[fla2smoker]

I am curious to find out if anyone has used the Wi-Fi feature in their car using a USB Broadband modem. I would love to turn my car into a "hotspot" while cruising down the highway with my children happily watching YouTube on their iPads, while the wife happily plows her farm on facebook. I will be receiving my car in a couple of weeks if the stars align properly and really want to use this feature. I am an IT Director so I have access to USB modems from most of the big carriers that our company uses or is in "discussions" with to "test" devices. I have been all over the syncmyride site and it has little to no information on what is compatible. I know you can connect to an outside hotspot like your home or another brick and mortar style internet connection but I want to know what USB broadband modems work and dont work from your experience. Regardless I will start testing devices at the end of the month and let everyone know the outcome. Just hoping to reduce the headaches of trial and error and getting my reps upset at so many 30 day trial devices that I never purchase.....

 

[blackraven456]

While this is neat if you have an internet stick, I don't get the point if you tether a phone to the car. My cell phone can already tether 5 devices to it at a time, why would i add the step of having the car do my routing? - not that I would want to do that anyhow since I have a 1gb / month tiered plan (next gig is $20, etc..) - of course this could change usefulness if sync actually gets perfected as a platform and they start adding internet apps like the original plans.

 

[scottjl]

search around. i read somewhere (maybe syncmyride.com) only two models of usb sticks worked reliably with the system (it was a criticism of the system). i believe one was on AT&T and the other was t-mobile.

it also was rumored to work via usb tether to your phone with some phones (iphones and various android models).

 

[blackraven456]

search around. i read somewhere (maybe syncmyride.com) i believe one was on AT&T and the other was t-mobile.

I wonder if it only likes GSM? I don't know why american carriers keep CDMA around, we abandoned it up here because it's so limited in how the user can use it.

As for tethering with the car, I believe you can wirelessly tether to it just like you would with a laptop.

 

[fla2smoker]

I was testing a Verizon Wireless MiFi 4G LTE last week and saw some ridiculous speeds on it through my laptop and an iPad. I could easily drop one in the center console and forget about it, but I want to use the system in the car if I can. I want to plug a USB modem in and leave it there. We have tested many devices and have come to the conclusion that unless you use AT&T or Verizon 4G LTE which both provide the ability talk and surf at the same time as a tethering device it is useless. Hold on kids, Dad has a call coming in, the data connection will drop until I am done... That is unacceptable. So I would rather have a dedicated connection in the car for data separate from my phone, also what if the wife is driving the kids somewhere and my phone is not in the car? No Wi-Fi....
So back to the original topic What Works and What Does Not?

 

[MGbox]

I wonder if it only likes GSM? I don't know why american carriers keep CDMA around, we abandoned it up here because it's so limited in how the user can use it.

As for tethering with the car, I believe you can wirelessly tether to it just like you would with a laptop.

CDMA is very much still around.

 

[blackraven456]

^^ not for new phones - in ontario at least. Once your CDMA set dies and you need replacement, your contract is void and you must update to GSM.

 

[fla2smoker]

CDMA is very much still around.

I was searching Edge and MKX forums and saw that Sprint 3G modems seemed to work but not their 4G WiMax sticks, I also saw a video from Ford at SEMA where the lady stated that "most" USB modems are compatible. Yet there is no definitive list like there is for Bluetooth.... I was looking at updates for the Edge and MKX and saw that there was a patch release in the first quarter that explicitly said additional USB modem support without mentioning which ones... I may have to just do my own tests as this appears to not be something anyone is interested in.
On a side note, All of the contracts I sign with wireless carriers in regards to data are for unlimited data for a set price. They claim they no longer offer this but if you have a few hundred devices and are thinking about switching carriers they magically appear....
Just food for thought but check with your IT department at whatever company you work for, you may be able to get a discount on your personal cellular services. We generally get a 17% discount for employees and their families (Personal accounts). We are around 30% for the corporate accounts.

 

[scottjl]

searched around but can't find where i originally saw that list. i found some messages on another forum indicating that you can call sync customer service and they can tell you if a particular modem will work or not, but won't provide a list. found another message indicating that only sprint was supported and not AT&T, verizon or t-mobile.

there is also a press release describing it from ford, but no details on which carriers or modems are supported.

another post that indicates only the following two modems work:

Sierra Wireless 598 CDMA EvDO

Sierra Wireless Mercury USB GSM modem from AT&T

Apparently the Sierra Wireless 308 USB modem is being tested and may be approved in the next version upgrade of SYNC.

which would indicate that AT&T is supported.

anyway someone can search google if they want more information.. [gunfire]

 

[fla2smoker]

searched around but can't find where i originally saw that list. i found some messages on another forum indicating that you can call sync customer service and they can tell you if a particular modem will work or not, but won't provide a list. found another message indicating that only sprint was supported and not AT&T, verizon or t-mobile.

there is also a press release describing it from ford, but no details on which carriers or modems are supported.

another post that indicates only the following two modems work:





which would indicate that AT&T is supported.

anyway someone can search google if they want more information.. [gunfire]

Exactly my point, there is no definitive answer, thus my post. If you have a USB broadband modem, plug it in and tell me if it works or not. I may call FCS and just read off a list of USB devices and see what happens, maybe they point me to their lawyers or maybe they hang up on me. Who knows, I figured I would start with the people that might use it and work my way up the ladder. This is truly unsatisfactory, if a company offers a product and a service yet are unable to substantiate the claim in written form, does that not make them lible for a lawsuit? If you were to buy a computer and the specs stated that it was capable of wireless connectivity and when you brought it home you find out that is only works with D-Link wireless routers what would you do?[poke]

 

[MGbox]

^^ not for new phones - in ontario at least. Once your CDMA set dies and you need replacement, your contract is void and you must update to GSM.

Of the 3 major companys in MB, 1 is GSM, the other two are CDMA. Just within the last year they've been switching over to HSPA, you can still pick up plenty of CDMA phones if you like. I'll wait for something new, everything is so stale right now between the change over.

 

[oldpueblo]

I'll try my Verizon 4G modem in awhile and report back.

 

[GhiaFan]

From a Live Chat with Ford User Interface Engineer Jason Johnson, when I asked Jason this question his answer was "Mobile broadband USB modems are available from carriers such as AT&T and Sprint."

Not sure if this will be of any help but http://media.ford.com/images/10031/sync_wifi.pdf

source http://media.ford.com/mini_sites/10031/MyFord/

 

[copernicium112]

I'm not an IT guy so don't attack me for what probably seems a naive question but is it as simple as hooking up the phone and simply using the car to throw out a signal? I ask becuase I am grandfathered into an AT&T unlimited plan and don't have tethering. I don't want to change my plan and add tethering either becuase any plan change through AT&T forces me into a tiered plan.

 

[scottjl]

if your iphone is jailbroken you can tether without paying their monthly extortion.. but you always run the risk of getting caught and being forced over to official tethering anyway.

like it or not they want their money.

 

[copernicium112]

if your iphone is jailbroken you can tether without paying their monthly extortion.. but you always run the risk of getting caught and being forced over to official tethering anyway.

like it or not they want their money.

I was just reading an article last night about how AT&T is sending out messages to those tethering with jailbroken phones telling them they have to either cease and desist, sign up for tethering, or if they don't sign up within a certain amount of days, AT&T will take the liberty of switching them to a 2GB $45 dollar tethering plan without their consent.

I was just hoping I could use the car as a glorified wireless router.

 

[kevagonia]

how are things working?

I wanted to drop a line after reading your original post and see how things went for you. I am considering using the Wifi to sync files on the USB drive installed in the car with my computer. If I have the car on, I should be able to "see" the USB drive if it's networked in through the car I suppose, and maybe sync it via mysync. but this sounds like maybe a no go... any thoughts?

k

 

[wes1790]

Looking for update on Wi-Fi USB BB Modem for Sync

The best reference I have found is http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=33810.
It states "Ford releases the first of its planned SYNC® software updates to MyFord Touch™ owners – G2 V1.1 adds CDMA USB broadband modem compatibility for Wi-Fi® hot spot capability, along with other phone and feature enhancements."
And, "With this new software update, SYNC’s compatibility with USB broadband modems for creation of a Wi-Fi mobile hot spot improves to include CDMA networks, such as Verizon and Sprint devices, versus just GSM."

I'm still looking for specific user experience with such a device like Virgin Mobile's Ovation MC760 3G modem [using Sprint's network] or Verizon's USB MC760 [Novatel Wireless (Qualcom) 3G CDMA] on a pay-as-you-go/prepaid service plan.

Maybe I'm old fashioned with no need for a smartphone, but I'd like to be able to link a laptop or Android tablet to the developed Wi-Fi signal in my 2013 C-MAX or 2013 FLEX which both have the newest My-Ford Sync & Navigation screens. I'd sure like to see Ford live up to its hype -- MyFord Touch-equipped vehicles will feature a WiFi signal receiver that will provide Internet access, when parked, through a Ford-developed web browser using the system’s 8-inch touch screen. Also, inserting an owner’s compatible USB mobile broadband modem into SYNC’s USB port will produce a secure wireless connection that will be broadcast throughout the vehicle, allowing passengers with WiFi-enabled mobile devices to access the Internet while on the go. [http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=31705]

 

[k1ngkev1n1]

Can you use a freedompop wifi hotspot with the focus?

 

[F'nClassy]

Am I the only one that can connect to the wifi on my android but not actually able to use the net?