Connected, Even On The Go, With Sprint’s Mobile Hotspot

As a mom I am constantly on the go, and as a blogger I constantly want to be in touch with my tech. That’s why I have a laptop, an iPad and a smartphone — I can’t go anywhere without my tech. I have become very efficient at using my laptop/iPad offline when I am on the go so that when I reach Wifi and can connect to the Internet I can quickly upload what I have been working on. But wouldn’t life be easier if I was connected to the Internet wherever I worked from?

Why yes it would. 

It was like Christmas morning when Sprint sent me a NETGEAR Zing Mobile Hotspot. For those who might not know what that is, it is a small device (smaller than my phone) that uses a cellular network to give you Wifi anywhere. Swoon.

Long time ago (like 6-7 years ago) I had one of the original hotspots, but it was bulky and cumbersome and had to be inserted into my computer. This thing is so easy and portable — plus several devices can connect to it at one time. 

It wasn’t long before I had my first chance to try out my new toy — a trip to the beach for Labor Day. With my husband behind the wheel for a two-hour drive, I could sit in the passenger seat and happily answer emails, write blog posts and check Facebook from my laptop and iPad — on the road. With my girls happily watching movies in the backseat, it was like adding two hours to my work time. Nice. 

Another great place for my Sprint Mobile Hotspot — dance class. After setting up baby sister with some games or a movie on the iPad, I can respond to emails and take care of business on my laptop from the busy dance studio. 

With mobile Wifi the possibilities are endless, but the best use of my mobile hotspot was on board a cruise ship.

For my birthday my family and I took a cruise aboard the Disney Dream (amazing BTW), but before we left port I had a bit of work to do. I was asked to co-host a Twitter party that would take place a few hours after boarding the ship but before we left port. With the power of my Sprint Mobile Hotspot I confidently agreed to the job, and after boarding the ship I found a quite corner in a lounge chair to work. 

I co-hosted a Twitter party from a cruise ship! 

I turned on my laptop and Sprint powered NETGEAR Zing Mobile Hotspot and successfully did my work. I even emailed this Instagram to the people I was working with so they could see my view.

Now that’s the way to co-host a Twitter party!!!

Note – no the hotspot does not work out at sea (which I knew). I was only able to do this because we were still docked and had U.S. cell service. Once we were underway I had no signal. But I did everything I needed to do!

Here are a few of the NETGEAR Zing Mobile Hotspot powered by Sprint:

• First 4G LTE mobile hotspot from Sprint with international capabilities using GSM roaming
• One of the first tri-band devices offered by Sprint
• Access passwords, SSID information, battery, network signal strength and more with the LCD resistive color touchscreen
• Manage device settings with the easy to use Web User Interface (Web UI)
• Easy to set up and use, no software required for Wi-Fi access
• While the device is tethered via USB extension cable to a computer connect to the network as well as share with 10 devices/users (i.e., will require drivers to be installed that are on the device)
• Expand up to 10 Wi-Fi enabled devices sharing one connection (devices include laptops, tablets, eReaders, portable gaming systems and more)
• 2500 mAh battery provides up to 10 hours of typical use on a single charge
• GPS functionality (i.e., Location Based Services)
• Equipped with the latest wireless encryption technology so that personal data/information is not shared when lending out your mobile hotspot. It also supports the most advanced mobile security protocols such as NAT Firewall, VPN pass-through, and password-protected administration user interface

I am totally enjoying my wireless hotspot — taking it with me everywhere. A blogger’s dream!

Where would you use a mobile hotspot?

I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Sprint. I received product samples to facilitate my review.