Can I switch to MIFI?

[Sadiebear]

I have a Verizon PC card (unlimited) for my home internet (rural area without other internet available), which remains connected to my home PC. Occasionally it gets put on the laptop for traveling. I would like to change to a MIFI so we can use multiple devices at once (desktop, laptop, tablet, etc.). I'm not sure if this will work with my system though, as I do not have a WIFI card on my desktop (2004) and I do not have a router. Are there are any MIFI's that can be USB connected to the desktop, but still offer WIFI to the other devices? I'd also like to stream movies to an internet enabled TV in the near future, is this a possibility with the MIFI? I appreciate your help!

Sadie

[jahciple]

if you have a laptop connected wirelessly you can bridge the connections between the lan and wifi and then connect it to your pc from the laptop. does the tv have wifi or a network plugin?

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

[jahciple]

i don't think there is a mifi that works with a usb to get a connection.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

[NHCharmedOne]

The mifi 2200 can be used as a usb modem. But most have a cap so using it for streaming movies probably would not work.

[wralford]

You can get a wifi adapter that plugs into a USB port on your PC and then use that to find the signal from your MiFi device. Something like this should work:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Actionte...&skuId=4419748

[icerabbit]

With the 2200 MiFi by default wifi sharing was turned off on the MiFi while it is plugged into a computer and acting as a USB modem. I recall there was a txt edit hack to correct that (and have it function like a wifi router as well). It may or may not be the same with the newer model.

Personally, if you want to share a MiFi connection between a computer and a tablet or so; I'd just get an inexpensive USB wifi adapter for the desktop or notebook that doesn't have wifi; and then place the MiFi in the best location in your house for both reception of the wireless signal and wifi distribution through the house and leave it plugged into the wall.

There can be significant differences in signal strength depending on topography, distance to the tower, build of the house, etc from one room to the next. One very rural place we need to put the mifi (or cellphone) by the exterior door/window facing the tower to get any signal. Another suburban place it sits on the living or dining room window sill. This due to metal lathe in the walls and/or metal roofing material.

As far as streaming movies to a TV goes. HDTVs with wifi (typically now called smart tvs) do exist and are lovely, but in our experience a mobile broadband connection through wifi via 3G - likely what you have since you said rural - regardless of signal strength, is not going to be a satisfactory endeavor.

There is just too much data that has to be streamed continuously. We've tried it a couple times at home or on the road to grab something from netflix and just ended up getting a movie from RedBox or reading a book. It is one thing to browse the web and load up a youtube clip and play it back, but quite another to view tv programming. There is too much lag, buffering, skipping, ... And, rural your local towers may not be all that well equipped for data loads.

Plus, data caps are also an issue for mobile streaming of tv programs & movies. I'd say anywhere from 250MB at a minimum, but probably closer to 500MB for a standard definition program.

[Screencarver]

But streaming tv should work over mifi if it were 4G with unlimited data, right? We just got 4G so I'm wondering too.