How can I turn off my MiFi while it's charging?
April 14, 2010 12:23 PM Subscribe
I have a Verizon MiFi, which I love, EXCEPT:
when I charge it, it is automatically "on," and therefore some of the computers in my home (and there are many) will switch to it if it's the most powerful signal around (we have two other networks in operation).
How can I charge the MiFi without enabling it? am I even explaining this correctly? When it's not plugged into an electrical outlet, I can turn it off. When it is plugged in (for charging), I can't.
And, I assume that even if I am not actively "using" one of the computers, I'm still using bandwidth and therefore it's eating into my prepaid monthly usage fee, right? RIGHT???
I just tried to join the Verizon MiFi forum and went insane plugging in e-mail addresses, accepting terms of service, over and over again and it will not get off a page where it tells me "you just have to do a few more things to register." (F**K Verizon.)
Thanks!
when I charge it, it is automatically "on," and therefore some of the computers in my home (and there are many) will switch to it if it's the most powerful signal around (we have two other networks in operation).
How can I charge the MiFi without enabling it? am I even explaining this correctly? When it's not plugged into an electrical outlet, I can turn it off. When it is plugged in (for charging), I can't.
And, I assume that even if I am not actively "using" one of the computers, I'm still using bandwidth and therefore it's eating into my prepaid monthly usage fee, right? RIGHT???
I just tried to join the Verizon MiFi forum and went insane plugging in e-mail addresses, accepting terms of service, over and over again and it will not get off a page where it tells me "you just have to do a few more things to register." (F**K Verizon.)
Thanks!
I don't think there is a setting for this in my MiFi. If you want to rummage around in the settings yourself, connect your computer to it and browse to the router's IP address (on mine, http://192.168.1.1 does this.)
Another solution to your problem is to give the MiFi a WPA password, and then don't put that password into the computers you don't want to connect to it.
If you are not using a computer but it is connected, it's not really going to use much bandwidth. Maybe it will download some Windows updates or something like that, though, or you might have some malware on it using bandwidth.
You should put a password on the MiFi anyway, because if you don't then someone else can connect to it and mooch of your bandwidth. Ordinarily this might not be worth caring about, but with the Verizon 5GB bandwidth limit it does matter.
posted by massysett at 12:33 PM on April 14, 2010
Another solution to your problem is to give the MiFi a WPA password, and then don't put that password into the computers you don't want to connect to it.
If you are not using a computer but it is connected, it's not really going to use much bandwidth. Maybe it will download some Windows updates or something like that, though, or you might have some malware on it using bandwidth.
You should put a password on the MiFi anyway, because if you don't then someone else can connect to it and mooch of your bandwidth. Ordinarily this might not be worth caring about, but with the Verizon 5GB bandwidth limit it does matter.
posted by massysett at 12:33 PM on April 14, 2010
Or a foil lined shoe-box? (Note: I don't know if foil will actually block a wifi signal)
Any kind of metal or metal-lined container should work to some extent, because of RF shielding. It can even have holes in it, as long as the holes are smaller than the wavelength of the signal. What kind of material or how thick it needs to be depends on how strong the signal is and how low of a level you need to reduce the signal strength to.
posted by burnmp3s at 12:45 PM on April 14, 2010
Any kind of metal or metal-lined container should work to some extent, because of RF shielding. It can even have holes in it, as long as the holes are smaller than the wavelength of the signal. What kind of material or how thick it needs to be depends on how strong the signal is and how low of a level you need to reduce the signal strength to.
posted by burnmp3s at 12:45 PM on April 14, 2010
An alternate solution to your problem: Most OSes will allow you to specify a priority for the wireless networks that they "remember". You could simply move your MiFi down the list so that your home machines will prefer your local network to your MeFi.
See: How to change preferred network priority in...
...Windows XP
...Windows Vista & Windows 7
... Max OS 10.5
posted by Vorteks at 12:52 PM on April 14, 2010
See: How to change preferred network priority in...
...Windows XP
...Windows Vista & Windows 7
... Max OS 10.5
posted by Vorteks at 12:52 PM on April 14, 2010
Response by poster: This is all very interesting, from the shoebox to the getting rid of it (I have a two-year contract with more than a year to go).
It's particularly fascinating that you, sio42, had the same issue.
It does have a password. It came with it, a number on the back of the modem. But we've made it so that at least our most frequently-used computers have that password automatically programmed.
I think the idea that works best at the moment is to reset the priority to make the MiFi way down on the list. I just got alarmed because the MiFi was charging downstairs and when I went upstairs to go on my (this) laptop, I saw that it had automatically switched to the MiFi even though the MiFi was much farther away than the usual network.
However I just went to the priority list and, much to my surprise, saw that the MiFi was the highest up on the list. I guess it did that via the recency effect (the MiFi's the last device I installed).
I really like this thing, though, because it serves two purposes: (1) I can take it out with my laptop and when I really need* to be online and there's no wireless around to stea, um, procure, there it is, and (2) when our (Verizon) DSL goes out (like, for example, when it RAINS), we can use it as emergency backup.
*= want (I'm an American)
so, thanks, everyone
posted by DMelanogaster at 1:19 PM on April 14, 2010
It's particularly fascinating that you, sio42, had the same issue.
It does have a password. It came with it, a number on the back of the modem. But we've made it so that at least our most frequently-used computers have that password automatically programmed.
I think the idea that works best at the moment is to reset the priority to make the MiFi way down on the list. I just got alarmed because the MiFi was charging downstairs and when I went upstairs to go on my (this) laptop, I saw that it had automatically switched to the MiFi even though the MiFi was much farther away than the usual network.
However I just went to the priority list and, much to my surprise, saw that the MiFi was the highest up on the list. I guess it did that via the recency effect (the MiFi's the last device I installed).
I really like this thing, though, because it serves two purposes: (1) I can take it out with my laptop and when I really need* to be online and there's no wireless around to stea, um, procure, there it is, and (2) when our (Verizon) DSL goes out (like, for example, when it RAINS), we can use it as emergency backup.
*= want (I'm an American)
so, thanks, everyone
posted by DMelanogaster at 1:19 PM on April 14, 2010
therefore some of the computers in my home (and there are many) will switch to it if it's the most powerful signal around (we have two other networks in operation).
I'm confused- your computers connect to networks automatically, even if you tell them not to? Can't you tell it to only manually connect to that network? i don't know about Mac OS, but I know for a fact you can do that on Windows.
posted by drjimmy11 at 4:19 PM on April 14, 2010
I'm confused- your computers connect to networks automatically, even if you tell them not to? Can't you tell it to only manually connect to that network? i don't know about Mac OS, but I know for a fact you can do that on Windows.
posted by drjimmy11 at 4:19 PM on April 14, 2010
Response by poster: Probably. Will check. Thanks.
posted by DMelanogaster at 7:10 PM on April 14, 2010
posted by DMelanogaster at 7:10 PM on April 14, 2010
If you ever use the MiFi, it becomes "automatic" and then you have to set it back to manual. Since it is getting used as a backup (when DSL goes down) it will (ordinarily) switch back to DSL when it comes back up so there is no obvious occasion to set it back to manual.
posted by Obscure Reference at 6:04 AM on April 15, 2010
posted by Obscure Reference at 6:04 AM on April 15, 2010
Doesn't it also charge when plugged into a pc? Charge it that way but close the access manager so you're not actually using it to get online.
posted by Salamandrous at 12:27 PM on April 15, 2010
posted by Salamandrous at 12:27 PM on April 15, 2010
« Older I can't be the first person to ever want this... | No translation language flash cards! Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by syntheticfaith at 12:31 PM on April 14, 2010