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MiFi is about conversion 3G/4G into Wi-Fi. You can connect several (typically up to five) Wi-Fi enabled devices to the 3G wireless internet, with no contract. Simple, one-touch connectivity modems makes it easy to operate. You can get around four hours of usage out of one battery charge.
Typically there is no contract and the plans are flexible. Walmart's 1GB plan for $20 per month . Most people will not use more than 2GB. If you think you will, get two Walmart cards or pay $50 for the unlimited 3G speed.
Huawei E5331 21Mbps Mobile WiFi Hotspot Computer Modems Computers & Accessories
A little disappointed July 22, 2013By David C - Melbourne Australia
Amazon Verified PurchaseThe main downside of this model is that there is no screen. This means that you can't instantly see type of signal you are receiving, (2G, 3G or HSDPA) nor rate of download, nor meaningful information on battery life. Signal strength and battery life indicators exist, but are quite poor. I prefer the Huawei E585 as a better choice as it has a screen with more feedback to the user. Even better is the newer Huawei E5776, bigger (but better battery life) and has 4G/LTE and a screen with feedback on what is happening.
Using your Novatel MiFi Router July 23, 2010By Oldskaterman
Amazon Verified PurchaseFirst, it is indeed true that the Novatel 2372 GSM MiFi device will work on either the AT&T or T-Mobile GSM networks. What may not be obvious to everyone is the fact that T-Mobile's GSM network will only accommodate a 3G connection if the cellular device is capable of supporting transmission in the 1700/2100 MHz band. Since the Novatel 2372 MiFi device does not support transmission in this band combination, this results in the T-Mobile network only allowing a noticeably slower EDGE data connection. The AT&T network, however, supports a 3G connection in the 2100 MHz band (uplink and downlink).
I found this out the hard way since I had a T-Mobile service plan in effect when I purchased my Novatel 2372 MiFi router. I noticed very quickly that my data connections were always EDGE connections instead of 3G connections. Once I determined the reason for not being able to access a higher speed 3G connection on T-Mobile's network, I switched my service to AT&T's network. This raised another issue which is finding out the complexities involved in obtaining an AT&T data-only service plan, i.e., a service plan that does not entail a 2 year commitment.
Below are the details associated with obtaining reliable MiFi data service for a Novatel 2372 MiFi router.
* AT&T at one time offered, but no longer offers, a data-only service plan. In other words today a normal cell phone plan available from AT&T must include a voice service plan. However, they do offer a DataConnect plan which is designed to accommodate a USB Wireless modem device (Air Card), e.g., for use in a laptop computer only. Unless you specifically mention that you have such a GSM capable device and wish to obtain data service and no voice capabilities, the AT&T sales people will tell you no such data-only plan exists unless you can prove you are legally deaf.
* I was able to sign up for AT&T's DataConnect plan for about $66/month with a 5 GB usage limit. In my case I will most likely not exceed this limit, hence this plan is ideal for use with my MiFi router.
* Once you have purchased the appropriate AT&T service and received an AT&T SIM card, you must have knowledge of certain configuration details in order to render your MiFi router functional on the service providers network. Don't count on AT&T to have this information available. Even the AT&T higher level technical support people may not necessarily be familiar with what a MiFi router is and therefore unfamiliar with how to properly configure such a device on AT&T's network.
Here are the simple details required to configure your Novatel 2372 MiFi router for access to either AT&T or T-Mobile data services:
In the Novatel configuration setup for creating an Internet Profile, I discovered that your default profile must include the correct APN string and a valid Username and Password. Fortunately this kind of information is available on the Internet or obtainable from your cellular service provider.
For AT&T (HSPA, UMTS, EDGE and GPRS), the APN should be: WAP.CINGULAR
- Username can be your assigned mobile telephone number
- Password can be your assigned mobile telephone number
For T-Mobile (EDGE and GPRS), the APN should be: [...]
- Username can be blank
- Password can be blank
There appears to be some variations in acceptable entries, especially involving the Username and Password. In general, however, the APN entry must be recognized by the carrier matching the inserted SIM card.
Novatel Wireless MiFi 2372 Unlocked 3G Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot GSM For North America (AT&T & T-Mobile)
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