A USB socket lets you top up your phone from the hotspot’s battery if needed. You can also use it as a media server, streaming shows over Wi-Fi from a USB stick, hard drive, or microSD card. The M1 supports sharing its data over either a 2.4 or 5Ghz Wi-Fi network, helping you avoid congested airwaves in crowded cities. There’s also a spare available for purchase if you need even longer between charges. The first is length of time away from a power socket, with Netgear promising up to 11 hours of usage from the 5000mAh battery. That extra size and weight brings a number of benefits. The M1 is relatively large as far as mobile hotspots go, but while it’s not really something you’d carry around in your pocket, it’s still small and light enough to easily fit in a purse/handbag or day pack. Netgear’s Nighthawk M1 is one of the few models that offers good LTE coverage in the US and most other countries, with blistering top speeds and a range of extra features that provide real value when you’re on the move. There are several reasons for this, but it’s a real problem for travelers visiting the United States or locals looking for a flexible hotspot that isn’t locked to a particular cell company. Many, if not most, global mobile hotspots work surprisingly poorly in the United States. Best for Extra Features: Huawei E5885īest Unlocked Mobile Hotspot: Netgear Nighthawk M1 Best for Fast Downloads on a Budget: Huawei E5787 Best Unlocked Mobile Hotspot: Netgear Nighthawk M1 This can mean you get slower speeds, or no data at all, in some parts of the world. Just like smartphones, not every device supports the different cellular frequencies used in each country. Note: We recommend carefully checking the regions supported by the specific mobile hotspot model you plan to purchase. These are the best mobile hotspots unlocked for travel in 2022. You’ll pay less (often, a lot less) per day with one of these, in exchange for having to seek out a prepaid SIM when you arrive in a country. Just like smartphones, though, you can also buy unlocked versions that let you pop in a local SIM card to take advantage of cheap data rates anywhere in the world. They’re convenient, but while typically cheaper than roaming, the cost can still mount up on longer trips. Many companies rent or sell prepaid hotspot devices like these for international travel, where you buy a certain amount of data or time in advance. You get online by connecting all your other devices to that private Wi-Fi network. Typically a small gadget around the size of a deck of cards, the device shares cellular data over its own private wireless network. Whatever you call them, though, they all work in much the same way.
Mobile hotspots are known by a range of other names, including portable Wi-Fi routers, pocket Wi-Fi, mobile Wi-Fi devices, portable hotspots, Mi-Fis, and more. Buy on Amazon Last updated: at 23:21 What Is Mi-Fi, Anyway?