Reviews:
 ·Millenicom
3 edits | Questions on Hotspot I decided to recently snag Millenicom's 3G/ 4G Hotspot plan since my mother was in need of a device to use for a wireless connection since her Verizon Wireless 3G aircard is starting to malfunction from using it for the past five years. Considering this is my first time working with a hotspot device, have some questions to ask about it:
* Is there any way for me to track data usage with it? I can't seem to find a means on the device to track data, especially since the hotspot plugs into an outlet instead of any USB port on a computer.
* Is it possible to connect to the device while it is charging? I've read that the battery life on it is good for 4-5 hours before it needs recharging and the regular charging for long periods of use could become an inconvenience for her if I'm not around to do anything.
* What is the effective range on the device? Reason I say this is because my sister has a laptop and tablet that she's thinking she could connect to the hotspot with.
* Millenicom's site mentioned that the device can support up to 10 connections at once. Is this possible for both 3G and 4G connections or does the capacity reduce when the device only detects a 3G connection?
* How do I get my laptop to detect the device's connection? I can't seem to get the laptop to detect the hotspot while it is powered on and it is capable of picking up wi-fi/ wireless networks.
I thank anyone who can help me with answering these questions. |
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 Jim_in_VA
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA
kudos:4
·Northern Neck Wi..
1 edit | you can send a email to usage@millenicom.com for data usage or check your members page at millenicom.com
Yes, you can connect while charging
I connect up to about 75 ft
5 connections on 3G, 10 on 4G
the device should show up in your list of available wireless networks
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... need help? »evdo-tips.com/ |
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| All right, another question.
I've read the device turns itself off after a half-hour if left untouched for power conservation reasons, which could be another inconvenience. If this is true, any way to disable the automatic turn off? |
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Jim_in_VA
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA
kudos:4 | in the configuration settings it can be set to never shutdown
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... need help? »evdo-tips.com/ |
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| How do you access the configurations? |
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Jim_in_VA
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA
kudos:4
1 edit | . |
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Jim_in_VA
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA
kudos:4 | reply to ggultra2764
type 192.168.1.1 into a browser |
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| Been trying, but the page doesn't load and it times out after a minute or two of trying. |
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Reviews:
·Millenicom
2 edits | Ummm, I'm reading that the IP address is for admin accounts to a Linksys router. I'm only using the hotspot, nothing else.
EDIT: Oops, silly me. I was using my modem to try connecting instead of the hotspot. Just entered the admin account and corrected the matter.
Thanks for the help.
Now I just need to look into getting another wi-fi adapter since my laptop is on the fritz with getting wireless signals without any devices. |
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| reply to ggultra2764
To track usage, get your mifi phone number from the mifi settings by entering 191.168.1.1 in your browser. Then go to verizon's website and go to the wireless section. Register your account using your mifi phone number and you will be able to see your usage on the verizon website. Once you're registered, you just enter the username and password you've created to access the page. I've read that the usage may lag by a day but it's better than waiting a week for it to update. |
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Reviews:
·Millenicom
| reply to ggultra2764
Have a bit of a dilemma at the moment with the hotspot. My mother's computer is barely getting a signal from the hotspot (two to three bars via her wi-fi adapter) which is in a room downstairs below my bedroom where I have the hotspot. My siblings don't seem to have a problem picking up the hotspot from upstairs as one of my brothers have connected to it via his smartphone while in his room. Would getting an amp or antenna help at strengthening the signal enough to provide a good connection from downstairs? |
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| Getting an amp or antenna would strengthen the Internet connection to Verizon but would not help the 4620's wi-fi signal. First try moving the 4620 to various locations in your bedroom to see if that helps. If that doesn't help buy a better wi-fi adapter for your mother's computer.
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Indiana |
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| After doing a bit more research, I think wireless repeaters or range extenders could be a possibility. Would they work with the hotspot? |
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| I don't know if those work with wi-fi.
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Indiana |
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Jim_in_VA
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA
kudos:4 | reply to ggultra2764
Get a Cradlepoint MBR95 router and put it in WiFi as WAN mode ... that will greatly extend the range
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... need help? »evdo-tips.com/ |
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| Trying range extender first since it's the cheaper option for me at the moment (end of month is where I have many bills to pay off). If that fails, I'll go for the router. |
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| reply to ggultra2764
Jim's suggestion is a good one, and if you get a mbr95, you can track your usage very easily for any device that logs on. Just forget connecting to the mifi, and set up the mbr95 to rebroadcast the mifi signal (wireless as wan). The mbr cover my 2000 sq ft home easily and out into the yard. Has a nice public wifi channel as well. Then it can track all the usage no matter who logs on. It is a few extra bucks. |
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| reply to ggultra2764
Sorry, the function is WAN over wifi. I will finish my coffee before typing anything else.  |
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Reviews:
·Millenicom
| reply to ggultra2764
Figured I'd provide an update on my present situation.
I bought an Edimax N300 Universal Wi-Fi Extender to help in expanding the range of my hotspot to downstairs. The extender's in working order with the hotspot and wasn't too bad on my expenses ($30 versus paying over $100 for a wireless router which everyone on here was suggesting), though it looks like coverage is somewhat spotty for the living room which is the furthest room in the house from the hotspot. But the extender helps cover my main concern of getting the hotspot to reach my mother's computer at a reasonable speed for her and anyone else who uses it, so not a big issue.
As for data monitoring, I'm using Verizon Wireless' site to track usage since there is no Access Manager to support the hotspot and I prefer having immediate access to tracking my usage instead of waiting for hours or a week to get it off Millenicom's customer service.
About the only possible issue I still have is with the signal strength to the tower, which tends to bounce around quite a bit on occasion (not the dBm which normally goes between -80 to -85 on my end, but the percentage that I pick up via the hotspot's menu which usually drops to one bar at 20%). I was use to tracking signal strength via the dBm with modems I used in the past. But what does the percentage track and is the low level of it something to worry about? |
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