Portable Wifi Hotspot

Bigears

New member
Jul 15, 2010
19
11
3
Is it possible to rent a portable wifi hotspot device in the DR? I do not know the proper word for the device. It is a small box that you can carry around with you and provides access to wifi. I rented one on a recent trip to Japan and I was able to use WatsApp on my Canadian phone.
 

Caonabo

LIFE IS GOOD
Sep 27, 2017
7,339
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I have seen them for purchase, and included under contract, but I am not sure if they can be rented.
 

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
3,330
333
83
Go to Claro and buy a data chip. The "mifi" device is free. Less than 2000 pesos. This is what I'm using right now
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
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We have one from Claro, a white puck.

It cost 1800 pesos for 5gb in two months when we bought it. Refills are 1300 pesos.

Works well for what it is: a 3G phone number for data broadcast via wifi. 5 can log onto it at a time.

I think they also come in 4G LTE now for more $$$. We got 3G because of better coverage all over the country.
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
5,542
1,325
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Or just buy internet "packets" on your phone with a claro sim card. 140 pesos for 5 days. Illimited.
 

josh2203

Bronze
Dec 5, 2013
1,535
512
113
Exactly, and if needed turn your phone into a hot spot for other devices to connect to.

This is exactly what we do too. Claro had a campaign for prepaid sim cards, we bought two... I believe the 140 pesos for 5 days is not unlimited as such, it was like 5GB with full speed and then it drops, or something like that.

We have also the wifi boxes from both, Orange/Altice and Claro, and use the same prepaid sim cards on the wifi boxes, works perfectly. From Altice you get 7GB data with full speed for 139 pesos and from Claro as said above, 5GB or unlimited for 5 days. I find that the wifi box catches the signal slightly more efficiently, and provides wifi strong enough to stream on multiple devices at the same time...
 

Riva_31

Bronze
Apr 1, 2013
2,531
179
63
San Pedro de Macoris
This is exactly what we do too. Claro had a campaign for prepaid sim cards, we bought two... I believe the 140 pesos for 5 days is not unlimited as such, it was like 5GB with full speed and then it drops, or something like that.

We have also the wifi boxes from both, Orange/Altice and Claro, and use the same prepaid sim cards on the wifi boxes, works perfectly. From Altice you get 7GB data with full speed for 139 pesos and from Claro as said above, 5GB or unlimited for 5 days. I find that the wifi box catches the signal slightly more efficiently, and provides wifi strong enough to stream on multiple devices at the same time...



Or VIVA 7 days for 145.00 pesos unlimited.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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Or VIVA 7 days for 145.00 pesos unlimited.


It is NOT unlimited, it is limited to 5 GB and then it drops to 128 kb (advertised 384 kbps but it averaged 64 to 180 kbps, with 128 kbps being the most average).

They tell you unlimited, but their terms and conditions state that it will get limited speed if you use it more than the average use. Call center tells you they don't have a specific GB limit set before the speed drops, but the unwritten limit is 5 GB. Tested it, it got reduced after about 5.2 GB transmitted.

Only thing VIVA is better is that it lasts 7 days instead of 5 days for Claro and Altice. ALTICE/ORANGE has 7 GB limit before speed reduction, I think. Claro has 5 GB / 5 days, unlimited calls to Claro (60% of mobile phone lines are in Claro), and you get 4G LTE speeds at about 30-40 mbps (lowest 4G LTE I got was about 9 mbps).