I have hotspot, and it's worked fine for me. It makes a great backup and work around solution for when you can't get anything better.
You do not need a USB cord.
The unit creates it's own WiFi network, so you don't need a wireless router (Airport).
But I don't recommend using it for your primary internet connections.
Reasons are:
1) You only get 2GB a month. Unless you use very little media like streaming music or video (this includes downloads from the iTunes Store) it's going to run out very quickly.
2) It eats batteries for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Anything over an hour and you'll want to have your phone plugged into power.
3) It is a lot slower than DSL. Way slower. Massively slower. Forget downloading that HD movie on iTunes. The picture album you wanted to put up on your site, go to bed, maybe in the morning it will be there, maybe.
If you really want to get rid of your DSL and none of the preceding seems important, then your best bet is tethering. This is not offered by Verizon. Depending on the solution you choose you may have to root your phone, and it will probably require the use of a USB cable hooked up to the computer.
On the plus side it works off your phone's unlimited data plan, not the $20 dollar extra 2GB plan for the mobil hotspot.
For more information on the pros and cons of tethering do a search on the forum and browse the results. Or maybe someone who knows will provide a direct link.
