The Novatel MiFi 2200

The MiFi 2200 is a compact device, weighing 2 ounces and measuring 3.5 x 2.3 x 0.4 inches. It has a single power on/off button, and its faux metal front goes well with any mobile Apple product. It connects wirelessly with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices. You don’t need it with a 3G-enabled iPhone, but MiFi will bring broadband Internet connectivity to your iPod touch, a non-3G iPad, and other non-3G devices. You can even create a mini-LAN and piggyback off the MiFi’s 3G connection.

Setting up MiFi is straightforward: On your iPad or other WiFi device, go to your network/wireless settings and enter the SSID of the unit and the password. My unit had that information on a sticker on the bottom, but the SSID was wrong. Fortunately, my iPad found the correct SSID when it did a search, and within seconds, I was connected and back in business.

There are some downsides to the MiFi approach. Although it’s tiny, it’s still another device you have to carry around with you. It’s powered by a rechargeable battery that will give you about 4 hours of use and 40 hours of standby. If you plan on using it longer than 4 hours, you’ll have to carry its micro-USB charger with you. (You can use it indefinitely when connected to the charger.) You can also plug the MiFi into the USB port of a computer, but then only that computer can go online. Finally, although the device itself is inexpensive, the data connection is not.

Verizon (verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobilebroadband) offers the MiFi for as little as $50, but to get that price you have to sign up for a two-year contract ($60/month for the 5GB data plan or a $40/month for the 250MB data plan). Sprint (shop.sprint.com/en/shop, select the “Mobile Broadband Cards” link) offers the MiFi with “Instant Savings” and a mail-in rebate that make it free. You still have to sign up for a two-year contract, and the To summarize, the price of the MiFi 2200 really isn’t the issue—the cost of the data plans is! Over the life of a two-year contract you could end up spending $960-$1,440 for the 3G data service.

Source of Information : IPhone Life November-December 2010

The Novatel MiFi 2200