It’s become easy to set up office just about anywhere these days. I should know: as a journalist, I’m a truly mobile worker. I frequent coffee shops, conference centres, boardrooms and newsrooms. And I need connectivity wherever I am so I can check my e-mail, surf the Web and, most importantly, keep readers of this website updated with fresh content.
Of course, it’s not a hassle to do these days. All you need is a hotel or coffee shop with Wi-Fi, or a 3G card for your laptop.
But there’s a new kind of connectivity people are looking for: on-demand Wi-Fi hotspots for those impromptu meetings where everyone is using their laptops. You know the ones: you’re overseas, say, and you need to meet with a few colleagues to brainstorm some ideas ahead of a big presentation to a prospective client. You all need to be online, but you can’t always find a Wi-Fi hotspot, and not everyone has a 3G card.
The solution is to create your own 3G-based wireless hotspot. It’s not as difficult as it sounds.
Novatel Wireless has developed the MiFi device specifically for this purpose. All you do is plug a Sim card into the device and it automatically creates a Wi-Fi hotspot (802.11b/g) that can be shared among five people. Novotel has several MiFi devices on the market, but TechCentral has been taking a look at the MiFi 2352 model.
The 2352 supports high-speed packet access 3G networks (up to 7,2Mbit/s on the downlink and 5,7Mbit/s on the uplink). When 3G is not available, it will connect via slower but still functional GPRS/Edge networks. The range of the Wi-Fi seems reasonable, with a direct range of about 10m.
Setting up the device is a snap. Simply plug in a Sim card, connect wirelessly to the device from your computer, direct your Web browser to the device’s IP address, and set up the access point name (APN) of your chosen mobile operator — usually the APN is “internet”. The device is “tri-band” so should work in most regions, including the US.
The 2352, which is slightly smaller than a box of cigarettes, weighs just 81g so you won’t notice it in your laptop bag. Novatel claims the removable lithium-ion battery provides up to four hours of useful life — as always, expect less in real-world conditions. The device also includes a microSD slot — this is used to charge the device — and supports card sizes of up to 16GB. This provides an interesting way of sharing documents quickly over the air.
There’s an integrated assisted GPS so the device is location-aware, though I’m not sure why you’d need this.
When the device is tethered to a computer — and Mac OS X, Windows and Linux are all supported — the integrated software can be used to send SMSes. It also has a built-in address book.
The MiFi 2352 is expensive. At a recommended retail price of R2 280, there are much cheaper options available to you, though admittedly not as feature-rich, and often not as convenient.
Those using Nokia smartphones should check out JoikuSpot, which turns your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot so people around you can share your 3G connection. The premium version of JoikuSpot shouldn’t set you back more than about R200. And there’s a “light” version that’s free of charge. — Duncan McLeod, TechCentral
