New to market is Telstra’s pre-paid Elite 3G Wifi Modem ($129). Not their first product in this category, but an improvement on the Telstra 3G Wifi Modem (still available, $99) in that it has a small but useful status display, and, at least theoretically, is capable of faster 3G speeds.
What Is It?
This mobile device combines a 3G modem for internet access with a wifi router that allows up to five simultaneous client devices. It has a rechargeable battery for mobile use. It is locked to Telstra’s NextG network, on a pre-paid plan. You can fit a micro-SD card for use as USB storage (not LAN storage).
Key Features
- Upfront cost: $129 upfront with 5GB / 90 days included credit.
- Pre-paid: control costs and no ongoing commitment, but likely at a higher per-GB cost than a well-utilized post-paid deal.
- Recharge cost: from $20 for 250MB / 21 days to $150 for 10GB / 365 days (the latter will often be the best value deal). Note: paid-for credit is expressed in money value and the cost per MB depends on the amount of the most recent recharge). Unused credit rolls over as long as you renew before expiry.
- Wifi router: up to five clients, WPA security, simple management through web interface from local client, 802.11b/g. Limited firewall and port-forwarding features, but less than you’d expect with an ordinary consumer wifi router intended for SOHO use. Simple, and adequate for purpose.
- Rechargeable battery with claimed four hour stamina.
- Small but useful display, including battery charge indicator, 3G signal indicator, and number of connected client devices.
First Impressions
Impressed.
It took about ten minutes to buy and activate the device at a Telstra store (and in-store activation is the way to go if you like to avoid call centres). I was promised the activation would be effective within about five minutes; it was indeed in place 20 minutes later when I got home.
Out of the box, you need to install the battery. No big deal, and it was about 75% charged out of the box. Nice touch that: imagine how handy that is to an overseas visitor who buys one on her first morning in Australia. Then just turn it on, wait about 45 seconds for it to boot and establish its 3G internet connection, and you are in business. The preset unique SSID and WPA password are printed a security card in the box. Next step, http://192.168.0.1/for device management – username admin, password admin. That would be something to change, but for the apathetic or ignorant buyer the preset unique WPA password is a good start anyway. Easy management interface with not everything you’d expect in a SOHO wifi router, but everything you need in a device you’ll use mostly on the road.
In the box: the device (SIM pre-installed, security card, user guide, USB-microUSB cable, AC adaptor (USB output), battery. The battery looks like a pretty normal mobile phone battery: I expect you could get a second one if you need all-day use without recharge. The AC adaptor is very small, but I suspect most users won’t need it. The device is quite happy to charge off an iPod/ iPhone/iPad adaptor, or (pretty much) any USB power supply you happen to have, including a computer.
And well, it just worked. With two of us connected it seemed no different to using our ADSL2/wifi service. Macs, iPhones, iPads… it just worked. Mail, Skype, iChat, you name it: just as good as being on the home network. And on experience to date, it does not get in the way. Cisco VPN (client built in on iOS and Mac OS X Snow Leopard), no problem (and just as well, because I need that at work for printing if nothing else).
Some Measurement
Size
It’s small. And light. Smaller than Apple’s current bluetooth mouse. Here, it’s snuggling up to an iPhone.
You’ll barely notice the weight in your pocket, although I’d probably avoid carrying it in a front shirt pocket. Carrying this device around is going to be easier than carrying your iPhone. In a briefcase, handbag, backpack, or whatever, your main problem will be finding it.
Wifi range
Well, as you’d expect with a small device with no external wifi antenna, it does not seem to have quite the same range as your typical SOHO wifi router. Still, in my house it gets through two double-brick walls, just: reminds me of my first AirPort. As a guide, I’d suggest no problem if all users are in the same room or adjacent rooms, but if you were planning on providing coverage all over a hotel floor or a university department this is probably not the device you need. Yes, it’s a device you can share, but only with a small number of people in fairly close proximity. Three people on a bus, I think they could share it. On a train, they’d better all be in the same carriage.
3G performance
I can’t say anything much about coverage: it works pretty good in Carlton, Victoria. I suspect coverage will be similar to that of an iPhone on the Telstra network.
As for speed, a onetime speed test indicated 9.35 Mpbs down and 1.25 Mbps up. Not bad at all; better than I get on ADSL2.
Nearly all of the time, it’s like using any decent consumer broadband service, at least in my experience so far. Maybe once or twice I noticed a brief pause, but nothing really disruptive. All this, for less than it used to cost for dialin.
Battery life
Here’s my battery testing log, starting from an overnight charge:
| Time | Note |
| 28-Apr-2011 1000 | Still 4/4 bars battery indication; powered off. |
| 28-Apr-2011 1050 | Powered on |
| 28-Apr-2011 1130 | Powered off |
| 28-Apr-2011 1245 | Powered on |
| 28-Apr-2011 1257 | Powered off. Now showing 2/4 bars battery indication after 112 minutes in use. |
| 29-Apr-2011 0903 | Powered on |
| 29-Apr-2011 1057 | Still on; still indicating 2/4 battery charge |
| 29-Apr-2011 1150 | Still on; now indicating 1/4 battery charge |
| 29-Apr-2011 1238 | Device shut itself down, after audible and vibration warnings. Time in use since battery charge: 327 minutes: five hours and 27 minutes. |
That’s somewhat better than the four hour claim! But this is with a brand new battery charged overnight, and with one device connected and used lightly: a bit of email, some web, iChat running in the background. Put four clients on, with a lot of traffic, and the result might not be the same. Still, not bad at all for such an inexpensive device, doing what it does.
In a less carefully documented test on 2 May 2011, I turned the unit on (unpowered but nearly fully charged) at about 9am. I worked until 1pm, at which time I powered the unit off – still one bar on the battery charge indicator after about four hours. In the afternoon, I connected the device to power at about 2.15 pm and continued using it. At 4.36pm, 4/4 on the battery charge indicator.
A more carefully documented recharge:
| Time | Note |
| 29-Apr-2011 1414 | Plugged into power, powered on and connected MacBookPro. |
| 29-Apr-2011 1436 | Removed power, continued working (after 22 minutes recharging in use) |
| 29-Apr-2011 1504 | Device shut itself down – 28 minutes battery powered use after 22 minutes recharging in use. |
| 29-Apr-2011 1510 | Plugged into power, powered on and connected MacBookPro |
| 29-Apr-2011 1601 | Unplugged power, powered off. |
| 1-May-2011 1550 | Plugged into power, left it powered off (not in use) |
| 1-May-2011 1640 | Battery charge indication 4/4 after 101 minutes recharging (mixed in-use/off state during recharge). |
On the whole, fairly pleased. You won’t get through a whole day’s work without access to power, but then again your notebook isn’t going to do that either.
Summary
So what would I want this for? Got ADSL2 at home, got AARNet in the office, got an iPhone 4 with Personal Hotspot for when out-and-about. And I can get a 3G USB modem for a few dollars less. What does this device add?
Well, it all depends and it’s not for everyone, so I won’t try to answer that in a general way. I’ll just suggest a few attractions that may or may not be relevant to others.
- For moderate use, the gigabytes are less expensive than my postpaid monthly iPhone data allowance – and unused GB roll over. I see this as a $12.50 per month deal with 10GB per year. If my use was very low, I wouldn’t need it – my 500MB/month iPhone plan woud suffice. And if I was a heavier user, I’d look hard at a postpaid 3G modem deal – more money, but a lot more data.
- This is a bloody good way to look after your international visitors.
- No drivers, no software to install. No hassle for guest users, no worries about the next Mac OS X release. I know it works for Mac, iOS; I bet it works for other platforms too. It just works.
- Likely less expensive per year than using hotel internet services, and you can share with a travelling companion.
- Finally, it’s a cool device, especially considering the price.
At the time of writing, details on the device were readily available at Telstra.
Stephen Young, ITS, University of Melbourne
May 2011
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and are not necessarily shared by the University of Melbourne.
I see that as at 17 February 2012, the up-front offer has changed. $99 with 5GB or 60 days.
Stephen Young, ITS, University of Melbourne