Laptop Thoughts: Review Of The Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot

"In 2009 Verizon introduced the MiFi 2200, the first mobile hotspot. This small business card-sized gadget could connect up to five notebooks, smart phones, or other devices to its 3G data network via Wi-Fi. Now the company is supercharging the concept with the Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot SCH-LC11 ($99 with a rebate and two-year contract), a 4G-enabled router that can connect users at nearly 10 times the speed of 3G."

Laptopmg.com has recently posted a review of the Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot. If you are unfamiliar with these devices, the idea is that you connect the hotspot device to a provider's data network, and then can allow multiple other devices to connect to the hotspot over a Wi-Fi connection. These sorts of devices started appearing around 2009, and they can indeed be very effective at enabling connections for multiple devices (smartphones, laptops, tablets, and more). There are a few parameters to watch carefully when you are evaluating these devices, including their size and weight (you will be carrying it around), how device status is communicated to you (via lights and readouts), availability of ports, and, of course, overall performance. This particular evaluation concluded that the Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot is very capable device. Set up was straightforward, albeit a little slow. The device was tested on a 4G network, although it can switch automatically between 3G and 4G. The review also compares the device to an LG VL600 USB modem and a smartphone operating as a mobile hotspot and in tethered mode (the HTC Thunderbolt, an Android smart phone that can share its 4G signal both as a mobile hotspot and via a USB connection). If you are looking for this sort of device, this should probably be on your shortlist. Hit the Read link for full test results.