We all rely on the internet at home, but staying connected while traveling can be challenging. When you're on the road, your options include using public WiFi hotspots, tethering your mobile phone, connecting with a USB modem (dongle), or carrying a dedicated mobile hotspot router. Explore these options to determine the best solution for your needs.
In today’s networked world, feeling disconnected from family, friends, or colleagues while away from home is understandable. Many people initially turn to local WiFi (MiFi) hotspot cafes or places with good phone reception. However, these options often come with issues like slow and unreliable WiFi, high data charges, lack of privacy, and security risks that can expose important information to malicious intruders.
A better alternative is to carry a 4G LTE or 5G pocket WiFi hotspot device when traveling. Mobile hotspots (portable WiFi hotspots) allow you to connect to the internet from the comfort of your hotel, motorhome, car, boat, or even a tent in the Australian outdoors. Whether you travel for business or pleasure, staying connected with a mobile WiFi hotspot is the ideal solution. Let’s compare dedicated mobile hotspots to phone tethering for internet connectivity on the go.
Phone tethering is a straightforward way to connect to the internet when you’re on the go. If your mobile phone plan includes mobile broadband hotspot data, you can simply switch on your phone’s hotspot and use it to provide WiFi connections for laptops and other wireless devices. However, it’s important to note that mobile phone WiFi antennas are small and offer a limited wireless range. Phone tethering is only effective where there is a strong WiFi signal and is not suitable for data-intensive activities such as streaming movies.
Additionally, using your phone as a hotspot can quickly drain its battery. To mitigate this, try to keep your phone plugged into a power outlet while using it for internet connectivity. Phone tethering can be handy for occasional web access to a single device such as a laptop or iPad in areas where reception is strong, but you may struggle to get a good connection if you are travelling further afield. In most cases, a dual-band portable WiFi router is the better option for internet connectivity.
Phone tethering involves creating a connection from your phone to another internet-enabled device, allowing you to use your mobile network data to set up and use the internet connection. You can tether devices using Bluetooth, a micro USB cable adapter, or a WiFi signal. Here is how tethering works:
1. Your phone receives data from a mobile tower.
2. The phone’s hotspot uses that data to create an internet signal.
3. Your device connects to the internet via a USB port, Bluetooth tethering, or a WiFi signal.
4. Internet access begins when you select the WiFi network on your device and enter the password.
A mobile hotspot, or pocket WiFi device, allows you to create a portable WiFi network wherever your device can receive a wireless signal. These portable hotspots can be used both at home and on the road. They can run on battery power or be plugged into a regular power socket or a 12-volt socket in a car, boat, or motorhome.
4G and 5G mobile hotspot devices have more powerful antennas compared to mobile phones, enabling them to receive WiFi signals from further away. This makes pocket WiFi an excellent option for fast and stable internet connections, especially in remote areas or urban environments with obstructed WiFi reception. A robust mobile hotspot can easily handle data-intensive applications such as HD video streaming, gaming, and multi-user conferencing.
Mobile hotspot WiFi routers often come with Ethernet ports for devices requiring the strongest possible connection. You only need to set up your hotspot device once using your password, and your devices will automatically connect to your private WiFi network whenever you log on. Compared to phone tethering, mobile hotspots provide superior signal quality and user experience.
Mobile hotspots share similarities with tethered phone hotspots, allowing you to connect laptops, tablets, and other devices using mobile data. However, mobile hotspots offer several advantages over phone hotspots. While a phone may connect wirelessly to a single device, a pocket WiFi mobile hotspot can connect to 30+ devices simultaneously. They also feature state-of-the-art encrypted security to protect your entire network.
Jija's 5G hotspots utilize the latest WiFi 6/6E standards, supporting a large number of network devices with ease. Here's how a mobile hotspot works:
1. The hotspot receives data from a mobile WiFi (cellular) tower.
2. The hotspot uses that data to configure the WiFi signal connection.
3. You enter the WiFi password to access the network.
4. Your devices connect to the WiFi signal from the hotspot.
Using a portable WiFi hotspots is even more straightforward than phone tethering. You will need a SIM card, with options for capped data plans or unlimited data. Additionally, Jija's mobile hotspots can be unlocked for use in 125 countries worldwide with your choice of service provider. Mobile hotspots offer more data plan options, greater wireless range, increased flexibility, and compatibility with a wide range of devices. Staying in touch with family and friends from wherever you are has never been easier.
Phone tethering can quickly consume WiFi data and become expensive. Mobile phones, such as Apple iPhones and Android smartphones, often have lower data limits compared to personal mobile hotspot plans. Additionally, phone tethering charges typically increase for every gigabyte of data used above your data cap. Moreover, phone tethering generally allows you to connect to only one device at a time.
Phone tethering is useful in a pinch for checking emails, catching up on news, or retrieving documents. However, high-speed activities like streaming, video downloads, or high-definition gaming quickly use up data, leading to skyrocketing phone bills. It’s important to fully understand your phone plan, whether you are on a prepaid data plan or an "unlimited" option. Most unlimited data plans still have a data cap, and once you reach that cap, your download speeds will slow down instead of cutting off the service.
With a Jija M6 or M6 Pro 5G portable WiFi router hotspot, the online world is at your fingertips. You can watch Netflix, enjoy multi-player gaming, conference with colleagues, or even enter virtual reality immersion. Dedicated mobile hotspots offer higher data limits and the ability to reach multi-gig speeds, comparable to home broadband internet, without the stress of data caps.
Plug-and-play Jija devices are perfect for family trips, allowing multiple users to connect to your mobile WiFi network. You can connect tablets, laptops, Apple Mac and Android devices, smart TVs, and more from a single pocket WiFi device, saving on data costs.
