Over the past couple of years most of the mobile providers in the UK have been peddling USB mobile broadband packages to customers who wished to have access to the internet from a laptop on the go.  This approach uses the 3G mobile networks to send and receive data on your laptop allowing you to web browse and send/receive Email on the move.  Performance is not as good as traditional home broadband connections, but the freedom to access the internet wherever you have a mobile phone signal is sometimes a worthy trade off.

Where the Novatel 2352 fits in is that it offers the same kind of service (using the mobile phone network) but incorperates a wireless router into the package allowing for simultaneous connection of up to 5 devices.  This is ideal for homes where ADSL broadband is not available, or where small groups of people need to work collaberatively in a variety of locations.

Opening up the box, it’s a surprise how small the device is, in the picture below it’s sat next to an iPhone 3G, which shows that the 2352 is a device that can be easily transported from location to location.

Included in the packaging is the device itself, an AC charger unit with UK and EU adapters, a USB lead for connecting to a PC, the rechargeable battery and a quick start guide.  The design of the device and the packaging eludes to an attempt at the higher end of the market, but initially it seems that Novatel have missed the mark:  Although the device looks very well put together at first glance, once you pick it up you realise that the quality of the casing could be better (especially when you consider this is a device that will need to stand up to frequent travel).  The thinness of the plastic means that the panels can be compressed, whereas the piano black finish is likely to be a finger print magnet.  However, the device is very light, even with the supplied battery installed.

The getting started guide provides clear, concise instructions on how to set up the internet and wireless connections.  Simply installing an

active SIM card and turning on the device is enough to bring the device to life, with the default wireless network name and security key being printed on the inside of the battery cover.  We had this unit up and running within 2-3 minutes, once the “WiFi” logo lit up we were able to see the wireless network from all of our test devices (a Windows laptop, an iPad, a Mac and a Playstation 3) and all devices were able to connect to the wireless network and were assigned an IP address by the built in router.  Once connected, further configuration of the device can be achieved by accessing a configuration page from a web browser (as with most wireless routers), the screen shots shown here show the initial screen displayed and then the screen shown once the administrator password is put into the field in the top right of the screen.

In both screens the signal strength and mobile internet connection type are shown (in this case the slower GPRS standard).  These will change dynamically depending on the mobile signal strength in your location.  Most built up areas will allow for a “3G” mobile broadband connection which will allow for a theoretical 7.2Mbps download speed, however in reality these speeds are unlikely to be reached due to the restrictions on bandwidth on the UK’s mobile network.

That being said, it’s surprising just how usable the internet connection is, even on a GPRS signal.  We were able to browse relatively quickly to a variety of news and social networking sites.  High bandwidth websites such as Youtube were a problem however, with videos taking a considerable time to load and playback being choppy at best.  This shouldn’t be a problem though as the cost of mobile broadband is prohibitively expensive and this device is only really intended for mobile communication and general web browsing.

Another nice feature of the router is the inclusion of a Micro SDHC slot on the device itself, this allows you to insert a memory card up to 16GB for collaborative storage between all connected devices.  This could prove very useful in mobile office environments where more than one user may require access to a set of files, 16GB may not seem like a lot in terms of home storage, but in an office environment it should prove to be more than adequate for document storage.

As mentioned previously, the 2352 includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery which the manufacturer claims will keep the router powered and active for 3 to 4 hours.  In our tests we managed nearly 3 hours of connectivity before we needed to plug the router into the mains charger, but the test environment was in a very low signal strength area so it seems reasonable that battery life would be shortened given the extra power needed to pick up a mobile signal.  This cements it’s position as a device for mobile working, it offers true freedom from wires while maintaining access to the internet.

The wireless configuration pages indicate that the router can also be used with Virtual Private Networks (VPN’s) allowing for seamless connectivity to private office networks from remote locations.  The wireless router also has a number of security settings, including MAC address filtering which would allow for access only by pre-approved devices, this is another useful feature for mobile office workers who need to protect access to the router and any files stored on an attached memory card.

All in all, the Novatel 2352 Mobile Hotspot is an excellent solution for individuals or small groups of people who need access to the internet at all times.  Providing you have a mobile phone signal you will always have some form of internet connectivity, though at times it may be slow.  The device can also be used in conjunction with devices that have built in Wi-Fi access but no mobile broadband connectivity (such as the cheaper Apple iPads), the size of the device means that you could switch it on and slip it in your pocket and maintain internet access for three hours or so without any need for configuration.