Hands-on with the Novatel MiFi, your portable Wi-Fi hotspot

About the size of a credit card and weighing in at just two ounces, the rechargeable MiFI 2200 "Intelligent Mobile Hotspot" taps into Verizon's 3G network and creates an instant Wi-Fi network, wherever you are. I've spent the past week with a review unit in my pocket, and now I want my own, bad.

Available now on Verizon Wireless (a version for Sprint subscribers is set for release in early June), the Novatel MiFi lets up to five users connect to Verizon's 3G EV-DO network courtesy of your personal, portable Wi-Fi cloud.

The MiFi unit itself ($99 with a two-year service plan, or $270 without a contract) looks like a thick (0.4 inches) black credit card with a green power button on its face, plus a green LED on the side that blinks when users are connected and sending/receiving data. The card might be a bit too thick to squeeze into a wallet, but it's certainly slim enough to slip unobstrusively into a jeans pocket. My one complaint: no "lock" switch to protect the power button from accidentally being pressed.

Setup for the MiFi is dead simple—just connect it via USB to your Windows or Mac machine and install the included VZAccess Manager, which activates the card on Verizon's network.

Once that's done, you just connect to the MiFi's Wi-Fi network and plug a preset local IP address into your Web browser; a password-protected control panel pops up, complete with battery and signal indicators, usage statistics, details on any devices connected to the MiFi, and access to a host of security (WEP, WPA, and WPA2, plus MAC address filtering), port forwarding, and power settings (which let you dictate when the MiFi goes into standby mode, anywhere from two to 60 minutes, or never).

The control panel (which you can access from any Web browser-equipped device connected to the MiFi, including a BlackBerry or an iPhone) will even let you create a temporary hotspot with an auto- or user-generated ID and password, perfect for granting MiFi access to, say, colleagues, acquaintances, or perfect strangers without giving up your permanent login info.

In practice, the MiFi performed quite well; your actual browsing speed will vary depending on Verizon's local data coverage, of course, but in Manhattan, I typically got anywhere from 500Kbps to 1Mbps speeds—not blazingly fast, mind you, but perfectly acceptable for a 3G wireless card.

Don't expect to bathe your entire house in the MiFi's Wi-Fi cloud; in my tests, the signal began to peter out once I strayed beyond 30 feet of the card. Then again, you can also look at that as a plus, especially if you're using the MiFi in a crowded public space or at a hacker convention.

Battery life for the MiFi was good, not great. I got about four solid hours of continuous Wi-Fi activity, which is what Verizon promises, or 40 hours of standby time. The good news is that the MiFi's rechargeable battery is also replaceable, and you can charge the unit via USB or using the included AC adapter.

Data plans for the MiFi vary; on Verizon, you can sign up either for a $40-a-month plan with 250MB of data, plus 10 cents for each extra MB, or $60/month for 5GB and 5 cents for every extra MB. (There's also a $15 "day pass" available if you get the MiFI without a contract.) Sprint subscribers can also opt for a $60/month 5GB plan, as well as a $150 "Sprint Everything" plan that includes unlimited voice, Web browsing, and texting for a phone.

Overall, I had a blast using the MiFi—I loved being able to whip out my laptop and start browsing without futzing with my USB 3G modem, and I can imagine using it in a car, on the beach, or anywhere (within Verizon's coverage area, naturally) where you want to create an instant Wi-Fi network. Something tells me I'll be cracking open my piggy bank for one of these bad boys, and soon.

Got questions about the Mi-Fi? Post 'em below, and I'll get back to you.