subject: Sprint Mifi Vs. Verizon Mifi [print this page] Recently, telecommunications providers Sprint and Verizon launched their own MiFi data plans. This is like a portable modem that you can use to make get Internet access anytime, anywhere without having to look for a WiFi hotspot.
The idea here is to be able to get your own wireless Internet access wherever and whenever. Verizon has their own unit and data plan included. This company is holds a good reputation for their data plans. And a lot is expected from them. When you get your unit, you will be able to find a sticker at the bottom that would indicate the preset pass code for your personal wireless network.
You have to give credit to the plug and play convenience of the Verizon unit. The unit works like your typical wireless router. So you can easily access your configuration page. You will not be able to appreciate how the configuration page looks for your Verizon network. However, it is easy to navigate and configure through it.
The signal is pretty great. You will be able to get up to 557kbps and up.
As for Sprints, you dont get a passkey. The network is open when you get it. You will be able to configure the connection like normal. And then youre good to go. You just need to plug-and-play the unit. So you dont have to go through any installation processes and yelling at technical support. You are able to get an average of 150kbps of speed with the Sprint unit. And the best part is you also get a GPS unit with your router. This is built-in. So if you dont have a GPS-enabled phone, this baby is something that would really come in handy.
Battery life for both units can last for up to about 4 to 5 hours. They are also able to up to 5 wireless clients all at the same time. And this is something really fascinating about such a small device. Its compact and very efficient.
One thing that you have to remember though is that the signal for this network is dependent on the network coverage that the providers have in the area. There are some areas where you may get a weaker signal. And there are some other places that you will be getting stronger signals. It all depends on the location. So you cant expect that the signals remain constant.
When you actually look at it, both providers are pretty similar in nature. The only difference is perhaps the brand and the casing that they use. Of course, Sprint gets plus points for their built-in GPS unit on the router.
It can be pretty difficult to choose one over the other. It will be up to you to decide which one will work best for you. Perhaps the only thing left to decide on is which service provider has better signals in the places that you frequent or might need to use your portable hotspot at. But with either case, you can get the router for 99 dollars along with a corresponding data plan.
