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 Post subject: Vehicle Is Wi-Fi Hotspot
 Post Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2019 9:12 am 
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I keep reading about some new cars & trucks becoming a 'mobile Wi-Fi hotspot'. What exactly does that mean? I think this requires a special device available from service providers like AT&T and Verizon, and may even require additional service plans and fees.

But I am still having difficulty grasping the concept as it relates to my smartphone and/or my home Wi-Fi system, where in my case I have a router and a DSL modem.

Any education would be appreciated. :-?

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 Post Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2019 10:06 am 
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Hi, BB.
Basically, it involves the service provider, as you noted, making Internet access available to the vehicle using cellular data. The vehicle includes the capability to serve as a router to make that access available to other devices in and near the vehicle using WiFi. So, a passenger in the vehicle may have a tablet that can now get Internet away from the home router.
Comparing it your home, the vehicle has a cellular modem, antenna, and WiFi router included.
Your cell phone can often provide the same functionality -- that is, to act as a WiFi hot spot.
Personally, I don't see the need for yet another service, but some may feel it worthwhile.
-steve

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 Post Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2019 11:10 am 
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Steve, thanks for the education....I just bought a new car (Ford Escape), and I'm trying to understand all the on-board electronics.

I did find out that AT&T will charge me another $10/mo to add my vehicle as another 'device' on my current cellular plan. I also see that one of my options on my iPhone 6 is to turn on 'Personal Hotspot'. So I think that is what I will do, since I really don't need another service.

Two more related questions. (1) If I do turn on 'Personal Hotspot' on my iPhone, does this mean that my passengers can get internet service and email while in my vehicle with me and my iPhone? (2) But if it's just me in the car, can't I simply get internet service and email via my iPhone without making it a Hotspot?

Thanks again........

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 Post Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2019 1:35 pm 
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For question #1, yes -- if they have a device using WiFi and they do not have their own cellular device and if you provide them with the connection information that you will see on your iPhone when enabling the HotSpot. Note that your carrier may limit the number of devices that can connect to your HotSpot at one time and when you have HotSpot enabled and have active connections coming through from your passengers, it will burn through battery and data! You don't leave the setting on at all times.
For #2, indeed. Don't turn on HotSpot on your phone all the time -- only when you wish to share your connection with a device (yours or someone else's -- ie, a laptop or tablet).
Side note -- assuming your Escape connects to your phone with Bluetooth, you don't need the HotSpot feature of your phone for all else your Escape offers with a connected phone -- calls, messages, music, and even some apps.

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 Post Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2019 2:08 pm 
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Steve, you have really helped me understand this 'hotspot' concept, and I appreciate your knowledge. I have paired my iPhone to my Escape via Bluetooth, so many features are available to me in a hands-free mode.....calls, music, apps like Waze, etc. For some reason I missed how to turn texting on, but I'll figure it out.

So for now, I won't worry hotspots but will simply use my phone's capability if the need arises. Again thanks for your help.

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 Post Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2019 9:51 pm 
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You are most welcome. I suspect that texting is enabled automatically along with calls. When a text comes in, your car's system will offer to read it to you and you can then dictate a reply back. I have that capability with Ford Sync in my 2011 Edge.

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 Post Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 1:29 pm 
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Well, it's back to the drawing board. Seems that I screwed up the simplest of things.....pairing my iPhone 6 to my Escape. When I was trying to get all the Ford stuff installed in both the Escape and my iPhone, I used the voice recognition command to pair my iPhone. At least I thought I did. But then nothing was working right...no texting, no Contacts downloaded to my SYNC Touchscreen, and no Waze navigation map appearing on my Touchscreen. The only thing it would do was play iPhone music on my Escape radio, provided that I had the iPhone plugged into the Escape USB port.

So even though I thought I had paired the devices, it was doing nothing more than seeing my iPhone as a USB drive with music on it. I finally watched a good video showing me how to properly do the pairing, so I will try again.

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 Post Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 1:45 pm 
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Good luck! :)

With what they charge for a vehicle these days the dealership should set the danged thing up for you. :mrgreen:

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 Post Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 1:50 pm 
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They probably would have, but I didn't have my iPhone with me when I picked up my car and I live an hour or so away. Besides, how hard can it be to pair my Bluetooth device with my vehicle, lol??

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 Post Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 2:34 pm 
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bbarry wrote:
Besides, how hard can it be to pair my Bluetooth device with my vehicle, lol??

Get a 10 year old kid to do it for you... :rofl2:

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 Post Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 4:14 pm 
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Sadly, I live in a retirement community with other old pharts.

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 Post Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 4:28 pm 
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bbarry wrote:
Sadly, I live in a retirement community with other old pharts.

Anyone have a great grand kid? :lol: :mrgreen:

It is kind of funny though how adept younguns are with this stuff. Well mayhaps not that odd as they have had such devices all their life...

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 Post Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 6:35 pm 
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I finally got the pairing successfully accomplished and all Contacts downloaded to my vehicle. Now I'm off to see what I can screw up next.

You have to understand, Jay. I have both grand kids and great-grand kids. But no way am I admitting to them that 'Grandpa' can't do those computer things....I would never hear the end of that. So I just keep trying (and trying), and turning to my 'older' friends on CH.

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 Post Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 6:52 pm 
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bbarry wrote:
You have to understand, Jay. I have both grand kids and great-grand kids. But no way am I admitting to them that 'Grandpa' can't do those computer things....I would never hear the end of that.

:rofl2:

Good job on getting it done. :)

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 Post Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 8:04 pm 
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Well done, BB. ;-)

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 Post Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 5:24 pm 
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At least that's one problem my hubby doesn't have to worry about, even though his car is all computerised and has Bluetooth, he doesn't have a Smartphone and doesn't intend getting one, the one he has can make calls and receive them, it can also do texts, but he doesn't use that.

As far as he's concerned the mobile is just for emergencies when he goes out in the car and nothing more. :lol:

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