![]() It acts like a broadband data source or a small portable router, utilizing the 802.11ac or 802.11ax protocol. Mobile hotspot uses 3G or 4G cellular networks, focusing on a data connection so that it can share that connection with other nearby devices via WiFi. It is simply like portable WiFi, though they don’t necessarily work anywhere and all the time. How Does Mobile Hotspot Work? © Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash The best case to avoid these hefty bills is to subscribe to a mobile hotspot plan that is capable to handle heavy use of mobile data. They forget to turn off their mobile hotspot or accidentally turn it on. This is one of the reasons why some people get blindsided by their cell phone bills. Of course, this means they will also drain your data, thereby increasing your data charges. When you turn on your smartphone’s mobile hotspot or tethering capability, other devices can connect to your hotspot and use your cellular data to surf the internet. It’s also known as a portable hotspot or, more colloquially, tethering. Simply put, it is an ad hoc wireless access point that allows your smartphone to share its cellular data with other devices. Today, you can even use your own smartphone as an access point, allowing other users to connect to the internet by sharing your cellular data. Gone are the days when internet connectivity required cable networks. ![]() I'm counting on Apple to have 4G iPhones and iPads already in development.What Is Mobile Hotspot? © Photo by Samsung It will be fascinating to see what is available to the consumer in late 2010 and early 2011. The race is on to build out the 4G networks as well as to develop 4G cell phones, broadband modems, and routers. For one thing, Verizon and AT&T chosen to use LTE (Long Term Evolution) wireless broadband protocol instead of WiMAX. Though Sprint is happily demonstrating the potential of 4G wireless broadband with the Overdrive and other products, it's not clear how the future of 4G will all play out. Though the monthly charge for unlimited 4G service is pricey at $60, if you split it between five devices, the price per device drops to $12 per month. It's a compelling companion for the iPad WiFi. 5"), light (4 oz), supports up to 5 users, and runs off battery power. Got time on your hands in a home or business with no access to internet? Visting the bookstore with free WiFi but it's too slow? Eating in a restaurant or shopping in a grocery store with WiFi that's passworld protected - and they won't tell you the password? No problem if you have the Overdrive in your jacket pocket or European Man Bag. Commuters in trains, buses or car pools should find it useful. So who should be excited about Overdrive? Anyone who wants a mobile hotspot for business trips or vacations should consider it. The iPad performs even better than the iPhone 3GS. The latest firmware update (April 2010) changed the download speed dramatically as you can see in the graphs. The iPhone 3GS download performance was pathetic when I tested in January when it averaged 90kbps download. Upload speed was faster but dramatically so. At least in the case of the MacBook Pro, the 4G Overdrive provided download speeds almost 4 times faster than the "best" Verizon 3G wireless broadband setup. SpeedTest website or mobile app used for testing Test server: Casper, Wyoming.Īs you can see, the speed experienced with the Overdrive depends on what device you are using. Verizon 3G = MacBook Pro + KPC680 ExpressCard (Verizon 3G Broadband) How fast does it go in the real world? This is what we recorded: It's advertised to offer download speeds from 3 to 6 megabit per second (Mbps). My focus, as usual, is on the speed Sprint's 4G network offers in the real world. For you tech heads, I refer you to the WiMAX article on Wikikpedia. However, WiMAX is very different from Wi-Fi in the way it works. WiMAX is a term coined to describe standard, interoperable implementations of IEEE 802.16 wireless networks, similar to the way the term Wi-Fi is used for interoperable implementations of the IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN standard. Sprint has persuaded companies like Google, Intel, and Comcast to form an investment partnership in the WiMAX network developed by ClearWire. ![]() It works with any Mac or PC with WiFi hardware. ![]() "Overdrive" is a palm-sized, battery-powered WiFi base station that supports to both 3G and 4G networks. But none of the 4G modems offered by Sprint or Comcast work with Mac OS X. I've been itching to test the 4G wireless broadband modems - especially since our lab happens to be in a city that has extensive 4G (WiMAX) coverage. Sprint's "Overdrive" offers something that no other 4G product offers: it works with Mac OS X. Updated on April 5th, 2010 with faster iPhone results added iPad results Originally posted January 21st, 2010, by rob-ART morgan, mad scientist ![]()
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