Mobile 3G to WiFi hotspot gadget--where to find?

[heybruce]

I am looking for a device that will convert 3G to WiFi, something similar to the Huawei E5331 http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=huawei+5331. I've checked with True and AIS at Siam TV and CAT at Maya, the closest thing they have are aircard devices that plug into computers. Does anyone know of a place in Chiang Mai that has a device similar to this? It doesn't have to be Huawei, it just has to be portable, have decent battery life, allow a few devices to use the WiFi signal, and be reasonably priced.

BTW, I know that many smart phones can function as hotspots, but I prefer to have a dedicated hotspot device.

Thanks for any help.

[HansBlinkers]

Most phone shops have them all the main dealers anyway. Ask for pocket WiFi they're around 1600 baht.

I know the AIS one is unlocked to any sim,so you could use it at home.

Not sure about AIS for internet packages tho, I got 300mb for my iPhone and it was gone in little over a week. 200mb (always on) does me a month back home, something not right about the usage here.

If you get one can you let us know well it works?

Edited April 1, 2014 by HansBlinkers

[stigvinck]

We have two of them at work. We use them when we are on the road. Great if you want to use a phone and a tablet/laptop at the same time.

Works anywhere you have a cell phone signal.

Got them at AIS in central festival. Price is about 1500thb for the device and then we got a post paid contract on them. 599thb/m for unlimited use. Discounted to 299 for the first six months. That's 2gb of 3g speed a month and then it slows down but we never seem to get to that. But then again we only use them when we are out of the office.

Very happy with them.

Battery life is ok. We usually keep em connected to the car charger but if you take em out they seem to last for about two to three hours depending on usage.

Sent from my HTC One X+ using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited April 4, 2014 by stigvinck

[heybruce]

Thanks for the replies. I was busy for a few days but finally had time to check out some shops. AIS seems to be the only option. The device costs about 1500 baht and the 3G packages are, if I remember correctly, 299 baht for 300MB, 399 baht for 1GB, and 699 baht for 4GB. After reaching these limits the speed slows down, I assume a lot. If anyone know of a better deal please let me know.

I'm now debating whether to use this service or finally break down and buy the cheapest smartphone I can find that will function as a hotspot.

[Awk]

Thanks for the replies. I was busy for a few days but finally had time to check out some shops. AIS seems to be the only option. The device costs about 1500 baht and the 3G packages are, if I remember correctly, 299 baht for 300MB, 399 baht for 1GB, and 699 baht for 4GB. After reaching these limits the speed slows down, I assume a lot. If anyone know of a better deal please let me know.

I'm now debating whether to use this service or finally break down and buy the cheapest smartphone I can find that will function as a hotspot.

I have a reasonably new smartphone (Samsung S4 mini) and have been using its hotspot feature the last few weeks.

I only use it 3-4 hours every day, but often at some point during that time, the Internet-part of the phone stops working and I am unable to get it to work again without restarting the phone. I suspect "the cheapest smartphone you can find "will work even less well, so next time I will buy a dedicated device for this, hoping it will work more reliable.

A thing to note regarding the various packages is that at least DTAC has two reduced speeds. Depending on what package you buy, the speed gets reduced to either 384 kbps or 64 kbps, which is quite a difference. I would guess other providers have a similar scheme.