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Pocket WiFi is nothing new, and I considered it more of a luxury than a necessity \u2013 a way to guarantee WiFi at a time when WiFi access is already practically guaranteed. Not only was I wrong, but I ignored it for too long. And if you don’t have any portable WiFi devices other than your phone, you’re probably making the same mistake I was. <\/p>\n
When I bought my first house, I only gave a passing thought to my cell reception. Spectrum Wireless was available in our area and a previous homeowner confirmed it worked well, so home connectivity won’t be an issue. My phone carrier, T-Mobile, also covers 99% of the country. I visualized network coverage maps all over magenta, which showed that I would need to be on Artemis II to lose reception. But you know what happened next: I would often find my phone in SOS mode looking for a signal with no reception. And for the first time, I really zoomed in on them T-Mobile coverage map<\/a>Expanded the map legend, and felt like an idiot. <\/p>\n Ninety-nine percent coverage sounds like a lot, but not in every context. If 99% of planes landed safely, there would be hundreds of accidents every day. My home is in the mountains, where I discovered that “good” coverage feels largely like “spotty” coverage compared to the city. But being in the mountains, I got a chance to test the Solis Edge 5G WiFi Hotspot. <\/p>\n \n Stuck at a remote EV charging station in the Catskills mountains, I set up my Solis Edge. It scanned the area for local connections and found an AT&T network to which I was able to connect. Speeds were slower than I expected \u2014 I ran a speed test that resulted in 17.79 Mbps download speeds and 3.83 uploads \u2014 but in an area with no reception from my primary carrier, a beggar can’t be a chooser. <\/p>\n Later, I wanted to see if my Pocket WiFi could reach speeds on par with my iPhone, so I found a coverage area where my phone worked properly and ran another speed test. I tried it in a few different places, and the results were unexpected, but clear: My iPhone 13 and Solis Edge are both capable of 5G speeds, but when I connected them to the same network, my iPhone became consistently faster, reaching download speeds of about 76Mbps, while my Pocket WiFi stalled at around 26Mbps. <\/p>\n \n iPhone speed test results<\/span> \n Solid Edge speed test results<\/span> There are various explanations for the speed disparity, including antenna technologies, phone carrier priority, and high-speed data limits. Despite this, I don’t expect the Pocket WiFi to perform as well as my standard smartphone or laptop connection. But the Pocket WiFi serves its purpose to keep me covered during an emergency or when I can find a good connection with my primary carrier, and it has made its way into my travel bag as a necessity, right next to my portable power bank.<\/p>\n The real reason I wanted a pocket WiFi device was international travel. Having traveled to over 50 countries, I’ve found myself in countless situations where I expected WiFi to be available, but I only had to seek it out and pay for it. Pocket WiFi devices work globally \u2013 my Solis Edge claims coverage in over 140 countries \u2013 so I have a way to connect to the Internet in cars, stores, trains, hotels, and airports without having to search for a public network. I haven’t tried it abroad yet, but it wouldn’t take long to do so.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What do you think so far? Most pocket WiFis come with a certain amount of free data every month. The Solis Edge I use comes with 1GB free per month for lifetime, meaning I can plan to only use it for emergencies, loading maps, or sending time-sensitive messages.<\/p>\n The primary way to make your Pocket WiFi faster is to check your connection settings to make sure that your 5G-enabled device is actually connected to 5G. Many run on the 2.4 GHz frequency by default, and you need to change your frequency to 5G in your Pocket WiFi settings. And while portable WiFi devices allow multiple devices to connect to your device at once, keep in mind that more connected devices will slow down your speeds. If your device has a high-speed data cap, you may see your speeds throttled after you exceed your limit. <\/p>\n For those who travel frequently, a pocket WiFi device is definitely worth keeping in your bag. When you need WiFi and can’t find a reliable source, Pocket WiFi is worth its weight in gold. Keeping one in your travel bag along with your portable power bank is one of my favorite life upgrades this year. If you’re a little obsessive about staying connected and prepared for emergencies, it’s worth the investment for the peace of mind knowing that you’ll practically always have WiFi when you need it. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Solis](\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/imagery\/product\/02Csw6pTfTUYFzK4wU6RUr5\/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1776697933.jpg\")
\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"I](\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/imagery\/articles\/01KP6M7FJJCNYBAVT07NBC72BJ\/images-2.fill.size_2000x1500.v1776191520.jpg\")
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\n Credit: Jordan Calhoun\/LifeHacker<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"iPhone](\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/imagery\/articles\/01KP6M7FJJCNYBAVT07NBC72BJ\/images-3.fill.size_2000x1359.v1776701888.png\")
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\n Credit: Jordan Calhoun\/LifeHacker<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Solid](\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/imagery\/articles\/01KP6M7FJJCNYBAVT07NBC72BJ\/images-4.fill.size_2000x1398.v1776701888.png\")
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\n Credit: Jordan Calhoun\/LifeHacker<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nOther Benefits of Portable WiFi Hotspot<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nWays to Improve the Speed \u200b\u200bof Your Portable WiFi Hotspot<\/h2>\n
Are Portable WiFi Hotspots Worth It?<\/h2>\n