The 4G Mobile Hotspot’s performance varied across a wide range in my tests, which isn’t unusual since many variables–including proximity to the cell site and the amount of traffic the site is handling at any given moment–affect both Wi-Fi and mobile broadband speeds. However I doubt that text messaging support will be a big draw because you have to launch a browser to use it, and most people are likely to prefer to use their normal cell phone for this service. The settings are fairly typical of a Wi-Fi router, aside from the above-mentioned text-messaging feature. You can access the settings either by installing an application while connected in USB mode (the app is in the hotspot’s internal memory), or while connected wirelessly, by typing in the address field of your browser. The default network ID and encryption key are written in the battery compartment (it’s a good idea to write them down so you don’t have take the back panel off more than once), but you can change them in the browser-based settings pages. You connect your devices to the ZTE hotspot and choose the security settings manually, as you would with any other Wi-Fi network that you were joining for the first time. On the same edge, but on the other side of the MicroSD card slot, is a button for setting up security using WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)–the Wi-Fi Alliance-backed setup protocol–if the device you’re connecting to the hotspot also supports it. A small removable plastic doorway on the opposite edge conceals a connector for an optional external antenna, which can improve reception. While using the 4G Mobile Hotspot, however, you can bring up the status info by pressing the on-off button on the side of the unit.
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This information appears when you first power on the device, but the screen goes dark after a few moments, presumably to conserve battery life. Ultimately, this feature seems a bit pointless, since you can access the files on the card only while the hotspot is tethered to the PC.Įncased in shiny black with a few lime-green accents, the 4G Mobile Hotspot sports a small white-on-black LCD display that provides brightly lit status information, including mobile broadband network type (4G, 3G, or EDGE), strength of network connection (the usual “5 bars” icon), battery level (4 bars), Wi-Fi status (on/off), number of devices connected via Wi-Fi (represented by a small number), and newly arrived text messages (a number also tells you how many there are). And while that cable is connected, you can load files onto the MicroSD card slotted in the ZTE hotspot, though you’ll have to bring your own card because ZTE doesn’t provide one.
T MOBILE HOTSPOT FREE PC
You can use it as a USB modem by tethering it to a PC with the included Micro-USB cable. You can use the unit to send and receive text messages via its browser-based interface. Manufactured by China’s ZTE Corporation, the 4G Mobile Hotspot also has a few extra features that some competing devices lack. In my tests, the device didn’t always live up to T-Mobile’s speed claims, but connections were fairly reliable and battery life was pretty good, making the product a great choice for people whose travels tend to occur within T-Mobile’s area of 4G coverage (as indicated on the carrier’s coverage map). The 4G Mobile Hotspot is about the size and shape of a small flip cell phone (folded shut), and it weighs 2.6 ounces. (For background on this growing category, read our feature on stand-alone versus phone-integrated hotspots.)
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The T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot ($80 with a two-year contract) joins a growing group of mobile hotspots that fit in your pocket and allow several Wi-Fi enabled devices to connect to the Internet via a single mobile broadband connection.