

A major factor, for right now at least, is whether the hotspot tops out at a 4G connection, or is future-looking enough to support 5G. The up-front price of actual hotspot hardware can vary pretty widely.

It depends on the hotspot, the network and the service you are paying for but two things are relatively consistent across all the options: You have to buy the hotspot, and then you have to pay for service in perpetuity. Plus, all your data is further encrypted while on the mobile data network, making everything as protected as it can be. It usually can run for hours on battery power and is as secure as your router at home, often with the choice of Wi-Fi Protect Access-3 (WPA-3) level encryption. Like a mobile phone but without the ability to make or take voice calls, a mobile hotspot connects to the internet the 4G or 5G mobile data network and then transmits a fresh, secure Wi-Fi network for you and your friends. Small and light, a hotspot is often no bigger than an Altoids box yet can put you online anywhere you can make a mobile call. ZTE What is a mobile hotspot and how does it work? Still, it’s a steal for those who need to stay online. It lacks a display but has LEDs and is limited to 4G speeds with a maximum throughput of 150Mbps. ZTE Max Connect’s can turn a mobile data signal from the AT&T or T-Mobile network into a freshly transmitted Wi-Fi signal to as many as 10 devices.
