Verizon Wireless MiFi 2200 Mobile Hotspot Review

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Mobile broadband is becoming increasingly popular for road warriors who need an always accessible internet connection to check their latest email messages and stay up to date with the latest from their companies. We reviewed the Sprint MiFi 2200 in August of last year, but how does the Verizon Wireless iteration compare? Find out after the break.

If you aren’t familiar with the MiFi, Novatel Wireless, the creators, call it an “intelligent mobile hotspot”. In short, the MiFi allows you to connect your WiFi-capable devices to the internet through the Verizon Wireless high-speed EVDO network. As some of you may know, before the MiFi, USB and ExpressCard mobile broadband cards were ubiquitous. We especially liked them for live-blogging tech conferences like Macworld and WWDC.

However, if you wanted to share that single connection, you most likely needed a Cradlepoint router, which cost an extra $100-150 dollars depending on what you need. The MiFi 2200 solves all of this in a credit-card sized device, albeit with only five users at a time.

The MiFi is fairly easy to set up. Once it’s activated by plugging it into your computer through the included USB cable, just hold down the power button and connect to the WiFi network listed on the bottom of the device. It works just like a normal hotspot you would find in a hotel or internet café. Since the MiFi is essentially a mini wireless router, it also has a web administration interface for changing the name of the network and setting a password. It offers such fine-grain control that you would normally find on a consumer-grade router like the Netgear WNDR3700 minus a few hardcore features.

There’s no power brick to carry around except when the battery runs low and you need to charge the device. Inside is a removable battery just like a cell phone. When we tested the device for a few days with intermittent use, it lasted around eight or nine hours on a full charge. On heavy use you can expect to receive around 4 hours of battery life.

In terms of the speeds you’ll receive using the hotspot, you can expect to receive around 1 to 2Mbps download and 300 to 400Kbps upload depending on where you’re using it and the strength of the signal.

There are a variety of data plans for the Verizon Wireless MiFi that range from $59.99 a month for 5GB of data transfer to $15 a day for 75MB of data transfer. The MiFi 2200 itself costs $49.99 at press time with a two-year agreement and online discount through the Verizon Wireless website.

Pros

• Allows access of high-speed internet wherever.
• Excellent battery life.
• Eliminates the need for a second “mobile broadband router”.

Cons

• Limited to five users or devices connected at a time.