TruConnect MiFi

Do you want the comfort of taking the internet with you on the go, but only need to use it every once in a while? Then the TruConnect MiFi ($99 direct) is just the device for you. It's a tiny mobile hotspot with an attractive, highly portable design that offers reasonable prices for getting online in a pinch. Just don't plan to use it for much more than sending the occasional email, however, or you'll be looking at quite a hefty bill.

Pricing
The most important reason to consider (or not consider) this hotspot is the monthly pricing. Simply put, there is no standard monthly pricing. The hotspot uses Sprint's physical network to get you online, so you can use it wherever Sprint 3G is available. You are charged $4.99 for every month of use, plus 3.9 cents per megabyte of usage. Including the $4.99, that means 100MB of data will cost you $8.89. Not bad?but those prices grow quickly. 500MB costs $24.49, while 1GB rings in at a whopping $43.99. On the other hand, you only pay for the exact amount of data you use, so if you use 371MB, you will only be charged for 371MB. And if you don't use the modem for a month, you won't be charged for anything at all.

But compare TruConnect to Virgin Mobile, which offers prepaid plans that cost $20 for 500MB of data per month, or unlimited data for $50 per month, and it doesn't seem like such a good deal. Even Sprint offers 3GB of 3G or 4G data for $34.99 per month, 6GB for $49.99, or 12GB for $79.99.

Those prices put the TruConnect MiFi in a very limited place. It's a good deal, but only if you plan to use it very sparingly. To send and receive emails without attachments, for instance, you should have no trouble getting through an entire month using less than 100MB. Or if you sometimes need to access the Web on your tablet or laptop, but only for a short period of time, it may also be worth it. But if you're looking for anything more than that, move on.

Design and Setup
The TruConnect MiFi is essentially the same device as the MiFi 2200 we saw on Sprint?(4 stars) and Verizon?(3.5 stars) back in 2009, as well as the MiFi 2200 currently offered by Virgin Mobile. Made by Novatel, the hotspot has an attractive brushed aluminum surface. At 3.5 x 2.3 x .4 inches, it's also super tiny, which makes it great for travelling; it's easily small enough to slip into your pants pocket, and comes with a travel pouch.

The case has a green LED on its side that blinks to indicate when you are connected to Sprint's network, when there is no service, and when you are transmitting and/or receiving data. That's simple enough to understand, but the Power Button LED on the top of the device is just plain confusing. There are amber, blue, green, and red lights, all with different meanings. These meanings change when those lights are blinking. You are only notified when battery life is critically low, and I had a difficult time just figuring out whether the modem was fully charged.?

Setup, on the other hand, is simple. Directions are provided to go online and activate your service before using the device. You only need to do this once, and when you're done, you can just turn on the hotspot, wait for it to connect to Sprint's network, and then connect to it as you would with any traditional Wi-Fi network. The SSID and password are provided on the back of the MiFi, and you can change the password after your initial connection.

Features, Performance, and Conclusions
The MiFi is capable of connecting up to five Wi-Fi devices at a maximum distance of about 40 feet. It only supports the older 802.11b/g standard, but speed probably isn't your biggest concern here.

There is a USB port for charging the MiFi, as well as tethering it to your laptop. When charging, the network function shuts off, so you're at the mercy of the hotspot's battery. Unfortunately, battery life is short, at just 2 hours, 33 minutes. While tethered, the hotspot will charge itself and get your laptop online, but you won't be able to connect any additional devices to it wirelessly.

Once connected to the hotspot, you can pull up an online administration page that shows and continuously updates your upload and download usage amounts. An account management page allows you to review historical usage, with every data session from the start of your service. Each record shows the date, time, usage, and cost. Most of this information is also available directly from TruConnect, or using the included MobiLink software if you connect your modem via USB.

The main selling point here is price, not speed. When you're paying per megabyte, you aren't necessarily concerned with LTE-like levels of speed?and you certainly won't get those here, either. While TruConnect advertises speeds up to 3.1Mbps, I saw average speeds of .4Mbps down and .3Mbps up while using the MiFi. Those are definitely on the slow side, but again, it's not such a big deal if you're only trying to check your email or look up a movie time.

On a side note, this modem tends to get quite hot while in use. Not hot enough to pose a risk, but certainly warm enough to notice.

It doesn't make the cut for our list of the?Best Mobile Hotspots, but at the end of the day, if you only need to access the internet on your laptop, tablet, or other Wi-Fi capable device on occasion, the TruConnect MiFi can be a good, inexpensive way with which to do it. But if your data needs run deeper, you're better off looking somewhere like Virgin Mobile. The TruConnect MiFi can save you money, but only if you're very careful.

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