Okay, I can't find a serious review about this item anywhere on the net so I'm going to write my own. I bought one of these deals from Tru Connect (http://store.truconnect.com/mifi-mobile-internet/i.html?gclid=CLzwrILo9rACFTFZTAodpRP29A) about 9 months ago and I paid $100 for the unit itself. I do not like this item at ALL. I paid $100 for the gizmo, planning to use it only to look up business addresses and phone numbers on it a few times a week when I was not sitting at my home computer.
Well, the deal they offer is quite sweet - $4.99 per month basic and quite cheap if you go over the allotted data usage. But trust me, I've never gone over the usage limit because the thing simply doesn't work. Ergo - no use, no payment. That's the bright spot.
Outside of my own house, I've only been able to make this thing actually work at powering up my simple little 7" tablet ONE time. Supposedly, it runs on the Sprint network. Well, Sprint must have an area the size of my house because I can't connect to them with this mifi anywhere else.
Enough about how I'd like to stand beside I635 and throw this thing into the rush hour traffic. Their customer service is really nearly non-existent. Do you like doing chats about how a device such as this just doesn't work? Then this is the company for you. Do you like chats that really go nowhere and all you've accomplished is some wasted time when you're finished? You'll love this place.
Sample chat:
Your Question: I have a truconnect
device that simply does not work for me. I am a field interviewer & need it
conducting interviews. I'm in DFW area & should connect just about anywhere.
This device goes to AT&T, right? 9.75 x in 10 it won't connect.
Solution?
Please wait, an operator will be with you
shortly.
You are now chatting with XXXX (Support Agent)
- Customer Support
15:46Lorena K Williams: hello
15:46XXX: Thank you for
contacting TruConnect Support.
15:47Lorena K Williams: uw
15:47Lorena K Williams: make that
9.99 times out of 10 it fails to connect
15:48XXX: The quality of your
connection depends on many factors such as location, signal strength and
bandwith usage, speeds can also be slower when performing intensive activities
like downloading large files or streaming video, this could be the reason why
download speeds vary. You can check the signal strength accessing, in your
computer's web browser type http://mifi.admin or http://192.168.1.1 Click on “Log In” and enter the password
"admin" when prompted. The signal bars indicate the strength from scale 1(low)
to 4(excellent), it´s also important to determine the quality of your connection
checking if underneath the signal bars you see "1xRTT" or "EVDO". EVDO is the
faster connection but if you have the "1xRTT" your connection may be low. To
improve the quality of your connection please try moving to a different location
(closer to a window) to get a better signal.
15:49Lorena K Williams: okay
yesterday, the device was on in a large suburb of Dallas and all I got was "not
in range"
15:50Lorena K Williams: I am never
trying to do anything with it but look up addresses on the internet. Should be a
no brainer - not ANY heavy data usage
15:52Lorena K Williams: I don't
understand "ck the signal strength accessing" - I get a choice of several wifi's
sometimes (that I can't access b/c they are protected) but they will say fair,
strong, etc.
15:52Lorena K Williams: If I ck it
at my house, duh, it's excellent. I don't NEED the stupid thing at my house! I
need it out in the work field
15:53Lorena K Williams: anything
else you'd like to say? (5 minutes since last comment from Customer Support (or Cust Support, if you prefer...LOL)
15:54XXX: You can also verify
the coverage in the area.
15:54Lorena K Williams: is there
any way I can make it change from hunting at&t?
15:55Lorena K Williams: If I decide
I no longer want to use this mifi, do I just close my account or
what?
15:55Adrian P: The service is
provided trhu Sprint network. (M'Bad, I thought it was AT&T!!!)
15:55Lorena K Williams: Okay, well
sprint isn't working for me either
15:56Lorena K Williams: It just
finds NOTHING
15:56Adrian P: You can log into your
account and click on deactivate that will stop the service and
charges.
15:56Lorena K Williams: Okay.
Thanks for the tips.
Oh, and by the by, I did in fact check the coverage in the area, as the cust service person suggested above. Guess what? The entire area in question from yesterday showed strong signals. Now, I don't know exactly what "range" they are talking about (and the cust service person didn't elaborate) but seriously, how far could I be from a Sprint tower about 5 miles north of Dallas? And if they mean how far away from the little gizmo I am, well...it was 5 feet away. Either way, obviously my expectations were set WAY too high because it simply never worked.
Here endeth my personal review of this inept little device.
