USB 3G Modem Review—What Everyone Should Know Before Purchase

$199.95
$99.95

By a Not Fully Conviced User

USB modems can offer a way for anyone to experience the internet in a fully mobile format. With a laptop and the conveniently portable unit, you can take your online experience wherever your life takes you—with some minor drawbacks, of course.

As a telecommuting writer, I was intrigued by the idea of being able to take my work with me to various appointments—like two hour doctor visits or the endless waits at the DMV. I invested in a USB modem thinking that I had found the perfect tool for internet mobility.

The first part that was hard to swallow was the cost of the modem itself. I had to buy the unit and pay to set up the account through the wireless service carrier I chose. Since the majority of these carriers use credit reports as a basis for their decision of whether or not a deposit is needed, this can be a huge expense right from the start.

I was also offered the option of placing insurance on my new USB modem—yet another expense, but one that I wish I had opted for. USB modems are small and easily lost. They also can get knocked out of their port on the side of your laptop and tend to break very easily. Insurance is a must for these devices and would have saved me a considerable amount of time and money.

After signing all of the contracts, I found the modem was easy to use and really did offer internet at high speeds and give me the portable convenience that I was looking for. I was happy—until I got my bill.

Unexpected Service Charges

There is a huge drawback that anyone who is looking into these devices should know about. When my account was set up, I was assigned a phone number. I didn’t think anything of it and did not realize that this phone number could do anything that a cellular phone could—including text messaging. I didn’t know about it, but my teenage daughters did. And my bill proved that. I was hit with a bill for over $600 since I did not opt to pay for text messaging upfront. I was charged for every single text at an outrageous rate.

Because I was not warned about this feature, I became very disenchanted with my carrier and decided to switch to a service with a more reasonable rate—and free text messaging. However, just like cell phones, each device is specifically programmed for the individual carriers. I had to buy another device which ended up getting knocked out of my laptop, dropping on the ground and then being crushed under a passerby’s foot.

In retrospect

I really wish that I had chosen a 3G mobile routing device. These do not get lost, trampled, or incur costly text message bills. And they offer the same mobile convenience with the added ability to easily integrate several mobile computers on the same network, which is a function that a USB modem simply does not offer.