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I am unable to get my Mifi to work when it is pluggedinto a USB port on my computer to keep it charged while I am traveling. What this means is that I either only have a couple of hours to use it and then have to go offline to charge it by the computer, or find a wall outlet to leave it plugged up to.
Does anyone have any suggestions other than a power inverter or wall outlet?
Schott
Solved! Go to Correct Answer
What you have described is correct the 4G MiFi will not charge and browse the web when only connected to a computer. It will allow you to browse while the MiFi is attached to a wall charger.
Do you mean the MiFi will not even connect using the VZ Access manager when it is plugged into your computer? It is designed (for some reason) to shut off the WiFi when plugged into a USB port, but 4G connectivity should be served on that computer by using the provided software.
If even that is not working, then you have a defective unit and it should be returned.
Note: I do not own the most recent 4G MiFi (wish I did, as it reviews much better than my Samsung), but the above was true for my old 3G MiFi.
What you have described is correct the 4G MiFi will not charge and browse the web when only connected to a computer. It will allow you to browse while the MiFi is attached to a wall charger.
I soooo wish this was true. In the past year, my mifi won't operate at all when it's charging -- whether via the USB cable to my laptop or to the wall charger. Once, a friend from Germany visited and voila, by some miracle we could actually be online while it was plugged into the wall charging. But now that he's returned and took his "magic usb" cord with him, we're back into the ridiculous mode of charging it via the wall charger, unplugging it to use it for an hour or so until it dies, and then plugging it back into the wall to charge, on and on. Seems ridiculous that this is the height of technology for Verizon's mifi device. If I could use the mifi while charging via the wall charger, I'd be delighted. That would be a start.
Any updates or tricks to make that happen? Why did the European cord work when the one I got with the mifi device and the other half dozen cords I've bought since then (hoping to find another "magic" cord) will only let it charge but won't allow any transfer of data?
I'd love help if it's possible to make this thing work again. Crazy that we customers have to spend endless hours online and buying new cords in hope of making it work like it should.
ROBinTEXAS
Firmware update 2.23 and 2.28 allow us to charge via USB without shutting down the device. Forum users discovered that we could work around this built in limitation by splicing/hacking the USB cable so that it only accepted power and not data connections. Novatel and VZW finally wised up to our work arounds and allowed us to charge and use the device at the same time while plugged into a laptop.
However, your internet connection will not be truely "tethered" even with the new firmware. You will still have to establish a wireless connection with the MiFi 4510L.
It is not connected to any computer
OK, my Mifi will not work on my PC when it's plugged in because Windows 7 says it doesn't have the drivers, and I can't get them because I can't get online. I didn't get an installation CD or anything with it because I got it as a replacement for the defective Pantech - a whole different, horrible issue. I can use the MiFi on my laptop and I tried to find drivers, but everything I've seen says no drivers are needed. I had the 3G MiFi and loved it - I never should have upgraded to the Pantech 4G - it was a disaster. Am I to understand that I can't use this new MiFi via the USB cable? I'd rather not buy another wireless router unless I have to...please help!
I guess what I should have said is that I don't have a network adapter for my PC....so without buying one, is there a way to use the MiFi via a USB cable?
Nope there isn't any way to use it as tethered. You can get a non data charging cable so you can at least keep it charged while connected via wifi, but that is it. I think they are basically trying to roll out devices fast enough that the people that would normally be initiating a class action lawsuit are busy trying the other devices and just getting more furstrated. This device has a ton of problems, it's flaky and unstable.
I hate being so negative about them, but I have given them 5 months to figure this out and they are still stuggling. They have also started lying to me now and it's costing me money so I am not happy.
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