Saturday, April 16, 2011

Joining the Tribe of wi-tribe: A Review of wi-tribe Philippines Pocket Wifi



The wi-tribe pocket wifi. Also called wi-tribe pass.
The wi-tribe pocket wifi. Also called wi-tribe pass.
I was so excited to hear it so I hurried to the nearest wi-tribe shop. Going to the shop directly instead of waiting for their service representative at your doorsteps is a big advantage. As of this writing (April 15, 2011), wi-tribe offers limited stocks of pocket wifi for Php 1,000.00 only for a lock-in period of 24 months. And the only way you could avail of this promo is through the wi-tribe shops.
When I got the unit, I thought it should contain a sim card. But no. This is no cellular broadband. wi-tribe makes use of WiMax technology. I was amazed at how easy the palm size modem-router is to use. The pocket wifi (called wi-tribe pass) is ready to use as soon as it's been turned on. Configuration is easy as well. There's nothing really to configure aside from SSID and security key.
The wi-tribe pass measures 2 1/2" by 4". It's lightweight, portable, and easy to use. The package comes with a USB cable and an adapter. You could use it either wired or wirelessly. When wireless, it stays for as long as 3 hours. Not bad. If 3 hours isn't enough for you, at least you could still use it while charging through the USB port of your laptop.
wi-tribe has a range products, starting from Plan 598 (that is, Php598.00 a month) with a speed of up to 512kbps to Plan 1998 with a speed of up to 2mbps. You could also opt for a flexi plan wherein your monthly bill will depend on how heavily you use the internet.
Right now, I am using Plan 998 with speed up to 1mbps. Gone are the days when I needed to place the modem near the window in order to gain stronger signal. WiMax is thrice as fast as 3G and has a range of 50km. Moreover, moving from home to office and back, I need not set up a bulky router wired on a laptop each time to gain connectivity anymore. This is really convenient and fast! 
[Wi-tribe website:wi-tribe.ph; Wi-tribe hotline: 31-TRIBE (318-7423)]


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