Portable Hotspot - Special Products Connection

[WiFi.com]

Special Products Connection Portable Hotspot
Review by WiFi.com

A couple of weeks ago we had the chance to meet up with Joe Boyd, the face of Special Products Connection (SPC), an Illinois-based company which offers a portable device which allows you to access the Internet wirelessly. These devices are commonly referred to as a “portable hotspot.” We tested out the device in our first meeting and then followed up a couple days ago at a different location. The second time through we also connected with multiple laptops, a truer test of the potential value of a device such as this.

How it works: We will simplify for the reading public as the description of the portable hotspot can become overwhelmingly technical. It is only important for you to understand the basic structure of the device. In essence it is a compact, briefcase-sized hard composite box with the following contents; 1) a cellular-based router, and 2) a wifi-based router. The signal is received by the cellular router and transferred to the wifi-enabled router. From there the signal is transmitted wirelessly to your computer(s).

The SPC portable hotspot is also equipped with two ethernet connections on the back of the box. So, you are able to wire or unwire with this device. We understand the updated version will have four ethernet ports available.

The product is powered using a lighter plug adapter (12 volt power source). Additionally, a wall adapter comes with the product, in case you need juice away from your vehicle.

Aesthetically speaking the product looks and feels durable. As mentioned above, it is not overbearing in size (brief-case sized), easily tucked into a large laptop bag or carried by the handles offered on the top of the unit.

First Test: We met in the northern suburbs of Chicago. The cellular coverage here was about average, not smoking but consistent. It was our understanding the network in the area was based on CDMA – Code Division Multiple Access. Don’t worry; the simple definition is a way to cut up data on a radio signal to deliver the information to the end user. CDMA has been around for some time and is in use with Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and many first and second generation cellular networks. I mention this now because Special Products Connection will be unveiling an EVDO – Evolution-Data Optimized (Rev A.) portable hotspot unit within the next month or so. EVDO is a wireless broadband standard which was adopted by CDMA-based mobile providers around the world. What does this mean? Without drowning you further in tech-speak, EVDO equals faster speeds.

We started by taking a drive around town. I was connected via an older laptop with a pre wireless-g network interface card which was plugged into the PCMCIA slot. The connection stayed relatively consistent. It was clear, however, the speeds were not what one would consider “broadband.” The average download speeds were in the 140-170Kbps range, while uploads were a sluggish 60-80Kbps – not debilitating until you attempt sending an attachment via email.

After our drive I had the opportunity to fire up my laptop and conduct a range test. There were no obstacles blocking the signal (we were in a large mall parking lot). I walked outwards from the hotspot in 10 foot increments. The signal remained strong until about 50 feet. Then the signal was cut in half. However, when I tried another speed test there were very little differences compared to when I was only a couple of feet from the unit. The range was about what you can expect from most wifi-enabled products searching for an access point.

Because I only brought the one laptop and we were interested in knowing how the portable hotspot would perform in alternate location; the multiple computer speed test had to wait until the second time we met up.

Second Test: We met downtown Chicago on the 21st floor of the Hyatt Regency, within a short walk to Magnificent Mile and Navy Pier. This time around we hooked up two laptops; both higher end units with good processing speeds.

Additionally, we had setup a couple wireless cameras at home prior to meeting and tested out the connection with a Sony LocationFree™ base station and a PlayStation Portable (PSP). In other words, we used the wifi connection through the SPC portable hotspot to connect to our video cameras, which were transmitting wirelessly, back at the house. We were able to connect to the base station and although the picture was slightly grainier than we were used to, the connection was consistent – no significant latency.

From a speed test perspective; laptop one: 182Kbps down and 121Kbps up for the first test. The second time round we hit 314Kbps down and 100Kbps upload. For laptop two: 334Kbps download and 117Kbps upload after running the first speed test. The second test we hit 344Kbps down and 122Kbps upload. We are adding screenshots of the speed tests below this review.

These are not staggering numbers by any means of the imagination. However, we suspect the new units will be substantially faster than the product we tested.

To date we have not had the chance to test out the portable hotspot in a location with spotty cellular coverage. However, Special Products Connection believes their product will perform the same or better than a cellular air card when coverage is light.

Conclusions:
Based upon our limited review of the Special Products Connection portable hotspot, we recommend these units for the office on the go or any industry in which you need multiple connections to the Internet in locations not wired.

The key advantage of the portable hotspot compared to an air card is the fact you are setting up your own wireless network – allowing multiple computers to connect.

The units are not cheap: first consider you will need an unlimited data package from a cellular provider. Then add the cost of the unit, the new version will run you about $2,100 (MSRP). SPC can set you up with the cellular modem of your choice (i.e. Verizon, Sprint). However, they do recommend Sprint because they have a working relationship. The Sprint packages run about $60 per month - plus tax.

We hope to get another opportunity to test out the SPC portable hotspot because, as mentioned, the new units could offer up to four times more speed than the one we tested. Furthermore, we did not get a chance to test speeds in areas with spotty cellular coverage.

If you would like to learn more about the Special Products Connection portable hotspot we recommend perusing the product website: www.specialproductsconnection.com

Speed Test Screenshots: