It is possible that it will only work with Huawai devices, which would not be unreasonable I guess. What I usually do is stick to one, err, stick and just change the SIM in it (my 3G dongles are all unlocked), even though I have quite a collection of the things by now.

In the device’s GUI you can adjust the necessary settings, which are generally just the APN, username and password. However, I’ve not found this to be necessary – it has a built-in list of these and seems to select the right one based on the network being connected to automatically.

I’m based in the UK, incidentally. The D100 is generally only sold by T-Mobile (locked), but legitimately unlocked units are available via the usual online routes.

I agree on the point about multiple data devices. I know I’d have more data devices than just a smartphone if I could “add a line” for a reasonable price. I just looked at what it would cost me to add a line with Sprint if I had a family plan and it would be $10/mo for a voice plan or $20/mo for a voice+data plan. That to me says they consider the addition of a data line worth $10/mo, so why they won’t offer me something like that without the voice I have no idea.

My only guess is data usage management. Most mobile providers seem to be having trouble keeping up with the demands of an increasingly smartphone-equipped population, so I’m sure they’re in no hurry to make it even easier to justify another device using wireless data.

Yes, my netbook is running Win7 Pro. It doesn’t see the Mifi either.

It’s the battery life issue that plagues me about the Mifi. That and the fact that it often disconnects from the 3G net, requiring a restart to connect reliably again. I doubt I’ll get through the entire second year with this same device. It’s just too annoying.

4G is a very crazy space right now. Tmobile is putting out their Quasi 4G, Verizon is about to roll out LTE, and heck, even Clear is talking about switching to Wimax.

Since you are already under contract and have a device that seems to meet your needs while traveling, I would wait it out and let the field settle down.

By then, you will likely be enjoying an Androd phone that allows wifi tethering and can dump the mifi free and clear.

Have you tried the mifi on a Windows 7 machine? I have a similar problem with my old Moto Q with sprint. No matter how much time I spent on Google, I couldnt find an appropriate driver… then I plugged it into a Win 7 machine and magically the correct driver was found. With the popularity of the Mifi, its worth a shot.

What has been you experience using this device? Which carrier provides service for your USB stick? I’m curious to know if there are any “gotchas.” Since most carriers have some kind of driver that must be loaded to the host PC I’m wondering how it manages the sign-on process?

I posted a question about this device in the forums over at Small Net Builder to see what the experience of the broader community has been using such things.

http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?p=22437#post22437

I use such a beast. Huawei D100. Mains powered. Basically you plug your USB stick in the top, and then connect to it via WiFi. It also has a LAN connection if need be. Works very well indeed with all the USB dongles I have, though they happen also to be Huawei

Faris.