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A 4G/5G router creates a "real" WiFi network rather than a personal network.

Hotspotting is great for 1 or 2 devices, but devices are reluctant to connect to a personal hotspot automatically (Apple devices, at least). You have to manually select/tap the hotspot every time, which gets to be a pain when you have multiple devices and you're using it as your daily, primary internet connection.

I might also want to leave the house/hotel room/office for whatever reason with my phone but keep other devices connected. In this case the router can either be fixed in place (and plugged in) or travel with me on battery. Flexibility!




At least for me personally when I use my iPhone as a hotspot it tends to be one of two cases:

1) Tethering to my laptop when I need to check something for work in a pinch

2) Letting friends use my data if they don't have any or have a limited plan

In both cases, I think it makes sense to not automatically connect every time my phone is near.


This. Also, mudi can do everything from act as a WAN, input to a LAN and repeat, connect to a wifi and repeat, and use a SIM for its WAN. Phone hotspot only allows you to take the cell connection and repeat it to other devices via Wifi. It can't repeat a wifi or take a hard wire. Plus no advanced router/switch settings, it just says "use my cell connection and give it to anyone connected to me via wifi"


The Mudi sounds like a pretty great device, much more flexible than my Huawei (E6878-870) or the ZTE one that I also tried.

Too bad it's only 4G, though? I bought my 5G Huawei in 2019! Hopefully they'll come out with a 5G version soon.


> A 4G/5G router creates a "real" WiFi network rather than a personal network.

A properly functioning phone hotspot is a "real" WiFi network. The ones created by Android devices, at least, are running `hostapd`, which every Linux-based home router is running behind the scenes.

> devices are reluctant to connect to a personal hotspot automatically (Apple devices, at least).

Solution: don't use Apple devices.




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