting to run low on battery. It also lets you chose whether to activate the hotspot or use the connection solely for that computer.