Virgin MiFi any good?

[cashflyer]

I saw the post about Clearwire and thought the Pelican trust may have some experience with Virgin Mobil's MiFi. Is Virgin MiFi the same thing?

MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot | Virgin Mobile


I may be moving into an area that has no cable and no DSL - but it *IS* in the Sprint 3G "green zone". (Virgin uses the Sprint network) The MiFi is $40 per month with unlimited usage and no contract.


I know it will be slower than cable, but how does it compare to:

DSL?
Direct Way / Hughes Net (sat) ?


What should I be aware of and what should I expect?

[red-beard]

It would be equal to low speed DSL. Should be faster than Hughes net.

[curlesw]

I've had it for two months and would recommend it if you do not require large bandwidths. Our usage is basic email, kids take online classes (voice and video) and general web surfing. We do not download movies from Netflicks (requires 2.5Mbps, I have tested my connection and have seen about 1Mbps) or online gaming. When I do download large files (e.g. OS updates), it takes a bit longer than before but no big deal, I just get it started and go do something else. The MiFi will support 5 connections simultaneously, I have tested it and it does work. It also support ichats, skype, etc... with no issues.

My one caveat is performance is location dependent. We live out in the country with a strong 3G signal but very few people around. I'm not sure how many people are using the system, but assume if you live in a very dense area performance may suffer if there are a lot of users. Based on your post it seems you may be in a similar situation.

Overall I am very pleased. We do not have access to cable and did not like the 5 Gig limit for satellite connections so I was very happy when my neighbor told me about the Virgin MiFi. I also like the added benefit of being able to take the MiFi with me; I have not tried this yet but like the flexibility as we do travel with the kids and they can do (home)school wherever we go.

v/r
Wayne C.

[curlesw]

Another thought, I don't have TV (cable or satellite) but LOVE college football. I have been able to watch football on CBS and other stations via their web sites no problem...gotta love that.

Wayne C.

[cashflyer]

Thanks, guys.
I have a low-end DSL connection at my office, so that gives me a benchmark.

I've been looking (for some time now) for property away from the city... something rural. My wife and I looked at a place we really like, but as mentioned in my first post there is no DSL or cable out there.

The people in the area all have Hughes-net dishes on their homes, but I have been really put off by the cost of the SAT access - it seems too expensive considering their DL limit and the slow speeds.

The 3G signal is strong in the area, and the MiFi really seems to be 'the ticket'.

[cashflyer]

Oh... and I rarely ever use the internet at home. I get enough of it at work.
But my wife likes the idea of having it.


Do you think it is fast enough to handle Vonage ?
I have used Vonage over my DSL connection at work, and if there is anything else placing demand on the system you get very bad clarity issues.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

Oh... and I rarely ever use the internet at home. I get enough of it at work.
But my wife likes the idea of having it.


Do you think it is fast enough to handle Vonage ?
I have used Vonage over my DSL connection at work, and if there is anything else placing demand on the system you get very bad clarity issues.

Yes. Vonage can be set to fairly low bandwidth levels. And it only uses those levels in a conversation.

[porsche4life]

Sprint has a mobile hotspot as well. Not sure what the pricing runs though.

[cashflyer]

Sprint requires a 2 yr contract and the plan is $60 per month with a data limit of 5gb.
Virgin requires no contract and is only $40 per month for unlimited data.

And it's the same network.

[cashflyer]

Virgin Mobile will limit it's "unlimited" plan starting in February 2011.



Is unlimited wireless data simply an impossible dream? Virgin Mobile said today that it was abandoning its $40, all-you-can-eat 3G Broadband2Go data plan because "we need to implement network controls to ensure optimal experience."

Rather, Virgin is going to the same sort of model T-Mobile and Cricket use. You'll be able to use "unlimited" data, but after 5GB/month your speeds will be choked down for the rest of the month.

As all Virgin Mobile broadband subscribers are month-to-month, the new plan takes effect when users' months run out any time after Feb. 15.

"Customers who use BB2Go for typical email, internet surfing and reasonable downloading will likely not be impacted/notice any difference," Virgin Mobile's Corinne Nosal said to me in an email.

But that's just not true—if you want to use 3G as your primary Internet connection. Teleworking on my laptop without doing high-bandwidth things like streaming video, I can use up to 200MB/day. That allows a month's worth of workdays within 5GB.

The problem comes if you like video or downloads. Streaming Netflix at 1000kbps (if you can get that speed on the Virgin/Sprint 3G network), you use up about 450MB per hour. Some Windows updates can be up to 200MB alone. Want a TV show from your favorite legal downloading Web site? That'll be 350MB, thanks.

While there are some small wireless ISPs in some parts of the country, Virgin's abandonment of truly unlimited high-speed data leaves Sprint 4G/Clear as the only remaining major player willing to take on the wired-Internet oligopoly with an unlimited high-speed, wireless solution.




Virgin Mobile Ditches Unlimited Data | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

[porsche4life]

Pretty much everyone has ditched the "unlimited" data. Not surprised that virgin is doing the same....

[RWebb]

what? no sex jokes? I want my click back...

[jyl]

I have a VZ MiFi, here's my thoughts:
- speed and latency are okay for email, surfing, low-res YouTube, etc. Not great but okay.
- I have a 2gb per month limit, which is fine but I only use it for traveling. If it were my only net connection, would be a problem.
- range of the mifi is short, like one room. You won't be able to connect two laptops at opposite ends of the house.

You might want to see if virgin offers a 3G access point that can reach the entire house with it's wifi signal.


-

[cashflyer]

Though it cost a little more to go this route, the solution to that problem is to use a USB wifi receiver plugged into a wireless router. The router has more signal output than the myfi unit does.