FAQ

MIOWIFI does not enable regular voice calls via cellular networks, however it does allow VoIP calls such as Skype, Viber, GoogleVoice etc. over data networks.

MIOWIFI does not enable regular SMS / MMS via cellular networks, however it does allow messaging via Whatsapp, Skype, Viber, GoogleChat, MSN etc. over data networks.

VoIP will work with MIOWIFI. This includes Skype, Whatsapp, Facebook chat, iChat and Facetime.

Yes, you can buy a MIOWIFI router. After you buy it you can topup with Internet Days trough our web site, entering with your MIOWIFI user and password.

If you are traveling to multiple countries, you just need to check that the countries are covered by MIOWIFI, and the same Global Hot Spot will work seamlessly across the countries.

Your MIOWIFI is not meant to be used outside its intended destination, and doing so may result in surcharges. Please contact us beforehand if you intend to do so. To test the device before your trip, you can turn it on and connect to it, however you’ll only have Internet access from the start date until end date.

MIOWIFI partners with the biggest network operators worldwide to ensure that you always have the best and fastest connections available to you. While there will always be great coverage in “populated” areas, (i.e. cities and towns), if you are traveling to exceptionally rural or uninhabited areas (such as the Alps), we recommend you get in touch with us in advance so we can verify the coverage.

In general, the better the signal in your area (indicated by more reception bars), the faster the connection speed should be.

While MIOWIFI offers excellent coverage while on land, maritime coverage will depend on the distance out at sea and the cruise location – the closer to land, the more likely there will be coverage. The best course of action would be to ask the cruise operator if there is mobile data coverage (4G) on the cruise. In any case, there will surely be coverage while docked.

Not necessarily – cell phones work on a different network than the global hot spots, so the two are not connecting to the same signal. This is because the pocket wifi connects to data networks; 3G or higher. On the other hand, cell phones connect to mobile phone cellular networks. Since mobile phone cellular networks have been around for a lot longer than data networks, coverage is a lot better, especially in rural areas. For this reason, you might be able to make calls in a rural area but cannot connect to the internet.

In the rare event that there is no coverage at your location, and you won’t be traveling to any other location where there may be coverage, you can cancel your rental (there is no cancellation fee).

To ensure availability, we recommend placing your order at least 5 days prior to travel departure date – however, you can still place orders closer to your departure date. For last-minute order, your pocket wifi will arrive latest the day before your rental starts. Minimum of 3 days before travel departure date are required.

You can choose to have your MIOWIFI shipped to your home or office before you depart. Please check delivery options per country on this link.

Please note that any duty or customs charges for deliveries to non-EU countries (e.g. Switzerland, Norway etc.) will be charged back to you.

Your MIOWIFI is guaranteed to be delivered 2-4 business days before your chosen rental start date.

MIOWIFI ships with Fedex & DHL  guaranteed next-day delivery, so any last-minute orders can be fulfilled.

In Buenos Aires MIOWIFI can deliver a device on the same day. You must contact us for more details.

If details in your shipping address prevent your device from being delivered, you will be contacted by the relevant delivery service (e.g. FedEx) upon the first delivery attempt. Any redelivery costs will be charged back to you. Furthermore, if you request a change to the delivery address after we’ve already shipped your unit, then there will be a small penalty fee.

If you would like to request shipment to a country not offered on our website, or have specific delivery requests, please email us before placing your booking so we can make the necessary arrangements.

Most of the cases we send you via email a prepaid return label.

You can review available return options in this link.

If you are organizing your own return, most choose a tracked and signed shipping method (e.g. FedEx) when shipping their MIOWIFI back to us, guaranteeing that the device doesn’t get lost. If you need any assistance or recommendations for delivery services, please do not hesitate to contact us – we’d be more than happy to help.

Again, if you need any help, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us!

To ensure that your Global Hot Spot can make its way to the next user in time, it’s important that you help us by returning it as fast as possible. We therefore kindly ask that you drop-off / postmark your return package maximum two days after your rental ends. We’ll be flexible if this poses a problem for you, but please contact us beforehand so we can work something out.

You are responsible for the safe and timely return of your pocket wifi. For this reason, we always recommend using a trackable return method.

If you want to change your rental dates or delivery details after placing your order, you can of course do so. Just contact us and we’ll make the necessary arrangements.

Yes, you just need to get in touch with us ahead of time, so we can make the necessary arrangements.

Once your order is confirmed, you will receive emails with important information regarding your rental. For this reason, please make sure the email you provide (in the shipping section) is one you check regularly. If necessary, you can contact us and provide an alternate email address after placing an order.

You can cancel your rental anytime you want, there is no cancellation fee. If your device has already been dispatched, then we will not be able to refund relevant shipping charges. We also cannot refund days with usage on the device. If you already have the device, you will need to return it to us immediately.

Depending on the currency that is selected when you place your order, you will be charged in either Argentine pesos (ARS), US Dollars ($), Euro (€), or Pound Sterling (£). If your bank account is in a different currency, your bank may charge you a conversion fee.

MIOWIFI accepts card payments from the following providers; Visa & Mastercard (debit and credit), as well as American Express (Amex). Paypal, TodoPago & Mercado Pago are accepted.

You will be billed immediately upon placing your order. The charge will show up in your bank account from “MIOWIFI.COM”.

MIOWIFI will not charge a deposit for orders placed using a credit card via the official MIOWIFI website. We just use a retention order, that it’s released once the device is returned. No charge will appear in your bank account.

Yes, all prices indicated on the website include VAT.

Yes, please email support@miowifi.com to request one.

1. Turn on the device

   • Press and hold the On / Off button
   • Wait until the name of the country name appears on the screen

   

2. Find the SSID and password

   • Press the button once to reveal the SSID and password 
     

3. Connect devices

   • Search the MIOWIFI-xxx network on your portable device
   • Connect with the WIFI password
   • You are already connected to the Internet!

Charge your router with USB standard connection from wall charger, car charger,  battery pack or laptop.

You should switch your mobile phone to plane mode or you can also disable the roaming data of your mobile phone configuration, to avoid using roaming data while not connected to MIOWIFI.

Yes. There is no problem that you turn it on, and link your devices to the MIOWIFI before your trip. Internet connection will be available only during the rental period. You will not be able to use Internet before your rental period.

Once the your devices are linked to MIOWIFI, they will be linked for the whole period of rental. You’ll not be asked for the password to connect again.

MB and GB stand for megabyte and gigabyte, respectively. To get the GB value from a MB value, you need to divide the MB value by 1024, e.g. 1024MB = 1GB, 512MB = 0.5GB and 3072MB = 3GB.

The user guide included in your MIOWIFI pouch will include instructions on how to do so. You just need to download the device app from Apple Store or Play Store and our app will inform you all data usage and battery information. You can even setup data usage alarms if you want.

General referential data usage for smpartphone is the following:

A standard web page is likely to download between 200-500KB of data. However, websites with a lot of media content (pictures or videos) such as Facebook may use substantially more data.

A general rule of thumb is that 50MB is enough for 250 emails. However, any attachments can greatly sway this number. A simple text email will only be a few bytes.

A simple voice call via Skype will use around 4KB /second, while a video call will be 650KB /minute. However, this will vary according to coverage, as Skype will automatically increase or decrease call and video quality according to your internet speed. As a reference, a 15 minute audio call could use around 5MB, while a 15 minute video call could use around 10MB.

Online gaming on a PC will use maximum 100MB /hour – usually around 70-80MB /hour. This is regardless of the type of game, because graphics do not factor into data consumption, meaning games like Minecraft and Call of Duty will use the same amount of data. However, one important aspect to consider is ping time – the fastest connection via the pocket wifi is 3G, which is a lot slower than something like a home LAN network. For this reason, users may experience lag while playing simply because the internet speed is insufficient. For games where success depends on reacting quickly (shooters), a 3G connection may be too slow for the game to be playable.

That’s why we block online games on the MIOWIFI service. MIOWIFI is not mean to be use on entertainment.

There are a variety of factors that could contribute to rapid data usage.

The main way to use a lot of data quickly is by downloading or streaming audio / video (e.g. Spotify, Netflix, P2P); this can easily result in data usage of over 100MB in 15 minutes. For your reference, a standard-definition movie is usually around 700MB.

In addition, certain programs will consume data in the background without giving any indication of doing so. For example, system updates are usually downloaded and installed automatically without prompt. Backup software (such as iCloud, Dropbox and GoogleDrive) will continuously use data throughout the day – in fact most Mac / iOS devices come pre-configured with a backup feature always enabled. Other programs such as Skype and other chat clients will also contribute to data usage if kept on continuously. Finally, you should be wary of email clients such as Outlook and Entourage, which constantly download both emails and attachments.

Remember that any data usage is amplified when sharing the connection between multiple devices or people, meaning even “normal” activities such as web browsing will consume more data when multiple devices are connected at the same time. For that reason, we recommend you share the above information with anyone who will be using the pocket wifi with you!

That’s why in order to maintain the good performance of the service we block audio and video streaming and gaming on the MIOWIFI service. MIOWIFI is not mean to be use on entertainment, but a solution for traveler.

We get it; while traveling, internet is crucial to keep up with work remotely, maintain contact with important people and prevent yourself from getting lost. It’s also pretty important to keep up with important sports developments and stalk your friends online.

For that reason, our mission is to ensure that your experience with our service is uncompromising in enhancing your travel experience. We’ll be the first to admit that there are going to be times when the service doesn’t function at 100%, due to lack of coverage, network congestion, even poor weather can impede your connectivity! These things are generally completely outside of our control, and happen without warning, however, our promise is to address and resolve any issues you might have proactively and effectively. We want you to trust that, if things go wrong, our 24/7 customer support team are always there to help, and will do whatever it takes to remedy a negative situation.

So, if you are ever not 100% satisfied, please get in touch with us as soon as you can. Someone from customer service will get back to you within an hour (usually 15 minutes). Sometimes, that person will need to ask you a few more questions to ensure the correct problem is being addressed. We’ll do whatever we can to come to a solution which doesn’t take up more of your time than absolutely necessary. We’ll most likely be able to resolve your issue remotely, otherwise we’ll send you a replacement unit as fast as humanly possible (within 24 hours).

If for whatever reason we cannot fix the problem (or you don’t want a replacement unit), then we’ll give you a credit for your next trip or refund your money. It’s your choice!