3's MiFi Wireless Internet

laoisfan

Hi

Recently have a 3 salesperson call to the door offering 3 broadband. We currently have Digiweb Wireless.

Anyway, it seems the area we are in (South Laois, near Rathdowney) is covered with 3.

I was looking at 3's MiFi Wireless Internet - has anyone used their E5830 MiFi modem? Any issues?

Also, is it just a case of switching on the modem itself and then devices just connect? i.e. laptop, wireless devices etc

Thanks!

jor el

Moved to Midband.

Mifi is a mobile router, not designed for home use. Three 3G Internet is for mobile use too, and not suited to home use, unless you've no other option.

You have broadband, and are considering moving to dial-up, essentially. A bad move.

watty

3 Ireland don't have ANY Broadband products. They only sell Mobile Internet carried by their Mobile phone system.

The MiFi is a personal Travel 3G Internet to WiFi hotspot. It's inferior to any home router that has a 3G "dongle" option. It's got much more limited features and range than a full spec router + WiFi spot.

Your Digiweb Wireless with a suitable ethernet + WiFi Router is much superior.

laoisfan

jor el wrote: »

Moved to Midband.

Mifi is a mobile router, not designed for home use. Three 3G Internet is for mobile use too, and not suited to home use, unless you've no other option.

You have broadband, and are considering moving to dial-up, essentially. A bad move.

No harm exploring options? Essentially what I have at the moment from Digiweb is glorified 3G so really no difference in my opinion, apart from the monthly cost.

I would have thought that any USB broadband (dongle) or Mifi is for both home and/or mobile use - isn't that the whole point?

Thanks anyway.

laoisfan

watty wrote: »

3 Ireland don't have ANY Broadband products. They only sell Mobile Internet carried by their Mobile phone system.

The MiFi is a personal Travel 3G Internet to WiFi hotspot. It's inferior to any home router that has a 3G "dongle" option. It's got much more limited features and range than a full spec router + WiFi spot.

Your Digiweb Wireless with a suitable ethernet + WiFi Router is much superior.

Thanks Watty - I guess stay with Digiweb for the moment...unless Eircom get off their **** and that is unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Thanks for all the replies guys.

watty

laoisfan wrote: »

No harm exploring options? Essentially what I have at the moment from Digiweb is glorified 3G so really no difference in my opinion, apart from the monthly cost.

Not at all. Though the basic Digiweb wireless is inferior to Metro Wireless, it's up to 16 better and more consistent than 3G.
3G can't offer

• Always On
• Low Latency
• Controlled contention
• Minimum Speed
• Same efficiency as more users connect

The Digiweb Wireless beats 3G/W-CDMA/HSPDA/iHSPA on all those. The only advantages of the 3G/iHSPA is occasionally higher speed and Mobility. In that part of South Laois, many people have only dialup or ISDN "narrowband" speeds on 3's 3G

laoisfan wrote: »

I would have thought that any USB broadband (dongle) or Mifi is for both home and/or mobile use - isn't that the whole point?

More for Mobile use than home use. Many of the Home routers that take a 3G USB dongle can be powered off car, van or Minibus via a cheap Cigar Plug adaptor and used with magnetic roof aerial (assuming a Modem with aerial socket) for superior Mobile performance. The MiFi is very much a pocket travel 3G adaptor for WiFi only gadgets. On the Go "Mobile" a 3G USB dongle on extension cable direct on Laptop/Netbook makes more sense if not using a full spec router.

laoisfan

Thanks for all the replies - I've been educated!!!

Looks like it is Digiweb then!