Wi-fi hotspot for a car?!

RumRat

I've just bought a car with the said 'WiFi', although that wasn't the primary factor in the decision.
The WiFi is just a Vodafone 4G connection. When you enter the car your phone connects automatically as it does with any WiFi you have set in your phones WiFi settings.
The Cars entertainment system and SatNav run from the phone, when it is plugged in via USB, in my case a Samsung, 'Android Auto' kicks in and runs the system. So streaming Deezer and Spotify etc doesn't use any of your phones data and neither does the Satnav. Consequently your Satnav (Google maps) is always up to date as opposed to most built in car Satnavs. When plugged in your phone is not used for any calls or texting, it's all done via voice control within the car.
However, this is not the main use of the 4G connection, WiFi is a by product of having the 'OnStar' system wired into the car.
It's free for the first year and £70 per annum on going.
We've used it a fair bit since getting the car so we will probably keep it up when it's renewal time. The safety aspect would, in our case, make it worth £1.35 a week...:)

esuhl

Thanks for the "real world" example, RumRat.

I think if I was getting a car, I'd find it hard to justify the cost of having two SIM cards, though. It'd be good if there was an option to connect your own phone (i.e. if the car connected to the wifi signal from your phone, rather than vice versa).

I suppose the car manufacturers get a kick-back from the mobile operators for making people have extra subscriptions, though, so they don't want to let you use the SIM you already have.

boliston wrote: »

Perhaps the car has those annoying windows with a metallic coating like you find on cross country voyager trains, meaning that you cannot get 3g reception and need to rely on the train's built in (and very expensive) wifi hotspot?

Sure, I can understand why new cars might have an external aerial for mobile phones -- it's specifically the wifi hotspot that seems (to me) to be unnecessary.

With an external aerial, you could plug in your phone and create a wireless access point on it to provide internet access for your car's navigation/entertainment system or freeloading passengers or whatever. :-)

RumRat

esuhl wrote: »

Thanks for the "real world" example, RumRat.

I think if I was getting a car, I'd find it hard to justify the cost of having two SIM cards, though. It'd be good if there was an option to connect your own phone (i.e. if the car connected to the wifi signal from your phone, rather than vice versa).

I suppose the car manufacturers get a kick-back from the mobile operators for making people have extra subscriptions, though, so they don't want to let you use the SIM you already have.

I would agree, if the system was a substitute for your phone, but, it's not really. You can't make calls from it without having a phone for example.
You are not really paying for another phone sim, you are paying for the safety aspects of the system as much as anything else. Even without your phone, that works and you can contact someone in an emergency. If you crash, and are unconscious, then the system pays for itself...;)
It's not going to be for everyone and I suppose my Wife and I will have the discussion at renewal time. But, for now, I like it....

tonyh66

Can't even get reliable 2G where I live nevermind 4G. Good luck using 'live' google maps if your touring Scotland north of the central belt

Fightsback

Let's just hope they've made that secure unlike the jeep.

https://blog.kaspersky.com/blackhat-jeep-cherokee-hack-explained/9493/

RumRat

Fightsback wrote: »

Let's just hope they've made that secure unlike the jeep.

https://blog.kaspersky.com/blackhat-jeep-cherokee-hack-explained/9493/

:rotfl:By, the time someone has worked it out the car will have been long on the second hand market....Meanwhile I'll just get a tinfoil hat to alleviate the worry....:p