As frustrated as we were with the Cradlepoint wifi gateway, it was still the best solution for sharing EVDO over wifi.  However, the cradlepoint lost that title in the first ten seconds of the first round when squared off against the new Verizon MiFi.

The MiFi is a beautiful device, both in terms of appearance and performance.  After a quick initial set-up it just worked flawlessly creating a bubble of wifi everywhere I went.  Want to watch SlingBox on your iPhone?  No problem with the MiFi.  Want to make SIP calls via your iPod touch or Nokia N810?  Both worked instantly.

For all the frustration we endured with the Cradlepoint, the MiFi has brough nothing but smiles.  It just works and works well.  Press the power button, wait 10 seconds or less, and you can connect to Verizon’s superior EVDO network.  The MiFi supports up to five devices which is a comfortable number for most road warriors.  I was able to connect my MacBook Pro, iPhone and Nokia n810 with no problems. Obviously, they are sharing the limited bandwidth but did so with no hiccups or issues.

I haven’t encountered any of the strange proxy or firewall issues I experienced with the CP, and have not missed the hours of troubeshooting and tech support which resulted in none of my issues being resolved.

If you have a need for EVDO access, the MiFi is highly recommended.

(SORRY TO ONE OF THE COMMENTORS BELOW.  ACCIDENTALLY DELETED YOUR MESSAGE)

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 27th, 2009 at 9:12 pm and is filed under Tech Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.