3 Wireless MiFi UK Review – How To Connect A WiFi Only iPad To The Mobile Phone Network

Huawei E585 3G Wireless MiFi Modem Gets Your iPad Or Up To 5 WiFi Enabled Devices Connected To The 3 MiFi UK Mobile Network So You Can Browse Websites And Download Video.

If you opted for the WiFi enabled iPad without 3G then you’ll probably have realised how much you miss the internet connection when you’re not linked up to a wireless network. However there is a solution – a MiFi modem (available from the “3“ network carrier in the UK but various other carriers worldwide) that achieves the same result. The MiFi modem connects to the 3G or HSDPA mobile phone network and creates a wireless broadband hotspot that the iPad can pick up. The MiFi modem alternatively allows you to connect up to 5 WiFi enabled devices so you can hook up your iPad, iPod Touch, Nintendo DSi, Sony PSP, laptop, mobile phone or other WiFi enabled devices all at the same time and use just one connection.

Below we have a whattabletpc.com review of the 3 UK MiFi package and specifically how the pay-as-you-go option works with hooking up an iPad. Equally you could use it to connect any WiFi enabled tablet PC or use it as a 3G/HSDPA dongle for a USB enabled tablet.

How much does the 3 MiFi UK Package Cost?

We’re looking at the entry level “3” package costing £49 to buy with a pay-as-you-go approach for data (includes 1GB of data pre-installed).

Various plans exist depending on if you want to sign up for a contracted period and pay a set amount per month for a regular data allowance or pay-as-you-go service where the data is more expensive but you can dip in and out of it and buy chunks of data when you know you’re going to use it.

Monthly & pay-as-you-go contract plans are here.

What’s in included in the 3 MiFi UK package?

The MiFi modem is a Huawei E585 modem. It’s a round-oblong shape that’s just slightly bigger than a credit card in length and slightly slimmer in width. It’s around 1cm thick too. It’s a portable but equally substantial device that is like a very small mobile phone. Build quality is good and it has the “3” logo emblazoned across the front. One side point is that it has a micro-SD slot so you can add your own SD card and use the device as a memory stick also.

What else do we get in the 3 MiFi UK package?

• Also included in the pack is a SIM card that you need to snap out of the credit card sized plastic it’s attached to. The pay-as-you-go option reviewed here came with 1GB of data loaded to use with the MiFi modem connected to your laptop or iPad.
• Battery for the modem
• 2 USB to mini USB leads – one long, one short.
• Power adapter – connect this to the modem via the power adapter’s USB port and the modem’s mini-USB using the leads mentioned above.
• Terms and conditions book (including returns policy)
• 2 free Pay As You Go SIMs (this may vary depending on available offers at the time of purchase)
• Various instructions booklets and cards – The instructions cards are pretty good and provide a simple way of getting up and running plus providing instructions specific to linking the MiFi modem with a windows, mac or iPod Touch or iPad. They also provide some info on rough estimates of how far your allowance will get you as defined below..

How does the MiFi modem work and how easy is it to set up?

1. First up you need to get the SIM in the modem by clicking the back off the modem and also slotting in the battery before clicking the part back together again.
2. Charge it up for 8 hours on the first charge (you can either do this by plugging into the mains via an adapter or plug it direct into a USB socket if you’re using it to connect a laptop or other USB enabled tablet to the 3G/HSDPA internet)
3. Switch the MiFi modem’s power on using the switch on the side and give it 90-120 seconds to come on and get the signal.
4. The icons will flash up on the modem’s screen giving you details of signal strength and these are all pretty self explanatory – all details are highlighted in the instruction cards if you need clarification.

Three.co.uk has a good questions section if you need further help but it’s pretty straight forward to get set-up.

What’s the 3 MiFi UK service like?

We’re not sure how focused 3 are on the MiFi modem as Some of the documentation is generic and applies to buying a phone from 3.  This isn’t a major issue but could be very confusing.

What is the 3 MiFi UK performance like?

Initially I struggled to get a great signal out of the MiFi modem, the testing was completed in the far south west of the UK so a little more remote but still in a big city in the UK that you’d hope is well served by the mobile networks. By moving around the house though I managed to find a spot where I picked up the 3G signal and even got onto the high-speed HSDPA network. All of this wasn’t a major issue it just highlights how coverage varies so much in the space of a few metres.

Speeds were good as you’d expect and the device streamed YouTube videos competently and loaded web pages quickly. Obviously it’s not as good as a home broadband connection but still as good as any fast speeds I’d managed to pick up on a smartphone. Subsequent tests completed around London and north of London gave me good HSDPA and 3G connections.

Battery life was as expected on the modem – 3 state this as “around four and a half hours when powered by the battery and in continuous use”. You can squeeze longer out of it though if you remember to switch the modem off when not in use.

How long will 1GB of data last?

If you’re trying to assess the running costs of having a 3G MiFi modem then it will come down to how much you use it and what activities you use it for. 1 GB is actually a fairly substantial amount of data but browsing some websites requires you to download more elements than others and so there is no hard and fast rule on exactly what this means. Downloading music, videos and email will also require data usage, as will instant messaging.

Simple sites with very few images such as Google require very little data usage whereas downloading a video on YouTube will take up a lot more.

“3” provide a general guide that 1 GB of data allows you to:

• browse the web for 10 hours
• …plus send 1000 emails
• …plus download 32 four minute music tracks
• …plus download 5 four minute videos

The 3 MiFi UK return policy

We also checked out how easy it is to return the MiFi modem to 3. The returns policy required us to send everything back in it’s as-new condition plus to ring 3 for a Returns Authorisation Number. The experience was fine, we rang the customer service number stated on the paperwork and spoke to someone quickly without too much exposure to many automated menus. The customer service rep sounded a little uninterested but was polite and didn’t try any unwanted sales speak to try to change my mind or give excuses for why it should have worked. They then send out a pre-paid returns bag for to return everything including free SIMs, leads and extras with instructions (so you don’t need to add a stamp when you send it back). You have 14 days to assess the value of the 3 MiFi deal but there is small print on what you need to comply with if you want to return it such as not using it for more than 3 consecutive days. Failure to meet this policy or not sending things back in an “as-new” state means it’ll come back to you again and you’ll be charged. If you send your MiFi modem back you’ll also be charged for any used data allowance you used in the testing but we didn’t get to the point where we’d find out what they’d charge you for this.

3 MiFi UK Overview

All-in-all a pretty good result for the 3 MiFi modem, I caveat this review though with the understanding that your experience will largely depend on the 3 coverage in the area that you’ll use it. Data allowances purchased also need to be used within 30 days of purchase and separate charges apply for use abroad (refer to the three.co.uk website for these). With a reasonably accommodating returns policy, we’d suggest it’s worth anyone trying the device but being prepared to send it back if it doesn’t come up to standard. As with any mobile device, you’re reliant on the strength of the mobile providers network coverage. I’d be keen to hear other peoples experiences so drop us a line in the comments if you’ve got a MiFi.

As above, our focus has been on connecting an iPad, if you have specific questions on how to use 3 MiFi with other devices then there is a great questions section on the 3 website here.