Just got Softbank's mobile wifi device, model C01HW. This is the size of a small cell phone; it works anywhere you get a Softbank signal and up to 5 devices can connect wirelessly by wifi.  Softbank also sells another mobile wifi device which is shaped more like a USB thumb drive, but I don't know how well it works.

I bought my C01HW from a friend who got it from an off-base Softbank shop in Iwakuni.  You can get the same device on base at Softbank. They offer the same plans on base or offbase, but just like their cell phone plans they are horribly complicated to understand, including how they roll in installment payments for the device if you choose the zero down option.  On base, the device costs like 40,000 yen up front, but in the zero-down option you instead pay 1400 yen per month PLUS they give a 1000 yen monthly rebate, meaning you really pay 400 yen per month to buy it, over a 24-month period.  So the zero-down, installment plan ends up costing 9600 yen, a much better deal than paying full cost up front. 

The mobile device comes with 2 SIM cards; one is used for the Softbank monthly plan; the other is for off-network pay-by-the-minute plan.  Whatever plan you buy into, they add in another 300 yen to keep the second SIM card activated.  Soooo.... if you sign up for the monthly all-you-can-surf plan, add in the 300 yen charge, add in the 400 yen installment, it comes to like 5600-5900 ($70+) per month. 

However... I didn't do any of that. I bought it from a friend, who got it from an offbase vendor.  He paid $100 for the device upfront, no refund needed & no installment payment is added.  Plan fees offbase are lower than onbase, so in the end I pay something like 4200 yen, and I already own the device.

If the financial discussion sounds confusing, that's probably because I find it confusing and can't explain any better. I think they do this on purpose.  The end shot is, I think we get ripped off onbase; it's cheaper to buy offbase. 

Now, as to the device itself... There are places in Iwakuni where my iPhone won't get a signal (like in the office where I work).  In that same spot, this wifi device did connect well enough to surf. I probably couldn't view video, but I did get email and open every page I tried.  I visited some cafes in Hiroshima shopping malls, and it worked fine there too. Now I'm on the island of Shikoku & it's worked everywhere I tried, other than a remote mountaintop where there was no hope of a Softbank signal.

You simply turn the device on; little icons indicate it's made an Internet connection and that it's sending out a wifi signal.  My computer recognizes it just like any other wifi network.  The users manual is in Japanese & I haven't found an English version yet, so I don't know too much about configuration. I was told I cannot rename the wifi network, nor can I change the password. Both are horribly long & random; impossible to memorize. I connected with both my Macbook & my wife's Win7 notebook; fortunately, both computers memorize the password and we don't have to re-enter the p/w everytime we connect.

On batteries, the gizmo is reputed to work up to 5 hours; I haven't verified that.  It comes with an AC adapter & also a USB adapter. I'm not sure what the USB adapter is for, other than to keep it charged if no AC outlet is available.  It might be for configuration or for an internet connection if you don't care to broadcast wifi; I'm not sure. My friend used this at home for a month until he got fiber to his home; he said he could do video chat satisfactorily. Someday I'll measure connection speed, but of course it depends on how good your Softbank signal is, so it's variable.

Hold the power button for 3 seconds to turn it on & off.  It's easy to forget to turn it off since the display goes blank after a few seconds; it looks "off" all the time. If you don't turn it off when you're done, it will continue sending out wifi & the battery will drain.  There's another button to toggle your security standard (WEP & something else.) A third button forces "connect" if it goes to sleep. I guess either reconnect to the internet or re-establish the wifi network. I haven't found this to work, so if I need to reconnect I just turn it off, then back on. The reboot process takes maybe 20 seconds before your connection is re-established.

I'm the type that loves to hang out at a cafe & surf; around Iwakuni there are very few cafes with wifi (somewhere close to zero.)  With this new doodad, my options are greatly expanded. I don't view this thing as a necessity, but rather as a Quality of Life improvement; I find the portability quite enjoyable. At $50/mo for the plan, I find it worth the expense. I would not have gone for the $70/mo it would have cost me on base, but that's just me.  In terms of ease of use, connectivity and speed I give it a thumbs up.

ThaiGuy- we are coming to Japan (Okinawa) in about 3 weeks and from what you're saying is it cheaper to buy the cell phones off base than on? Do you use Softbank for your cell service as well, if so, how much do "family plans" range? I'd like to go with the iphones- thanks for your help!!!

Most people deal with the on base Softbank vendor simply because they speak English & it's more convenient. When they start explaining the plans, the rebates, add-ons, fees, etc. it generally gets so confusing that you give up trying to understand, and just say "Go ahead & write me up a contract."

The more I look at this, the more I think it's on purpose. By virtue of making it confusing, they mask the fact that on base costs more than offbase. Example: To buy the wifi thingie on base, it costs 40,000. But you can pay zero down, they will charge you 1400 yen/mo for 2 years instead PLUS give you a 1000 yen rebate monthly. So your total cost is 400 yen/mo x 24 months, or 9600 yen. What a deal! 75% savings!!

But... if you go offbase, you simply pay 9900 yen for the device. There is no zero-down option, no rebate, no special deal. It costs basically the same as the onbase discounted deal. So this whole discount/rebate thing on base is just smoke and mirrors; it has no substance whatsoever. In the meantime, they have distracted you from the real issue... The data plan on base costs like $10/mo than the data plan offbase. Just like a magician gets you looking at their right hand while the left hand is hiding a card, they get you looking at this rebate, while with the other hand they charge higher data fees.

My friend who bought the gizmo is not a SOFA member; he is in Japan on a residence visa. To buy the device, he had to show all kinds of residence permits, Japanese ID, etc. When we transferred the account to my name, they were less strict and just checked my utility bill. I'm not sure I could have walked in & bought the device outright if he hadn't done so first.

My advice, when you get here, is visit the onbase vendor, try your best to understand all the plans. Then go offbase to compare. The offbase vendor in Iwakuni spoke zero English, so it's very hard to deal with them. They can call a translator on the phone, but it's difficult to carry on a lengthy, technical discussion like that. I don't know about a family plan cuz I don't use one. Their plans change from time to time, plus they have special promotions frequently. There are many discussions on Japanbases about that, so read up & hopefully you'll find the deal you want.

Great- that helps alot. THANKS!

@ThaiGuy thanks for that info but can you break down the cost in USD form? Also do you know the basic price a month for a Vonage home phone? Everyone is telling us to buy the Vonage phone to call home and to get a cellphone to call around Japan. I just wanted to get a estimate of how much everything will be.

To convert to dollars, just divide by 80.

There are other discussions on JB about Vonage and other VOIP solutions. For the sake of keeping organized, I recommend you find one of those other discussions & post your question there. I will reply. I do have Vonage World, and I posted a lengthy discussion elsewhere on how this plus a Japanese cell phone reduces your overall costs.

Correction to my original review... I had said you need to remember to power the thing off, or it would drain the battery. Well, I accidentally left it in my office one day when I came home. I expected to find it in the morning with a dead battery. Lo & behold, it was still fully charged! So I guess it's smart enough to realize when no wifi devices are connected to it, then it powers down completely. Most inscrutable.

Two more updates... I've used the device to do audio chat on Skype and it worked well; haven't tried it for video chat. Also, the battery seems to last 3-4 hours max.

Update on mobile wifi from Softbank. They still have the device that I reviewed above, but there is a newer model as well (Ultra Wifi 007Z). With the newer model, you can connect 10 devices at once rather than 5 on the older model.

There is also a special pricing plan. If you sign up for a 2-year contract, you'll get 1000 yen off per month forever (even past the 2-year contract.) Plus they give you the doodad for free. I think it comes to 3880 yen/mo after the discount. I'm paying 4200/mo for mine and it wasn't free to purchase, so the current deal is pretty good. You have to sign up by 30 Nov.