Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Customer Reviews for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Model: SWAC802
SKU: 2329467
UPC: 812320003803
Access a Wi-Fi network wherever you go with this portable Wi-Fi hotspot designed for use with most 3G/4G mobile phones. The microSD card slot provides connection for up to 8 devices.
Average Customer Rating:
2.532 out of 5
2.5
 out of 
5
(79 Reviews) 79
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot 79 reviews
5 stars
9
4 stars
18
3 stars
8
2 stars
15
1 star
29
42% of customers would recommend this product to a friend 
(
33 out of 79
)
Customer Reviews for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot
Review 1 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Works Great

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: Anonymous
from Bastrop,TX
on 05/24/2012
What's great about it: It actually works
What's not so great: Nothing yet
I have been using a USB broadband device from the same manufacturer and cell carrier for about a year and a half and was very disappointed. When I became eligible to upgrade I jumped at this device.
It works with every mobile device I have, seamlessly, Laptop, net book and iPad.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 2 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Great carry around WiFi hot spot.

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: DanaL
from Victoria, Tx
on 05/21/2012
What's great about it: It works.
What's not so great: Nothing, yet
Works great for having a mobile hotspot with me. Got it free with service plan. Doubt I would pay purchase price for it, though.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 3 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Fabulous little invention

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: KMyMD
from Brooklyn
on 05/04/2012
What's great about it: So compact
What's not so great: Have to press very firmly on startup button for awhile to turn it on/off
I love this device. So small & so useful.
The longest I've used it was on a recent 3 hr train trip wherein it served me well.
It does get very hot with prolonged use.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 4 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

nice unit

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: mrobolie
from Fairfax
on 05/02/2012
Works really well, except if you are in a basement...but other than that, it is great
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 5 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

I may have gotten a bad one

Customer Rating
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Posted by: preshe8
from Crystal Lake, IL
on 05/02/2012
What's great about it: Portability
What's not so great: Used up all my data in only 2 days
In only two days of NORMAL web surfing (no movies, or video games), I went over the allotted 3GB and was sent an email telling me I owed $38 in overages - on top of the $35 monthly fee. I figured this had to be mistake, but no one (Sprint or Best Buy) was able to figure out what happened, so I just had to cancel the service and return the device. Terrible experience!
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 6 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

THIS PRODUCT DOES NOT CUT IT

Customer Rating
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Posted by: Varinia
from DALLAS
on 04/18/2012
What's great about it: NOTHING
What's not so great: DOES NOT CUT IT
THIS DOES NOT CUT IT
THE SALES PERSON AT BEST BUY'S DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
this product is for kids ONLY (7, 8, 9 10 year olds)
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-3points
0out of 3found this review helpful.
Review 7 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

will never get my buisness again

Customer Rating
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Posted by: spekles
from ca
on 04/07/2012
What's great about it: not a thing
What's not so great: everything about it
this product is noooo good.its slow,and you only have little time to look up stuff before they start charging you for going over.this is not unlimited and they charge you over a hundred dollers for this internet.dont let the salesman con you into buying this product.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 8 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Not the best, but . . .

Customer Rating
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Posted by: clasandc
from Roosevelt, NY
on 04/06/2012
What's not so great: Turning it on and off. Uses battery up quickly when downloading.
I have no problems, yet, with it loading. However, I have the very hardest time turning it on and off. I have not experienced any problems with it dropping my connections. When downloading it uses the battery up very quickly so any downloading you should probably do near a place where you can re-charge it. Right now it meets my needs, especially the monthly fee. Only time will tell.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
1out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 9 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Speed is slow and frequent disconnections!

Customer Rating
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Posted by: UOME
from Wesley Chapel
on 04/04/2012
What's not so great: Billing over charges, slow speed and unstable connectivity!
The speed for this item is extremely slow for a 3 G Network! Also this devices connectivity unstable and I am frequently dropped.
Lastly and most importantly, my plan with Sprint was only supposed to be for $50.00/ month yet after my first week, I received a bill for over $100.00. They aid they had to charge me for a connection charge of $36.00, and that they also had to prorate my bill for over $6.00 for service for 4 days, than lastly, they said they had to charge me taxes.....
I'd like to leave this plan all together. Warning for potential buyers- "Let the buyer be ware!!!"
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 10 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Do your homework about the product before buying

Customer Rating
2.0 out of 5
2.0
Posted by: mcduff
from Fultondale, AL
on 04/02/2012
What's great about it: Best Buy customer service and replacement of malfunctioning device
What's not so great: Overheating and poor signal
I bought this device for $50.00 when I signed up for a 2 year Sprint contract for mobile wi-fi. The first device ran so hot that it shut down after a couple of hours of surfing the internet. I went back to Best Buy and was given a replacement without cost or trouble. While the replacement does not run as hot, I still have trouble getting sufficient signal to surf much less be able to play an online game even though I live close to a Sprint tower. I am unable to download due to the poor signal and overheating issues. I got the best response when I literally took it atop a high elevation. I did better with the device provided by Verizon. Now I'm stuck with this device for 2 years. Should have done my homework. There's other complaints about this device on the internet.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 11 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Stays connected, but slow

Customer Rating
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Posted by: 1357924680
from Virginia
on 04/02/2012
What's great about it: Once connected, it stays connected.
What's not so great: Slow
I bought this to replace another carrier's hot spot device because it kept dropping the signal.
While it stays connected, it is slow. I am in a 3G area.
Maybe in a 4G area, it would be faster.
There are occasions when it may take three tries to connect, but eventually it does.
I would recommend this to a friend!
-1point
0out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 12 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Waste of $$$$

Customer Rating
2.0 out of 5
2.0
Posted by: proudmamaof2
from anaheim hills, ca
on 03/22/2012
What's great about it: Connects to the Internet
What's not so great: Everything else
This thing runs sooooo slow!!! I am very upset that I cannot return it... it gets super hot and the battery dies faster than a cell phone. It is constantly on the charger. I am very disappointed in this device... it only get 2 stars because it turns on
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 13 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Not 3G Friendly!

Customer Rating
2.0 out of 5
2.0
Posted by: 1SushiDiva
from Washington, DC
on 03/20/2012
What's not so great: Extremly slow in 3G!
Not 3G Friendly at all! Very weak works ok in a 4G area. I would not recommend it good thing the unit is FREE!
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 14 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Not a bad hotspot

Customer Rating
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Posted by: confussed1069
from Banning,Ca
on 03/15/2012
What's great about it: Well it's not great but it's better then att's mifi hotspot.
What's not so great: Could be faster,less page freeze ups, and less getting kicked off and waiting to reconnect.
This hot spot is much better that ATT's mifi which I had for 7 months with 3 replacements and they still couldn't get it right. So far i haven't had any problems other then the slow connection and some page freeze ups.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
1out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 15 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Great hotspot for traveler

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: BayouBelle
from Gautier, MS
on 03/14/2012
What's great about it: Good price for the functionality.
What's not so great: Limited to where your service provider has wireless coverage.
Powers my iPad everywhere I go that doesn't have wireless.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 16 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Dont bother

Customer Rating
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Posted by: TheBoss88
from Coeur d Alene, ID
on 03/09/2012
Doesnt work that great, and poor customer service. I wouldnt recommend this modem to anyone.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
Review 17 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

great for home & travel

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: bostonl52
from Wooster, Ohio
on 03/09/2012
What's great about it: Easy to set up, portable
Prefer this product to any other Internet service because of portability.
I would recommend this to a friend!
-1point
0out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 18 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Great compared to others, but do your homework

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: DSC46
from San Antonio, TX
on 03/01/2012
What's great about it: Access from almost anywhere I travel in the US
What's not so great: I wish it were a little smaller, but that hardly matters at all
Why do these reviews have lots of extreme ratings - high and low? I think people who gave it low ratings either (a) didn't do their homework about what to expect or maybe (b) got a lemon and didn't return it quickly. More than with most products, hotspots and cell phones will bite you if you make one of these mistakes.
My experience has been great, but I knew what to expect. I had bought a T-Mobile hotspot from Best Buy about 6 months earlier to try videoconferencing while traveling (often a nightmare of firewalls). It worked, and it gave me a sense of what you can do with 1 - 3 GB / month (fine for me, but when my daughter unwittingly downloaded a movie, it ate up my month's allocation in an hour).
Amazingly, T-mobile won't let you get a contract or even an auto-payment account, once you've decided you want to move beyond pay-as-you go. They won't even let you pay in advance -- you have to run out and get cut off before you can buy more time! So I went back to Best Buy and got the Sprint unit, because it had the lowest monthly charge and provided all the GB I needed.
This Sprint unit is much thicker, so a little less convenient to carry, but otherwise works about the same. I've used both in many parts of the country, urban and rural. For both, 4G is a nice bonus when you can receive it, but most of the time you get a solid 3G. I don't think anyone does much better than this right now, but the situation will surely improve over time. If you expect more, you're out of luck.
I haven't had any problems with overheating, etc. so I've had no experience with Customer Service. I expected 3 hours of battery life, and I got it (I carry an iGO USB backup battery, which works fine). I expected 1 - 2 minutes of startup time, and I got it -- no problem if you expect it.
To me, these are minor hassles in return for being able to get on the web from almost anywhere I travel. If I'm in an office building, a hotel, or a Starbucks, I'll try to use their network first. If I have problems after a few minutes (or if they charge a fee), I just turn on my hotspot and get to work. That's definitely worth $35 / month for me.
I would recommend this to a friend!
 
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
 
+7points
7out of 7found this review helpful.
Review 19 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Poor performance for credit card access

Customer Rating
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Posted by: LocalArtist
from Santa Fe
on 03/01/2012
What's great about it: It does get internet reception
What's not so great: Battery life and staying on line
I use the device to enable internet access for my account with Square.com (credit card acceptance). The device has always gone to standby and takes too long to access the internet. The battery life is too short - which since it is always in standby is a mystery to me.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 20 for Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot

Didn't get a signal

Customer Rating
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Posted by: Sharon75
from Dewey, AZ
on 02/29/2012
What's not so great: Didn't work for us
The Sprint wireless modem did not work for us and we had to return it to the store. We were never able to get a signal strong enough to get on to our Kindle Fire or our laptop computer.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
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