And all of the people we're sharing with
The question today is this: would you share
your Internet connectivity? If you answered Yes to that, then the U Mobile 21
Mbps MiFi is for you (no points for answering No, Mr. Scrooge). And as you've
probably discerned from its package name, this U Mobile offering provides
21Mbps connectivity, which'll make you an Internet-sharing paragon. Either way,
21Mbps sounds like a good deal. How well has the deal been met is the other
question here.
Once you've subscribed into the service, U
Mobile will be handing you your unit of the MiFi dongle, which is based off a
ZTE MF60 HSPA+ pocket WiFi device. The front face has a tiny LCD screen, and at
the side you'd find the power button, the microSD slot, a WPS setup button and
an external antenna connector. It's a pocket-able device, as you'd expect.
Setting up the MiFi is easy: you simply
connect to it over USB or WiFi, with the device management accessible over a
web interface (or an installable desktop icon), and everything would be good to
go. The LCD screen does a good job displaying connectivity strength and other
statuses, so even the less tech-savvy can adapt to it quickly.
The device supports up to five users over
WiFi, which - while not uncommon - is a great thing to have. In our tests, we
managed a good 4 hours and 50 minutes in a full charge, and that's continuous
web surfing over two laptops.
But what about performance? In a test in
Kajang, we managed an average of 4Mbps download and 1.75Mbps upload speeds,
which is commendable. Taken into Kuala Lumpur, though, the speeds varies
constantly but it rarely throttles down to below 4Mbps. The highest we've
gotten was a respectable 17Mbps, though the average we got is between 8 to
10Mbps. It's not much nearer to its 21Mbps heights, but at least the
performance is decent.
You can opt for a 5GB data allowance plan
or a 20GB one, at RM68 and RM128 monthly fees respectively. If you choose to
purchase the modem, you'd have to pay RM250 for it. Otherwise, you can rent the
device at RM20 monthly. Decent deals.
U-Mobile
21Mbps MiFi Modem
Price From $20or $40
Info www.u.com.my
Specifications
Modem: ZTE MF60
Speed: Up to 21 Mbps (HSPA+)
Connectivity: USB 2.0, Wi-Fi
Card expansion: microSD
Ratings
(+) Good speeds
Connects up to 5 users
Easy setup
(-) Doesn't really reach capped speeds
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