Chromecast and Mobile Brodaband mifi

mylittlepony

Does Chromecast work with a mobile broadband mifi?
Thinking of getting a mifi new or used but would like to know if I can use internet on tv for better viewing size while chromecast.
Possible or not?

Or only for fixed broadband?
Thanks in advance.

ZENER

As far as I know (I don't have a ChromeCast dongle) it connects to any wifi access point so the simple answer is yes it will.

However - you should be aware that playing movies and videos from the 'net will use a lot of data and most if not all mobile broadband packages will have strict download limits. For example, I have a 3 Mobile Broadband unit and I pay 25 euro per month for 7.5GB. This limit is strictly enforced and I lose connection when I reach this limit. For Billpay customers your monthly charge will entitle you to a specified amount of data - say 10GB - going over this will result in out of package charges where every MB of data over the specified cap is charged at a usually extortionate rate. This of course only to video files played from services like Netflix or other web based services etc., files played from your own local network do not count towards your data limit.

Another factor is signal strength, in poor reception areas or highly congested areas you may experience a lot of buffering or stopping/starting of the video due to insufficient bandwidth. Most services usually state a minimum of 2Mb/s, you may not achieve this speed in the circumstances mentioned previously.

Sorry if I've dumbed this down too much.

Ken

mylittlepony

Hi Ken,


Thanks for your reply. that's great to know.

Should I buy the mifi new or ok to buy used / 2nd hand in the exchange stores. I see them from €25-30.
New is €49.

ZENER

Whichever you decide to buy just remember that just like a mobile phone these devices can be locked to a particular provider. Decide on which provider you want to use - 3, O2, Vodafone etc. - then buy one either unlocked or supplied for that specific provider.

Another thing to consider is whether there is 4G available in your area, if so then check that the unit you buy can support it. 4G is a relatively new technology potentially giving higher speeds than 3G and it's associated technologies and may give you a better viewing experience.

Good luck.

Ken

kyeev

mylittlepony wrote: »

Does Chromecast work with a mobile broadband mifi?
Thinking of getting a mifi new or used but would like to know if I can use internet on tv for better viewing size while chromecast.
Possible or not?

Or only for fixed broadband?
Thanks in advance.

Just make sure you go 4G.
I had to upgrade from 3G mobile broadband, as the buffering and dropped connection were driving me mad.
4G kicks it arse.

Router is important too.
The older mifi devices were B/G, so make sure you get an N router.
I just got a Huawei b593-22 router, and it's excellent with two built in antenna's for picking up 4G signal.

mylittlepony

I lan to get three as I aready have the UBS dongle for the laptop but getting fed up with speed ben using it for the last 4 years sotime for an upgrade.
I will check it the used mifi are 4G if not get new:
http://www.three.ie/online/shop/productDetail.aspx?src=p&p=data&pid=2254&tariffType=prepay

Is this the router?
So would these two together, the mifi & router go hand in hand like a horse and carriage
http://www.three.ie/online/Shop/productDetail.aspx?src=p&p=data&pid=2136&tariffType=prepay

My fone is S4mini Vodafone. Will I be able to use internet through the 3 mifi & router using wifi even though they are two different providers?

Thanks in advane.

ZENER

You only need one of those devices. Both are routers but the cheaper smaller one only allows WiFi access while the more expensive also has Ethernet ports should you have any devices that require them. The smaller device is battery powered (charger supplied) making it very portable but the larger one uses an external PSU.

Any device that uses Wifi can connect to either device whether they be tablets, iPods or phones. My preference would be the device with the Ethernet ports as it's more flexible and capable of higher speeds on 4G (up to 42Mb/s versus up to 21Mb/s) but then I could make use of them. Your milage may vary depending on the availability of 4G where you live.

Ken

pawrick

I bought one recently and have been using it with a meteor 3G mobile hotspot so cant see why it shouldn't work just fine for you too once the area has a good signal with your provider. So far I've tried out youtube and streaming a few movies from my phone and there was no lag etc. I haven't used it connected to a pc yet but all good so far.