Going wireless is certainly a convenient alternative to a fixed broadband connection, but you’ll still only get 25GB of data per month on Vodafone’s $90 plan, with $90 able to buy you a fixed connection with four to eight times the data, if not much more.

The advantage of wireless is being able to connect anywhere there’s a mobile signal, or connect if you don’t have access to a reliable fixed connection, or even if you need faster upload and download speeds than many of today’s wired connections can deliver - thus the popularity of portable Wi-Fi hotspots.

That said, most Wi-Fi hotspots can support from around five to ten devices at most, so with Vodafone’s Huawei Cat 4, 4G Wi-Fi Cube able to support up to 32 devices with a Wi-Fi range up to 200 metres using 802.11 b/g/n, we’re going to the next level of multi-device wireless connectivity.

A shame it doesn't also do 802.11a or 802.11ac, but for most purposes, 802.11n will still be more than fast enough - especially as we're not in the realm of hundreds of gigabytes of wireless data downloads yet. 

It’s also worth noting that, unlike most pocket size Wi-Fi hotspots, the Cube has no battery - it needs to be plugged into power.

However, as it is designed to be used in homes or offices, or anywhere you have a power socket available, and to connect as many devices as possible, it’s not meant to replace your pocket Wi-Fi or phone hotspot when you’re on-the-go.

Naturally, the Cube is 4G-ready, able to take a Vodafone micro SIM and deliver Voda’s extremely fast 4G speeds when in the 4G coverage zones of selected metro areas (which Voda says covers 95% of the Australian metropolitan population), and falling back to 3G speeds elsewhere and 2G if you’re remote enough to be outside of the 3G footprint.

You can check Vodafone’s 4G coverage here. 

It is available to buy for $159 outright, or is available on 12 or 24 month plans with broadband allocations of 2.5GB through to 25GB, from $20 per month to $90 per month, plus a $5 monthly hardware payment, save for when you take the $65 or $90 plans on a 24 month contract - details of the plans is below.

Vodafone quotes recent Telsyte research (Digital Nation 3rd Edition) which ‘revealed that the average Australian home now has nearly eight devices capable of connecting to the internet.’

This has led to Vodafone’s Director of Sales, Ben McIntosh, noting its new Cube ‘is an ideal solution for any household with multiple devices.’

McIntosh says: “These days people might have a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, a gaming console plus other devices that they want to connect to the internet at the same time, and this makes the Huawei WiFi Cube a great option.

“We know that customers don’t want the hassles involved in getting fixed-line broadband such as setup costs and delays.”

That’s because the Huawei Wi-Fi cube is extremely easy to set up (as most Wi-Fi hotspots are), and naturally requires no phone lines, setup fees or waiting times to get connected - once you get it you’ll be connected within minutes.

The Cube is available in Vodafone stores now and online from today.

Tech specs are as follows:

Network
2G Network Band: 850/900/1800/1900
3G Network Band: 850/900/1900/2100
4G Network Band: 850/1800/2600 (LTE Cat 4)
Device Data Capability: 4G
Selects the strongest available Vodafone network

Battery: N/A
Power: Plugs into 240v wall socket

Wi-Fi: Connects up to 32 devices
Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz. 

802.11a or 802.11ac is NOT supported. 

Works with PC, Mac or any device that connects to Wi-Fi

Dimensions: 110mm x 70mm x 70mm
Weight: 250 grams