How good is MiFi on the 3 network

[moomog]

Hi

I was recently bought an iPad 64 Gig for my birthday and I was trawling the net to see what great things I could do with my new toy. I saw a Mi Fi transmitter and was wondering how good it is. I don't travel around too often but if I were going out for the day to see friends or relatives without a broadband connection this could be useful.

As I would only use it now and then I guess a PAYG option would be best but can anyone give me any advise with their experience with one of these.

 

[abta1]

I'd be interested to know too.

 

[Squid7085]

I currently have a MiFi on Verizon in the US, and I have to say, it was a very good purchase. Overall, the ability to really have internet for anything anywhere is a useful addition to my pocket. It is kind of a drag having to remember to turn it on when I want to use my iPad or any other device, but all I have to do is turn it on, shove it in my pocket, wait a few seconds, and my iPad is online. It's more useful IMHO to buy a MiFi instead of the 3G iPad, have a friend with their laptop, have them join in on the internet fun. I often take car trips with friends, and I will turn on the MiFi and have Laptops, iPad, Game Systems and everything on the MiFi.

 

[moomog]

I currently have a MiFi on Verizon in the US, and I have to say, it was a very good purchase. Overall, the ability to really have internet for anything anywhere is a useful addition to my pocket. It is kind of a drag having to remember to turn it on when I want to use my iPad or any other device, but all I have to do is turn it on, shove it in my pocket, wait a few seconds, and my iPad is online. It's more useful IMHO to buy a MiFi instead of the 3G iPad, have a friend with their laptop, have them join in on the internet fun. I often take car trips with friends, and I will turn on the MiFi and have Laptops, iPad, Game Systems and everything on the MiFi.

Thanks for that Squid, it sounds like it would suit me fine. I am thinking of going PAYG for the little I would be using it.

 

[great high wolf]

I have a 3 MiFi, which I was using on PAYG until recently. Be aware that the data top-ups don't last indefinitely, they expire after 30 days. This means you have to pay £10/month for the top-ups if you want the internet to always be available. Instead, I've switched to a £5/month SIM-only rolling plan with 1GB of data. They advertise it as only working for phones, but it's been working just fine for me in a MiFi.

Other than that, the device is utterly brilliant, assuming you have good network coverage!

 

[Carniphage]

Hi

I was recently bought an iPad 64 Gig for my birthday and I was trawling the net to see what great things I could do with my new toy. I saw a Mi Fi transmitter and was wondering how good it is. I don't travel around too often but if I were going out for the day to see friends or relatives without a broadband connection this could be useful.

As I would only use it now and then I guess a PAYG option would be best but can anyone give me any advise with their experience with one of these.

This is a bit off topic. But I have my iPhone on the Three network. Which means that iPhone tethering is turned on. So you can connect portable computers to the internet via the phone's bluetooth PAN.

The jailbreak app iTether enables this on the WifI iPad too. Which means mobile iPad internet.

It's a pretty good alternative to paying out for the MiFi.

C.

 

[chanticleer]

The unit works very well. Your main concern here shouldn't be the performance or price though, but of 3's coverage and support which are notoriously lousy. If you'll be visiting people in relatively large connurbations you should be ok, but if you go anywhere vaguely hilly or rural you'll start having trouble.

If you do pick one up, have a look at the sims on eBay. When the iPad was launched, there were plenty of '5Gb lasting a year' (or similar) sims on there which were going for not a huge amount.

 

[Warbrain]

The MiFi is a great device if you get coverage. i was in the middle of Wisconsin, only thick pine forest around me, and got 5 bars of 3G with Verizon.

So as long as you get coverage you'll be set. It's a great device.

 

[mattpreston11]

I have a 3 MiFi, which I was using on PAYG until recently. Be aware that the data top-ups don't last indefinitely, they expire after 30 days. This means you have to pay £10/month for the top-ups if you want the internet to always be available. Instead, I've switched to a £5/month SIM-only rolling plan with 1GB of data. They advertise it as only working for phones, but it's been working just fine for me in a MiFi.

Other than that, the device is utterly brilliant, assuming you have good network coverage!

I assume,like the 3 plan on my phone,that after 1gb you have to pay extra?if the bandwidth got throttled then I'd be more interested.

 

[dalvin200]

This is a bit off topic. But I have my iPhone on the Three network. Which means that iPhone tethering is turned on. So you can connect portable computers to the internet via the phone's bluetooth PAN.

The jailbreak app iTether enables this on the WifI iPad too. Which means mobile iPad internet.

It's a pretty good alternative to paying out for the MiFi.

C.

this is exactly what i am doing i thought about the mifi on 3, but then another device to carry and charger etc... the iTether completely solves it all

3G coverage in 3 is actually quite good imo... i've had no issues at all..

 

[maehara]

Another happy 3 Mifi customer here - have been using it on PAYG with my MacBook Air with no problems. Their coverage seems to be far better than the the UK networks. As mentioned, the PAYG top-ups come with a 30-day expiry - need to buy a new one when the data allowance or date expires, whichever comes first.

Haven't used it with my iPad (got the £7.50mth/1GB plan from 3 for that), but know a few other people who use iPad + Mifi and they think it's a great combination.