How do you choose a MiFi router?
Choose a MiFi router
With a MiFi router, you can go online anywhere. When you buy a portable router, think about what you want to use it for in advance. In this article, we'll discuss the following topics:
- What do you use the MiFi router for?
- Is a MiFi router enough for you?
- Do you want to be safe online with the MiFi router?
- What do you have to keep in mind when using a MiFi router in Europe?
- What do you have to keep in mind when using it outside of Europe?
What's a MiFi router?
With a MiFi router, you can create a WiFi network that you can take anywhere. These routers are as large as a smartphone, so you can easily put them in your pocket. MiFi routers use a SIM card with a data plan, so you can go online with multiple laptops, tablets, or other devices.
Do I need a SIM card?
You need a SIM card when you use your router as portable WiFi point. With a MiFi router, you can go online via the 4G or 5G network of a mobile provider. Take out a data plan for this in the Netherlands or buy a prepaid SIM card in your vacation country. The router won't connect without this SIM card, so it's required.
MiFi vs hotspot
MiFi routers and mobile hotspots provide an internet connection anywhere. The MiFi connection is a lot faster and more stable. That's because your phone isn't made as a router and is doing other tasks at the same time. MiFi routers only transmit data, so your speed remains high constantly.
Do you want to be safe online with a portable router?
Because you set up a personal connection with a MiFi router, you're always safer than on the WiFi network of a campsite for example. Do you want to safely go online on vacation? Choose a portable WiFi hotspot with a built-in firewall. This firewall filters all unwanted external connections so that hackers can't eavesdrop.
What should you keep in mind when using a MiFi router in Europe?
You can use every MiFi router in Europe, but only if you install a SIM card that works in your vacation country. If you use a Dutch data plan, you can go online in all countries of the EU with your own bundle. Are you staying in Europe but outside the EU, or does your provider only offer a limited data bundle abroad? Choose a local SIM card of your liking.
What should you keep in mind when using a MiFi router outside of Europe?
Providers outside of Europe often use a different type of mobile network. To go online in, for example, the United States or East Asia, choose a MiFi router that supports networks around the world. You then purchase a prepaid SIM card on location, so that you can go online more cheaply than with your own provider's bundle.