I’m looking for a portable MiFi or hotspot device to use while traveling for work and staying in hotels. I mainly use a MacBook Air, two iPads, and a Windows 11 laptop — often from libraries with slow WiFi, and while traveling (just in the US).
A few things I’m looking for:
I don’t want to add this to my current cell plan. I’d rather keep it separate with its own prepaid or data-only plan.
Ideally something with good battery life, 5G support, and that works well with multiple devices.
I want it to be simple to use and reliable across macOS, iPadOS, and Windows.
I asked ChatGPT and it said:
I’ve been looking at the Inseego MiFi X PRO 5G and the Netgear Nighthawk M6. Would love to hear if anyone here has used either of those or has other suggestions. Also open to recommendations for data plans or carriers that work well with these.
Would love to hear what others are using or recommend. Thanks!
What problem are you fixing? Why do you want this? Most every hotel in the world offers WiFi, as do many other businesses you are likely to interact with on business travel. Mostly free. With a VPN you can secure the connection as best as possible.
I know you said you didn’t want to add to your existing cell plan, but my plan (at&t, unlimited) includes a personal hot spot on my iPhone at no extra charge. I use it at my vacation property, where I don’t have cable, and I frequently use it in hotels because it’s often faster than the free wifi.
Nighthawk M6 Pro arguably has the fewest tradeoffs, but it’s pretty expensive (~$600.) You can probably get a new or refurb Inseego cheaply. I’m guessing you aren’t going to overload a weaker router if you’re mostly using your own devices. The M6 Pro pays off when you have many simultaneous users (your family, a team of coworkers.)
When I had to do this, quite a few years ago, I discovered that many of the wifi hotspots were quite obviously from a few fairly anonymous Chinese manufacturers, rebadged and often with proprietary firmware added. In the end I went with the offering from the telecoms company who had the best and fastest coverage in the region where I needed to use it and where I could live with the data deal cost. Their shop registered it for me and made sure it was working and after that it “just worked”. I used it for a few years until I no longer needed it.
Since my wife and I travel in our motorhome, we need good connectivity due to most campground WiFi being next to useless. For a few years we’ve had a plan from Calyx Institute - https://calyxinstitute.org/ I pay $500 per year for unlimited data on T-mobile. First year is more because you have to pay for the device. I was using an Inseego MiFi 5G which worked great but it doesn’t accept external antennas and the WiFi range is rather short. Some places I get >300 mbps. Part of the yearly subscription is tax deductible due to Calyx being an eligible nonprofit.
They just introduced a bring your own device plan which allows you to use the SIM card in other hotspot devices. I’m using a Pepwave router which has external antenna connections. For a lot of good information on mobile internet check out https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/ It’s mainly aimed at RVers and boaters.
Finally if you just want to try things out, check with your local library. Ours lends out hotspots for a week at a time for free.