As more and more children and adults had to rely on their home internet solutions for educational and work purposes at the height of the coronavirus pandemic last year, the demand for affordable and reliable mobile hotspot devices sold by the largest US wireless service providers undoubtedly exploded (no pun intended).
2.5 million devices recalled, 1 million+ still in use
Ellipsis Jetpack MHS900LS
That… doesn’t make the situation considerably less worrisome, of course, although it’s certainly somewhat encouraging that Verizon has received just 15 overheating reports to date.
What you need to do if you own a potentially dangerous hotspot
Orbic Speed
What to do if you can’t ditch your Ellipsis Jetpack right away
If you absolutely need to continue using your hazardous mobile hotspot (hopefully, for a short period of time), you’re strongly advised to install the two over-the-air software updates currently delivered by Verizon and leave the device powered on while it is plugged in.
When not in use, your perilous Jetpack should be switched off, unplugged from its power source, and buried six feet underground securely stored. Although the actual cause of the overheating issue remains unknown, Big Red believes these precautions will at least reduce the risk of seeing your trusty old mobile hotspot device spontaneously combust.
In case you’re wondering, the two aforementioned software updates will make it easy to find your unit’s identifying number, aka IMEI, by automatically displaying that on the hotspot’s scrolling screen while also preventing the device from charging when powered on and plugged in.