Joikuspot -Turn Your Mobile Phone Into A 3G Powered Wifi Hotspot
For the past two years I’ve been using my trusty USB dongle whenever I need to connect to the internet away from home. Recently, whilst upgrading my mobile phone contract I took out an unlimited internet add-on for only £5 a month. Considering I was paying the same for a measly 1GB of downloads on my mobile broadband contract, I started to investigate ways to take advantage of the unlimited 3G data on my phone.
Joiku Who?
Joikusoft (pronounced yoi-koo-soft) is a software company based in Finland. Their award winning Joikuspot application turns your mobile phone into a Wifi hotspot by utilising your 3G internet connection. It allows you to connect your laptop, iPod or other* Wifi device to the internet using just your mobile phone.
It removes the need for USB dongles, cables or Bluetooth giving you “3G in your pocket” and the convenience to share your connection via WLAN (Wifi). I don’t want to overstate the usefulness of this little app but lets just say that it has proven so useful that I no longer have a need for my dongle, I just use my phone instead.
How Does It Work?
The principle behind Joikusoft isn’t new. Tethering enables you to get online by using your mobile phone’s 3G connection. Tethering usually involves setting up a Bluetooth connection between your phone and laptop, or using a USB cable. It’s not the most straightforward way to get online, you have to deal with network settings and sometimes there’s additional software to install. On top of this the maximum transfer rate of Bluetooth is only around 2Mbps, which means you won’t be able to take advantage of higher 3G broadband speeds, currently up to 7.2Mbps in the UK.
The beauty of Joikuspot is that it provides tethering via Wifi. All you do is start the software on your phone and, hey presto, you’ve got an instant Wifi Hotspot. Another advantage to using Joikuspot instead of tethering is that multiple users can connect to your phone. Check this video to see how quick it is to get online with Joikuspot
Compatibility
Joikuspot works on phones using the S60 (v3 and V5) Symbian operating system. This includes most Nokia models and a heap of others. Click here to see if your device is compatible. There’s currently no support for Blackberry or iPhone users.If you have a Windows Mobile device you can try Walking Hot Spot, which I haven’t tried but works in a similar application way to Joikuspot. Your phone will need Wifi capability, and ideally, a healthy data allowance. Installation is a breeze, download the software to your phone or computer and follow the instructions on the installer.
Light or Premium Version?
There are two versions available to download, the Light edition and the Premium edition. The Light version is completely free to download whilst the Premium version is currently priced at a £9.99 in the UK. Here are the main differences:
Light Version
Joikuspot Light lets you create a WLAN hotspot on your phone using your 3G or 3.5G connection. When you connect your laptop device you’ll be directed to the default landing page ( Joikuspot home page), after which you’ll be able to browse the internet. You can’t change any of the Wifi settings such as SSID and the Wifi network is unencrypted.
Premium Version
The premium version includes all the features of the light version but there’s no forced landing page and you can change all the Wifi settings including SSID and set an encryption password. You also get access to all internet and email protocols, meaning you can use corporate intranets over VPN and receive email via Outlook, Gmail or any other application.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- uses Wifi – quick and easy to connect
- multiple users can connect to your Joikuspot
- no need to carry around a separate USB modem
- completely wire-free solution
- Premium version supports all internet protocols, including VPN
Cons
- currently only supports S60 V3 mobile phones
- uses infra-structure Wifi mode ( not ad-hoc) – *some devices such as PSP and Nintendo DS may have issues connecting
- battery consumption is quite high
- you need to check with your mobile operator whether it has any restrictions on tethering
Conclusion
Most people carry their phones with them all the time. If you already have an inclusive data allowance with your mobile phone contract, Joikuspot makes alot of practical and financial sense. I’ve now cancelled my mobile broadband contract and my USB dongle is starting to gather dust (sorry Three !)
As far as I’m concerned, if you have a Nokia or other compatible phone, Joikuspot is a no-brainer. My only gripe is the heavy battery consumption – my phone actually gets quite warm when running the app. Saying that, I’ve had over 2 hours continuous use on my Nokia E71.
Using Wifi is a much superior experience. After a while you forget that you’re using a 3G connection. All my familiar sites – Youtube, Facebook, Gmail etc just seem to work effortlessly. I highly recommend this application, try the Light version out for free, however it’s well worth upgrading to Premium if you afford it.
Popularity: 2% [?]
I am pretty certain this violates the ‘Fair Usage Policy’ or similar policy that your mobile provider puts in the small print of your service agreement. I know that’s the case in the UK on O2, as I have experienced a similar iPhone app called ‘MyWi’ (Jailbroken iPhones only.)
Hi Tom,
Yes, I should have mentioned, you really do need to check with your operator if they allow tethering or not. I know that 02 don’t like iPhone customers using their unlimited internet on anything other than an iPhone. I can see why they have that rule but personally I think it’s a bit of a backward policy and pretty unfair to charge extra to hook up your laptop to your phone. I’m with 3 Mobile and they have a much more enlightened view on tethering.
Hi,
Yes, o2 even state that they reserve the right to disconnect customers if they are found to be tethering their iPhones unofficially. I guess, it’s due to operators wanting to sell their own 3G dongles with pricey monthly contracts, as if it was ‘allowed’ there would be a much smaller market for them. It is interesting what you say about 3 mobile, I didn’t know that was the case.