Review and specifications of Huawei Power-Fi E8221
If you're looking for a USB data card that allows you to share your 3G internet connection with others by creating a Wi-Fi hotspot, then have a look at the Huawei Power-Fi E8221. This is an end user review of this product with specifications and pictures.
Huawei Power-Fi E8221 is a USB data card that allows you to use and share 3G internet using a SIM card. The main feature of this device is a SIM card slot which gives you the freedom to choose any operator of your choice. This is a plug & play device and all you need to do is plug it to any USB power source to create a Wi-Fi hotspot.
This device lets you share your internet connection with a maximum of 10 users at a time. It provides a maximum download speed of 14.4 Mbps and an upload speed of 5.76 Mbps on 3G or 2G network. There are two LED lights on the data card which have different functions. The first LED light reflects the internet connection whereas the other shows if Wi-Fi hotspot is created. They light up steady if the device is connected to the internet or if the Wi-Fi hotspot is created. If the LED lights up in green, it indicates that you're connected to a 2G network whereas if its blue, it indicates that you're connected to a 3G network. If you open the back cover of the device you can find a reset button which is used to reset the device to factory settings. It is located right next to the SIM card slot.
If you need to plug this device to a wall outlet, you can use a 5 volt - 1 ampere DC wall adapter with a USB port to provide power to the data card. This device can be setup by any Android phone using a 'Huawei Hi-Link app' that is available at the Google Play store. Huawei Hi-Link is a great app for users as it provides you the following features:-
This amazing device is currently available for Rs 1499 on Amazon.com. You may get a better price by searching other e-commerce stores for this product.
Other features of this device:-
WLAN : IEEE 802.11b/g/n
EDGE/GPRS/GSM 1900/1800/900/850
Upload speed up to 5.76 Mbps
Download speed up to 14.4 Mbps
System Requirements:
It is supported on Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP1/SP2, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1
It requires a minimum display resolution of 800x600 pixels.
My Verdict - I have been using the device for a while and I'm quite happy with its performance. I used to activate internet packs on two of my cellphones but after purchasing this device I connect both my cellphones to it directly. I power up this data card via an adapter (as shown in the picture above) or through one of the USB ports available on my PC. When I use it through the USB ports on the computer, it allows me to access its internet connection simultaneously on computer as well as on my smartphones. You can also go for Huawei E8231 which has similar specifications but different download/upload speeds.
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Nice information indeed. Instead of getting tied up to a particular operator, you can use any SIM card of your choice and you are free to change it as many times as you would please. Great app in addition to a great USB data card.