Recently we featured UQ WiMAX WiFI gateway set which can create personal hotspot at home.But it’s not a mobile WiMAX to Wi-Fi router.

When Clearwire launched CLEAR  in Portland on 6 January ,they demonstrated a mobile WiMAX to WiFI router which able to create personal WiFi hotspot over CLEAR network.

On 31 March, Clearwire officially announced the CLEAR Spot manufactured by CradlePoint, an accessory which enables standard Wi-Fi products to connect to the Internet, at true broadband speeds, via the company’s CLEAR mobile WiMAX service.

The CLEAR Spot definitely was CradlePoint PHS-300 Personal WiFi Hotspot. PHS 300 will be branded as the CLEAR Spot and sold directly by Clearwire for $139 at CLEAR stores and authorized dealers or online at www.clear.com in early April.

Just plug CLEAR USB Modem (available for $49) into CLEAR Spot and an instant Wi-Fi hotspot is created allowing any Wi-Fi-enabled device from laptops and netbooks to desktop PCs, printers, VoIP phones, cameras and PDAs to utilize the power of CLEAR’s mobile WiMAX network. With CLEAR Spot, any existing, Wi-Fi device (compatible with 802.11b/g),over one billion Wi-Fi enabled devices in use today,can connect to CLEAR’s mobile WiMAX network.

CradlePoint says that the “PHS” stands for “Personal HotSpot”, but it rather means “Portable HotSpot” because any hotspot can be ‘personal’, but only the PHS300 can be more portable than any router.

EVDOinfo reported the review of CradlePoint PHS 300. Here are what we think important to share to you.

PROS :

• At 4.9″ x 2.9″ x 0.6″ (125mm x 75 mm x 15mm),6.0 oz. (170 grams),the PHS300 is much smaller than other 3G routers.
• The battery is a 3.7 volt lithium-ion cell phone battery with stated capacity of 1800 mAH. Under these conditions, EVDOinfo were able to stay online for just over 2 hours and 15 minutes!
• Noticed that CradlePoint PHS300 ’s proprietary “WiPipe” algorithm for improving upon certain types of connections really seems to make a difference. EVDOinfo been experimenting with WiFi VOIP/SIP phones for as long as they’ve been around, and the CradlePoint routers are the first ones EVDOinfo found that actually allow for decent VOIP calls. Imagine how could this router bring VoIP over WiMAX network.
• An optional cigarette lighter 12v car adapter is available that allows the PHS300 to be used (and charged) from a vehicle. The PHS300 can run for hours off its built in rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery.
• PHS 300 supports multiple users, so you able to share internet connection to your love one.Offcourse it has firewall to prevents unauthorized use of your internet connection

CONS :

• The PHS300 does not have any ethernet ports at all. Not even one for WAN input. Given that the PHS300’s target audience is people out and about away from an office or home.How can you hook up a desktop that only has an ethernet port? You would need to get a USB WiFi adapter for the desktop and then you can use the CradlePoint Router.
• There is no way to tell how much battery life remains. No flashing indicator light or series of LED lights, and nothing in web admin. You get a red LED to let you know its about to die, and thats it.Having a spare charged battery may be a good idea.

On the other hand CradlePoint announced in the beginning April 1, shipments of CradlePoint’s business-class routers, including the MBR800, MBR1000, and MBR1100 line of mobile broadband routers, CTR500 mobile broadband travel router, and CBA250 cellular broadband adapter, will have WiMAX compatibility built in.

In addition CradlePoint announced that Cradlepoint’s firmware release version 1.5.1, available April 6 for current customers, puts the power of WiMAX into the hands of consumers and businesses, and enables a new class of business-capable mobile broadband with 4G download speeds that exceed DSL, and rival cable modem speeds.

For more information and a complete list of supported devices on both 3G and 4G networks in the 1.5.1 firmware release, go to www.3Gstore.com, www.thecradlepointstore.com or www.cradlepoint.com. The upgrade will be free.If you want to know more about PHS 300,you could also join PHS300 support forum.

If you’re WiMAX subscriber from whatever WiMAX provider around the world and wanna try this portable router, you can own Cradlepoint PHS300 personal Wi-Fi hotspot on sale for  $179.99 $174.95.

You can watch this video to have an idea how CLEAR Spot works before you purchase it.

Is there any possibility to share WiMAX over Wi-FI using Ethernet port? Yes, there is. Recently Motorola launched its Motorola CPEi 775 at CES 2009, an all-in-one access device that combines a high performing WiMAX 802.16e modem with an integrated Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g router, VoIP ATA ports for voice calling, and an Ethernet port.

Update : Watch the video of comparison between iPhone+CLEAR Spot and iPhone+3G

Product Page , Press Release 1 , Press Release 2

Related Posts:

• John Saw Talks WiMAX : Welcome to CLEAR Innovation Network (1)
• Clearwire,UQ Communications and Yota Collaborated for the First International WiMAX Roaming (0)
• Huawei was Chosen As WiMAX Radio Access Network (RAN) Vendor for Clearwire (0)
• CLEAR Official Launch WiMAX in Las Vegas : Confirmed for Mac OS X Driver and Samsung Mondi (0)
• CLEAR Vegas Launch Music Video for July 21 (0)
• CLEAR WiMAX Officialy Go Live in Atlanta : Highlights Photos (0)
• The Largest WiMAX Coverage in U.S. Officialy Launch Atlanta June 16 (1)
• CLEAR Atlanta Launch Promo : WiMAX Starting at $45/mo for Life (0)
• CLEAR WiMAX Available in Las Vegas (0)
• Clearwire Confirmed to Have CLEAR WiMAX Atlanta Full Commercial Launch in June (2)