Using Mobile WiFi

Image via Wikipedia

WiFi at home and at work is a great innovation which helps to make sure that whenever we are in our home or office, we are always connected to ‘the network’. Wifi has also been a great benefit for companies who struggle to provide enough meeting rooms for their employees (especially when they spend more time meeting than doing) by enabling them to meet anywhere in their offices and still be connected to the web.

If your job relies on access to the network and the internet, then you have probably fallen into the way of thinking that being unconnected feels odd. You have got used to being able to look up directions on Google Maps on your smart-phone to the meeting in town. You have probably got used to working from home and accessing your documents and intranet pages at the same speed as when you are in the office. You have become used to checking emails anywhere.

But, there was a gap in being connected to the internet when you stepped out of your home, office or the coffee shop. If you were at the train station, at a conference or at the airport, getting internet access for your laptop was a challenge. 3G phones came along and you could get high speed access through that but getting access through your laptop was not that easy.

Soon, 3G data cards came along which you slotted into your laptop, yet another dongle or device to plug in. Recently, however, 3G access has become a lot more flexible when 3 Mobile introduced their Huawei E5830 3G Wifi hub. It’s a device which you can carry around in your pocket and connect most devices which have WiFi capabilities.

I pay £11 per month for this device for 1GB of download capacity. It’s really useful when you are out and about. Some people use them in conjunction with their iPod Touch. I imagine it will useful for anyone who has an iPad but does not want to buy a 3G version of it. More often, however, I use it at home when my BT Broadband becomes slow when everyone in town is online.

Another great thing about this device is the ‘off’ button. Just like my Blackberry and mobile phone, you can switch it off! I don’t miss the internet that much.