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MiFi from 3

The MiFi device is a combination of a broadband dongle and your own mini wireless router but will it satisfy the busy tech consumer?

What does a MiFi do?

MiFi devices are relatively new to the market. They are personal Wi-Fi and mobile broadband combined into a tiny little gadget that connects (if you want it to) via USB.

The MiFi from 3 uses the same 3 Ireland SIM to get mobile broadband connectivity but the difference is that you don't need to have it connected to your laptop or netbook in order to surf the net.

Fully powered and switched on, your MiFi will connect to the data network and send out a Wi-Fi connection that several devices at once can use to surf the net.

Getting started

There is a little bit of software on board, which you can install to have a control panel on your desktop. This is where you can set the SSID name and WEP Key for protected access to your Wi-Fi connection.

I discovered later on that you don't even have to set this up - the MiFi comes with a default SSID and WEP key on a little card that comes in the package so should you decide to get surfing straight away you can.

The MiFi works with all Wi-Fi enabled devices - I used it with my iPhone 3Gs as well as a laptop and netbook and they had no problem connecting and maintaining a strong connection.

There isn't really much to it apart from turning it on and off: it has three buttons - one for power, one for turning on the data connection and one for toggling the wireless connectivity. You can see the what's what on the little status panel on the device that colours appropriately according to signal strength.

Does it work?

Now for the main question: does it work well? I can answer that in two parts. First of all, I tested in the Gadgetrepublic.com office in Dublin and there's no question that it works fine for surfing the web and so on. I had my iPhone and netbook connected to the router at once and there seemed to be no issues with connectivity.

This is something I would prefer to use in place of a dongle: firstly, because I can pop it in my bag or pocket while using a netbook or laptop on the go, and secondly, because I can connect via Wi-Fi on my smart phone so that I don't eat my way through its monthly data limit.

It also works well for sharing an internet connection with friends.

Here's my quibble and in the interest of objectivity, this quibble is aimed at all mobile broadband products: you can never tell if it will get a signal in certain parts of the Irish countryside. I was in Laois and I got a consistently weak signal and eventually gave up but I have had the same experience with other networks so this is a general issue.

I know others who have used a MiFi product around the country and find it great. Sometimes it's best to keep it near the window.

You should also know that this is not a replacement for regular broadband - it is as fast and slow as mobile broadband can be and the Wi-Fi connectivity doesn't make a difference to this obviously.

If you already use mobile broadband as your main internet access then I do recommend buying a MiFi - you can share it across devices and (if you want) with friends and family - so you're getting the flexibility of a regular wireless router.

Just remember to give it a full charge before use because the battery can run down pretty quickly but if it does die you can always use the included USB cable to power it from your laptop and work it like a normal dongle.

Get it: 3 stores nationwide and 3's website.

Pricing: From €69 for the MiFi itself and you can get it on both 3Pay (pay as you go) and Pay Monthly. There's a 15GB cap on the Pay Monthly option.