My internet pack will expire next month and I’m in no mood to renew the plan because I have bought the Reliance JIOFI 3 hotspot. JIOFI is a MiFi device introduced by Reliance JIO Infocomm limited. It allows users with non-4G smartphones to enjoy 4G-LTE internet over a secure WiFi connection.
I bought the JioFi3 WiFi hotspot from Amazon India portal for INR 2000. Amazon executive delivered the device to my place within a week.
The JIOFI hotspot packs inside a circular retail box. Other items you’ll find in the box are as follows:
- A guide to using JIO4G free voice calling app.
- Warranty leaflet, USB cable, and a charger.
- Product documentation.
To get started with JIOFI, you must have a JIO SIM card. Getting a new JIO SIM is dead easy. To get your SIM, carry your Aadhar card, the JiOFI hotspot, and its invoice to the nearest Reliance Retail Store.
The Reliance executive who handles the task of verifying user’s address and other details will request you to provide your Adhar card, passport size photograph, and the JIOFI device along with its retail box/invoice.
The executive will scan the barcode printed on the JIOFI retail box. Then, he will ask you to place your thumb on the biometric device.
Once the device scans your thumb, it will fetch your Aadhar number, address, image and other details from the Adhar card database.
The executive will verify the address and the photo. Then, he’ll activate the JIO SIM card. The SIM card activation process takes a couple of minutes i.e. If you carry valid Aadhar card and the hotspot to a Reliance store, the JIO SIM card will be in your hands within few minutes.
JIOFI review
Size
JIOFI is a compact device. It can fit into your palms and pocket. The thickness of the JIOFI is same as that of a smartphone.
Design
The JIOFI 3 hotspot has black color chassis and three light emitting diodes. It carries a removable battery. JIOFI supports MicroSD card connectivity. It has buttons to turn on WPS mode and stop/start the hotspot.
The 1st LED indicates the battery capacity. The 2nd LED makes you aware of the signal strength and the 3rd LED displays the status of WiFi module i.e. whether the WiFi connection is in use or not.
Setup
To establish an internet connection with the Reliance JIOFI hotspot, you must unpack the hotspot and insert the JIO SIM into the SIM card slot. Before repacking the device, note down the JIOFI SSID and the password printed beside the SIM slot.
Once you do so, repack the device and press the power button.
JIOFI takes few seconds to scan and connect to the Reliance JIO 4G-LTE network. To browse the internet, connect JIOFI to your PC or laptop with the USB cable or establish a WiFi connection between the two devices.
To get information on the WiFI connection, enter the following URL in the browser’s address bar and press the enter key.
http://jiofi.local.html
To manage WiFi connections, change the default password or to assign MAC addresses, click the login option on the page you see in the browser.
Now, the page will prompt you to enter the username and password. Enter the word “administrator” in the two text fields and click on the OK button.
You’ll now see the below page.
Status: The status page makes you aware of the full details of the 4G and WiFi connection. It also displays the usage of the computing devices packed inside the JIOFI hotspot. The page is divided into the following four parts:
- LTE.
- Network information.
- Device details.
- System performance.
Network: This page of the admin interface of JIOFI hotspot allows you to change the default WAN MTU value. It enables users to turn on or disable MAC address filter, WPS, UPnP, port forwarding, etc.
WiFi disk: If you have inserted a MicroSD card slot in the JIOFI, use the WiFi disk feature to manage files on the SD card.
User management: The JIOFI hotspot lets users change the default login credentials, WiFi disk file storage method, upgrade the router’s firmware, etc.
JIOFI Speed
I’m using JIOFI hotspot for more than 29 days. The connection speed is always between 3 Mbps to 7 Mbps. Sometimes, the data transfer speed reaches up to 10 Mbps. The network latency is below 50 Ms.
Signal Strength
JIOFI provides 4G-LTE connection to my phone and laptop over a band 40 LTE connection. According to some sites, band 40 offers faster downloading and uploading speeds as compared to band 3, 5 of JIOFI. The led which indicates the network signal strength remains green for most time of the day.
Battery
JIOFI’s battery takes about 3 to 4 hours to get charged. When the battery is charged, JIOFI functions for up to 16 to 18 hours.
Also see: Best WiFi router in India
JIOFI pros and cons
Pros
- Lightweight, built with good quality materials.
- Good WiFi range.
- Easy to use.
- Free voice calls with the JIO4GVoice app.
Cons
- No option to block URLS, allocate bandwidth to other users.
Must read: Latest Jio plans and Prime Membership offer
No doubt about Jio. Jio is amazing that proving lot ot amazing offers with best package & now when the time has arrived to move with Jio prime service. So Jio is going to be more strong with best network !
I do hear many people say Jio voice calling is not good there are lot of issue & voice breaking issue too but this device is best for voice calling. I’m using it & have not faced calling issue.