CradlePoint PHS300 Personal Hotspot - Wireless access point - 802.11b/g (Version 2.0/2.5.3)

by CradlePoint

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 2.5 x 6.1 inches ; 14.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B001212ELY
• Item model number: PHS300
• Batteries: 1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (150 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66 in Computers & Accessories (See Top 100 in Computers & Accessories)
  • #31 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > Networking Products > Routers
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 9, 2007

Product Description

The PHS300 Personal WiFi Hotspot is a true plug 'n’ play solution that creates a powerful 3G/4G WiFi network almost anywhere. Connect all your WiFi enabled devices by simply plugging in your activated USB data modem and turning on the PHS300. The PHS300 comes standard with a Li Ion battery providing hours of access when no power outlets are in sight. At just under 3" x 5" it's a perfect solution for those on the go. Secure and Reliable - This high-performance router platform, powered by WiPipe technology, supports multiple and concurrent VPN pass-through sessions, plus encryption modes including WEP, WPA and WPA2. Now you can confidently access the Internet and share your connection with friends, family or colleagues on the road, in the office and at home.The PHS300 now supports Verizon's high-speed 4G LTE service, but with limited speeds of 6MB up/down due to hardware limitations.Specifications:Model Name: PHS300 Personal WiFi HotspotWifi Standards: IEEE 802.11 b/gNetwork Connections and Ports: One (1) USB Modem Buttons/Switches: Power On/Off Switch, Reset (in battery compartment)LED Indicators: Power, WLAN (Mobile Broadband), Network ConnectionPower: Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery, 5V DC, 2.5-3.0A; 100-240V ACDimensions: 4.8-in x 2.9-in x 0.75-in (122mm x 73mm x 18.5mm)Weight: 3.5 oz. (128g)Temperature: 0°C to 50°C (32°F to 120°F) Operating -20°C to 70°C (-4°F to 158°F) StorageRelative Humidity: 10% - 85% Operating / 5% - 90% StorageCertifications: FCC, CE, IC, WiFi AllianceDetails:- Use with USB-Style Cellular Modem, or Phone with Data Tethering Capability- Compatible with HSPA and EVDO Cellular Network Devices- Universal Plug-n-Play and ALGs support for Internet Applications: Email, FTP, Gaming, Remote Desktop, NetMeeting, Telnet, SSH, And SCP- Flash Memory for Firmware Upgrade, Save/Restore Settings- Easy Management via HTTP- Networking Compliance with IEEE 802.11 b/g Standards- Compliant with Windows 98SE/NT/200/XP/Server 2003/Linux/Mac OS

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

391 of 394 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overall pretty good, not a must-have but close - Please rate!, May 13, 2010

By 

jcgoobee "jcgoobee" (Sunnyvale, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: CradlePoint PHS300 Personal Hotspot - Wireless access point - 802.11b/g (Version 2.0/2.5.3) (Personal Computers)

I've done quite a bit of research before I purchased this item. I was well aware of its strength and shortcoming so when I managed to put it to work, nothing surprised me.

The unit is built in hard plastic, pretty sturdy, but I would be careful of not dropping it as a breathable pouch may not be a bad idea. The battery is made in Japan, whereas the unit itself is made in Taiwan. The initial setup is easy. If you're technically challenged, you can go with the default setup which should get you up and running in a few minutes. If you acclaim yourself as a techie, play around the setup menu and you can tap into a lot more features. By default, go to: http://192.168.0.1 from your browser after connecting to the device, it opens up a wealth of menus that you can customize to your own liking

During the setup, I would suggestion doing the followings:

1. Firmware upgrade, the process is easy, but you need to have a working wifi USB to grab the firmware.
2. WPA2 personal is a good security protocol to use, but it does slow down the connection a little bit, but not significant
3. I probably should have put this as item 1 but no big deal. Change the setup password for your protection.

If you screw up the configuration, no worries, just like most of the home routers, you can use a needle to poke a reset button, which is inside the unit, next to the battery compartment, and everything will be reset.

That's about it for the setup part, now let's talk about the design.

Good: relatively compact, light weight, and not too hot after hours of usage. It won't burn your hand or breast if you put it in your shirt pocket. The LED status lights give you good idea of the unit's operation state. Believe it or not, it's pretty useful. The charger is pretty small, takes about 3 hours to charge it full from empty, which is not too bad. Cradle Point claims it should last about three hours, and I found it to be reasonably true, if I only connect one device to it. If you connect more, it will shorten the battery life. The cost of the replacement (or spare) battery is less than $50, which is a bit pricey to me. But I will talk about usage tips later. Wireless broadcast range is quite good, but of course you can't compare it with your home wireless router. Yet, I have never had any trouble connecting with maximum signal with a size of my office, which is about 300 square feet. After all, this is mainly for travel companionship, and you shouldn't be too far away from the unit anyway.

Bad: The thing I hate the most, is the way that you have to plug in your USB device, which is on the side of the unit, right next to the charge port. When plugged in, it sticks out from the unit and it's easy to break in my opinion. If you put it in your jacket or shirt pocket, and if you're not carefully enough, you might bend the USB and destroy the USB port. If CradlePoint is reading this, maybe they should re-design the housing, to have some room side, fitting a wireless USB drive in there. This would protect the drive from accidental damage.

User experience: My goodness, I love this thing. I bought my iPad the first day it came out, and I received this unit the night before I got my iPad. Let me tell you, it makes the iPad so much more fun to use. I can use it anywhere I like. Since it fits any brand of wireless USB, I'm not at the mercy of AT&T's crappy data service. I'm using it with my Verizon 760 wireless modem, and it works like a champ! Since this unit can take on 16 continuous connection, I can use it along with my netbook, or my wife can use it with her iPod touch concurrently. No problem at all!

Tips: If you intend to use the unit for an extended period of time, and you can plug it to a wall jack for powering it up, I would take out the battery, so you won't have to charge the battery continuously. CradlePoint claims that the battery won't have any memory effect, which I seriously doubt, but taking out the battery from the unit takes less than 5 seconds, so why not?

Hope you like my review, and if you do, please rate. Thank you for reading.

50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Works great and super simple, August 8, 2008

By 

David Ditzler "www.ditzlerphoto.com" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: CradlePoint PHS300 Personal Hotspot - Wireless access point - 802.11b/g (Version 2.0/2.5.3) (Personal Computers)

Super simple to hook up. When I had put the battery in it had some power, i connected it to my Verizon Blackberry 8830 World Phone and in a few seconds it was working. You just need to enter the password (last 6 digits of the MAC address) to connect to the PHS-300. The MAC address was printed on the outside of the case and inside by the battery.


I am using this with my MacBook Pro and an iPod touch and they both hooked up in seconds. MUCH easier than messing with BootCamp or Paralles and Verizon Access Manager.

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice rig but poor model naming by Cradlepoint causing hassles., June 27, 2010

By 

KeithB - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: CradlePoint PHS300 Personal Hotspot - Wireless access point - 802.11b/g (Version 2.0/2.5.3) (Personal Computers)

I also purchased the PHS300 with hopes it would work with Sprint 4G and WiMax, only to find I was shipped HW version 1.1. Because the HW version 2.0 or later is required for my 4G device to work I had to return it. I had no trouble returning it, but it was a disappointment having to.

Stores and sites only show they have PHS300 and have no easy way to ensure your they are selling you version 2 hardware. If Cradlepoint would have named the new hardware something else like PHS302 then retailers would know what they are selling and buyers knew what they were getting. Retailers will only confirm they have the PHS300 which is not enough info to make an informed purchase. All that being said, I am still excited about this device when I can find a good price on the version 2 hardware. At that point I will write another review.