Huawei E5330 Mobile Wi-Fi device

I’ve started to try and be a little more tech savvy over recent years (encouraged by my partner who is an IT Technician), so I was delighted when mobile company Three asked me to test out their Huawei Mi-Fi (Mobile Wi-fi) device.

I’d never heard of Mi-Fi up until this point, but I liked the concept – customers can use this device to access the internet regardless of where they are. It also allows for multiple connection of wireless devices all at once, allowing the opportunity for different tasks to be completed at the same time.

I was quite surprised at how small it was when it arrived, being the same size as a credit card, but found that it is perfect for storing safely in a pocket or handbag. It comes with a charger that allows for charging via a plug socket or USB port and I found it relatively easy to set up, simply following the instructions in the ‘Quick Start’ guide. Within just a few minutes I had connected my iPhone, iPad and The Bloke’s android phone to it. It all worked perfectly. I loved the design, being sleek and a plain white colour, and the control display on the front was clear and easy to understand.

The Bloke did a Wi-Fi analysis using an app on his phone to see how strong the signal was from the device, and when in close proximity it was clearly stronger than all of the others in our local area, including our own broadband.

The signal in red is the Mi-Fi signal

However, the signal drops quite quickly the further away the device is, so it’s useful to stay within a close proximity to it at all times to use at it’s most effective.

Furthermore, we both downloaded the app, which we both found to be quite useful. It tells you:

• Which devices (including the brand) are connected.
• A battery percentage reading of the device.
• How much data you have used.

It also allows you to share things between the devices (I particularly loved this), allows you to reboot or power off the device from the app and allows you to change the settings and passwords of the device remotely.

A nice little device

If I’m being honest, The Bloke and I have wireless broadband, so wouldn’t have a use for it in the evening at home. However, my iPad does not have a sim card or data package so cannot be used outside of my house or my workplace. The perfect opportunity to test it arose when stuck in traffic the other day. I powered the device up and connected my iPad easily, allowing me to catch up on some blog comments while we were waiting.

I can think of lots of situations where this sort of device would be useful in different areas of my life – sitting on a train (as I invariably do every other month at the minute), and visiting my mother (who absolutely refuses to get any form of internet connection in her house, leaving my sisters and I extremely frustrated at the lack of wireless every time we visit). And as a blogger, it would be nice to take my iPad or laptop out somewhere without needing a wifi point and use it to write a post without having to use the small screen on my phone.

Want to know more? Three offers a number of deals for Pay As You Go and Contract, ranging from 1 month to 24 months and offering from 2GB to 20GB. Honestly, I found it to be a useful and aesthetically pleasing little device – go and check it out what Three have to offer!

*Disclaimer: I was provided with the device and a preloaded Sim with 1GB of data, valid for a month. However, it was stipulated that a review had to be completed within 10 days of receiving the goods, which didn’t give me as much time as I would like to test out it’s full potential. All opinions are honest and my own.