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The rise of 3G and the popularity of smartphones like the Apple iPhone have sparked new ways of connecting to the Net, such as with MiFi or personal Wi-Fi hot spots.

This trend is expected to become even more pervasive as telcos roll out cheaper and faster mobile broadband plans.

Since last year, telcos here have been selling MiFi devices which enable users to share a 3G connection over Wi-Fi.

With these gizmos, a user can create a portable Wi-Fi hot spot around himself and do so anywhere as long as there is 3G coverage.

He can hook up several devices, such as a laptop and a Sony PlayStation Portable, to the Net wherever he goes. Friends around him can also log on to this mobile Wi-Fi hot spot.

Such technologies are a boon to travellers and techies. Whether in a hotel room or an office which bans, say, instant messaging or Facebook, such personal Wi-Fi hot spots can easily be used to open up an unfettered connection to the Net.

Mobile broadband plus Wi-Fi

A recent development is the integration of 3G connectivity with Wi-Fi routers. Tapping on the rising speed of mobile broadband services, which is now touted to go up to 21Mbps, many network gear makers offer 3G-enabled routers which can act either as a portable Internet link or a second link to complement existing broadband connections at home.

Unlike early MiFi devices, which were usually portable and powered by batteries, these routers need to be plugged into a power socket and boast features similar to those of regular broadband routers found in homes.

To hook it up, users only have to plug in a regular USB dongle – the same ones that they are likely to receive from their telcos when they sign up for a mobile broadband plan. Once connected, they can easily hook up multiple devices and users to it.

There are even routers that use power from a wall socket as well as batteries. With such a router, you can surf the Net, say, in a hotel room, and continue surfing as you leave the room if you carry it along and let it run on battery power. Taiwan’s Edimax makes such a router.

More choices, however, means more to consider when choosing your next MiFi device or 3G Router, such as which 3G dongle is supported by the router you are eyeing. How long can you surf using a MiFi gizmo before its battery runs out?