Not So Fast

Two days ago I was so happy that I could get rid of a $60/month bill because I no longer needed my broadband Internet device. Then I got back to my boat last night and discovered my free Internet connection no longer worked. I'm sure someone will come in over the weekend and figure out the problem. Then it will be working again on Monday. However, I need something a bit more reliable and so it looks like I am going to have to keep my broadband device.

When I was at the Verizon store looking at Internet solutions for my boat, I had two possible choices: a device that plugged into my USB port and worked with a single computer or their MiFi product that can connect up to 5 WiFi-enabled devices. In the commercials on TV, they show five guys sitting around a campfire playing video games on PSPs and Nintendos. My justification for getting the device was so I could simultaneously connect my laptop and a future Playstation 3 that I plan to get. After all, I do work for a video game company. As luck would have it, my new work laptop arrived this week and so I already have two devices that can use my broadband Internet connection.

The MiFi product works pretty good and is fairly easy to set up. The only reason to connect it to your computer is for setup and if you want to charge its battery. It also comes with a dedicated stand-alone charger. I like not having it tethered to my computer all the time. If I want to get better reception, I can stick it on the roof of my boat and signal strength increases. That can come in handy sometimes.

AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon all sell MiFi devices. I was originally going to go with Sprint because their 4G coverage seems to be so much faster than simple 3G. Then I did a bit of research. There are only a handful of states with 4G coverage and neither Utah nor California are on the list. Then I thought about AT&T, but I already have an iPhone. I figure that between Verizon and AT&T, I will have more data area coverage than with just AT&T alone.

I sure would have liked to give up a monthly bill but it is worth it to have reliable Internet coverage. However if you think you want a MiFi device so you can sit around a campfire playing video games with your kids, you need to get out more.