Straight Talk wi fi hot spot

Bob Vaughn wrote:
... I get the indication that it is connecting but then it shuts off. ...

That sounds like a low battery. Even with no cell signal you should be able to connect to the hot spot. My Straight Talk hot spot will shut off like that if the battery is low. If you are just looking at the lights on the hot spot, they do go out by themselves after a minute or two. Hitting a button will turn the lights back on again.