Mobile hotspots are like dongles, but they’re standalone MiFi devices. If you have a dual SIM phone, you can use a second data-only SIM purely for MiFi. Smartphones can be used to create a MiFi network, through a process called tethering. In their most basic form, dongles only assist the device they’re currently plugged into. Mobile Wi-Fi dongles plug into a USB port which provides power and connectivity. You can enjoy a MiFi mobile broadband connection through a dongle, a smartphone or a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, sometimes known as ‘Pocket Wi-Fi’. You can also check how much data you have left from this screen, topping up even when you’ve completely run out.īecause you only pay for data when you need it, the flexibility offered by mobile Wi-Fi makes it an alternative to no-contract broadband deals. After this, many internet dongles will display a webpage control panel that lets you switch MiFi on and off, so you don’t end up wasting data.
WHATS A DONGLE REGISTRATION
On first use, your dongle should launch an installation screen requiring some basic registration details. How do I use a mobile Wi-Fi dongle?ĭongles are easy to use – just plug them in or turn them on. They’re also very useful for maintaining connectivity while setting up new broadband following a house move, or for periodic connectivity in a second home or holiday home. There’s no harm in keeping one in a drawer in case a new laptop doesn’t have a SIM slot, or your home broadband goes down while you’re trying to work from home. Mobile Wi-Fi dongles are easy to find and usually cheap to purchase. The following devices commonly feature a SIM card slot:Ĭompact laptops that don’t have USB slots. If the device you want to get online already has a SIM card slot, you may not need a dongle at all. What is a dongle commonly used for, and when should I get one?Ī dongle itself is no more than a storage device for the SIM card that gives it connectivity. Other mobile internet services include 4G/5G smartphone connections, and the aforementioned plug-in mobile broadband dongles which are device-specific and effectively hardwired through a USB port. MiFi is a form of mobile internet, but mobile internet isn’t always MiFi. Are MiFi and mobile internet the same thing? If you have a dongle that can create a wireless network for multiple devices, that network is known as MiFi. What is a dongle’s main difference compared to MiFi?Ī dongle itself is little more than a SIM holder, and it’s the SIM card that gives it connectivity. Not all dongles create MiFi networks – plug-in dongles can only provide connectivity to one device at a time. MiFi requires a SIM card and a MiFi router to create a wireless network that Wi-Fi enabled devices can connect to. This creates a wireless network that other Wi-Fi-enabled devices can connect to. Wi-Fi requires a wired broadband connection delivered through a socket on the wall, which connects to a wireless router. What’s the difference between Wi-Fi and MiFi? These routers are plug-in options that let your whole home enjoy MiFi. If you live in an area with poor broadband connections via traditional ADSL or fibre broadband connections, you can also access mobile internet with a MiFi router.
WHATS A DONGLE PORTABLE
MiFi is a mobile Wi-Fi connection – portable Wi-Fi that can be used to power a single device. We all know what Wi-Fi is, but you may see the term MiFi used when researching mobile broadband dongles. It’s a form of mobile broadband, which we discuss in more detail here. However, rather than storing files, an internet dongle allows a device to connect to mobile broadband through a data-only SIM card. A mobile broadband dongle looks very similar to a data key, and it plugs into your devices in the same way, via a USB port.
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