School me on the built-in Hotspot

[sbi]

I hope this is the correct sub-forum. Feel free to move if it's not.

So what's the scoop really behind the built-in hotspot with the 3 months trial? What does it do and why is it good?
Is it basically another data plan that instead of on your phone it is built into the vehicle? Like a built-in mobile with SIM card that has a data plan on it?
OK, so If I have unlimited data plan on my phone, why would I be better off with the built-in hotspot (by AT&T...has to be AT&T) vs. my own plan on my phone which I can use and share with anyone else in the truck?

Sponsored

 

[Orlando150]

I hope this is the correct sub-forum. Feel free to move if it's not.

So what's the scoop really behind the built-in hotspot with the 3 months trial? What does it do and why is it good?
Is it basically another data plan that instead of on your phone it is built into the vehicle? Like a built-in mobile with SIM card that has a data plan on it?
OK, so If I have unlimited data plan on my phone, why would I be better off with the built-in hotspot (by AT&T...has to be AT&T) vs. my own plan on my phone which I can use and share with anyone else in the truck?

Correct. It is a mobile hotspot to connect other devices.

I imagine that some people might prefer it over sharing their device hotspot. Especially if they have kids who need to watch a lot of videos or something. Using your phone as a hotspot could burn through the battery faster and I think might also not work if you also use wireless CarPlay. Not everyone has phone plans with hotspot ability either.

 

[sbi]

Correct. It is a mobile hotspot to connect other devices.

I imagine that some people might prefer it over sharing their device hotspot. Especially if they have kids who need to watch a lot of videos or something. Using your phone as a hotspot could burn through the battery faster and I think might also not work if you also use wireless CarPlay. Not everyone has phone plans with hotspot ability either.

So if I enable it and want to use it, including my phone for whatever reason, will all apps that go through Android Auto for example, use that built-in data? Do I need to change anything other than connect my phone to that hotspot?

 

[hotrodmex]

Is it basically another data plan that instead of on your phone it is built into the vehicle? Like a built-in mobile with SIM card that has a data plan on it?

Yes.

OK, so If I have unlimited data plan on my phone, why would I be better off with the built-in hotspot

Theoretically, the increased antenna size (Rx power) and transmitter (Tx power) might get you better service at the edges of reception.

Also, your provider might throttle your phone hotspot connection, so you don't give a bunch of pay-as-you-go pleebs their bandwidth for free.

 

[Orlando150]

So if I enable it and want to use it, including my phone for whatever reason, will all apps that go through Android Auto for example, use that built-in data? Do I need to change anything other than connect my phone to that hotspot?

I'm not sure how Android Auto works. With Apple CarPlay if you use the wireless version you can only get data from cell. Your phone can't use a different wifi network (because it connects via WiFi for CarPlay). If you used wired CarPlay it could connect to the vehicle hotspot and use it.

 

[powerboatr]

i have used it on my previous 21 f250 and now on the 22 150
i am going to renew it even though its att and i have verizon.
it does pull in sites much better than the phone laying on the dash.
i did a test of sorts last jun drove from north east texas to pensacola fl and back the next day
i had the wifi enabled and it never lost signal with pandora and even updated me NOW with traffic on I 10
then in nov i made almost the same trip with the data plan expired and lost pandora ALOT and no traffic real time updates
my new ride has connected nav for 3 years, so for me as long as the price is a good as it is right now i will do a yr plan with att to keep the wifi working using truck ant vice my cell phone hotspot

 

[sbi]

as long as the price is a good as it is right now

What is the price?

 

[STM]

I hope this is the correct sub-forum. Feel free to move if it's not.

So what's the scoop really behind the built-in hotspot with the 3 months trial? What does it do and why is it good?
Is it basically another data plan that instead of on your phone it is built into the vehicle? Like a built-in mobile with SIM card that has a data plan on it?
OK, so If I have unlimited data plan on my phone, why would I be better off with the built-in hotspot (by AT&T...has to be AT&T) vs. my own plan on my phone which I can use and share with anyone else in the truck?

If you have an unlimited data plan on your phone and your cellular provider has good coverage in the geographical area you live in and travel, I am not sure what you would gain by subscribing to the hot spot in the truck...

If you are on a limited data plan, this might make sense but you need to find out how much data AT&T offers with this plan..

Mobile Hotspot in an automobile sounds like a really cool feature until you stop for a minute and think...

 

[powerboatr]

What is the price?

have to check

What is the price?

i cant get into my account right now

 

[powerboatr]

https://myvehicle.att.com/#/ford/learn?language=en&country=US

 

[sbi]

https://myvehicle.att.com/#/ford/learn?language=en&country=US

Thank you sir. We're heading out on a long road trip in the next few weeks, perhaps it will a good time to explore my trial.
I am a little concerned though if you can't connect to it with airless CarPlay (or Android Auto, in my case).
Frankly - I am not a big fan of the wireless anyways because I use a VPN on my phone most of the time to use some international news/music apps and the wireless AA immediately disconnects as soon as I turn the VPN on. Wired AA does not, so "concerned" may not be the correct word, it's a matter of convenience. I keep my phone plugged to a charger when I drive anyways, so I might as well just use connected AA (although that's a PITA because the only two USB ports that connect to SYNC 4 are in the front compartment).

 

[powerboatr]

Thank you sir. We're heading out on a long road trip in the next few weeks, perhaps it will a good time to explore my trial.
I am a little concerned though if you can't connect to it with airless CarPlay (or Android Auto, in my case).
Frankly - I am not a big fan of the wireless anyways because I use a VPN on my phone most of the time to use some international news/music apps and the wireless AA immediately disconnects as soon as I turn the VPN on. Wired AA does not, so "concerned" may not be the correct word, it's a matter of convenience. I keep my phone plugged to a charger when I drive anyways, so I might as well just use connected AA (although that's a PITA because the only two USB ports that connect to SYNC 4 are in the front compartment).

i may not understand the question
my 3 yr connected nav uses my phones cell connection through blue tooth to update real time traffic and stuff and does use the phones cell internet through verizon .
the trucks wifi,(att) allows my phone if wifi is on, in the phone to also access same data, but uses the trucks data vice my phone,
the trucks modem also provides wifi for others in the truck.
or i can set my phone as a hotspot and USE my cell providers data (of which i dont have unlimited)
but its only 2 of us and burning through 4gb of data each month has only happened 2 time sin about 5 years
i like the connected nav setup and i dont use waze or android auto.
but i read most of those like apple car play, waze and andriod auto you have to be plugged into the trucks usb port because of the large data movement from phone to truck AS I UNDERSTAND it.
i could be wrong to.
i am leaning hard to at least get the year of wifi for 200, mainly for the pandora convenience of not loosing cell catchment without having to lay phone on top of dash.
i also dont use the wireless charger as it makes my phone super hot.

 

[sbi]

i may not understand the question
my 3 yr connected nav uses my phones cell connection through blue tooth to update real time traffic and stuff and does use the phones cell internet through verizon .
the trucks wifi,(att) allows my phone if wifi is on, in the phone to also access same data, but uses the trucks data vice my phone,
the trucks modem also provides wifi for others in the truck.
or i can set my phone as a hotspot and USE my cell providers data (of which i dont have unlimited)
but its only 2 of us and burning through 4gb of data each month has only happened 2 time sin about 5 years
i like the connected nav setup and i dont use waze or android auto.
but i read most of those like apple car play, waze and andriod auto you have to be plugged into the trucks usb port because of the large data movement from phone to truck AS I UNDERSTAND it.
i could be wrong to.
i am leaning hard to at least get the year of wifi for 200, mainly for the pandora convenience of not loosing cell catchment without having to lay phone on top of dash.
i also dont use the wireless charger as it makes my phone super hot.

You pretty much described what I asked originally. There is no difference between using your phone's data plan vs the Truck's data plan, other than the truck's connectivity may be stronger thanks to the two antennas on the roof. Another "Advantage" may be if you don't have a lot of GB (or better yet unlimited data plan) on your cell phone, so you would prefer to have one in the truck.

 

[FrankThompson]

Just careful on the trial. I think it's limited to 3gb/month (not sure what the ongoing plan is).

After the 3 months it's $20/month. Since again we are locked into a vendor for no good reason other than back door deals between car manufacturers and cell providers, it's not worth it to me since we have Verizon for out phones. I think if you have at&t as your phone provider it's cheaper.

As it is we have 2 Ford vehicles with hotspot capability. I can't even get a discount of we do both. It's $40/month. For some reason there is a limitation of 3 cars per account, but again no discount so that would be $60/month.

As someone said above it's nice until you think about it too hard. I may pony up for it on the wife's car as the family uses it more often and it is a lot easier than setting up a hotspot each time you get in the car. Right now we don't drive around a lot but with summer here that may change.

 

[hotrodmex]

After the 3 months it's $20/month. Since again we are locked into a vendor for no good reason other than back door deals between car manufacturers and cell providers, it's not worth it to me since we have Verizon for out phones. I think if you have at&t as your phone provider it's cheaper.

$25 if you're not AT&T, $20 if you have AT&T.

Can you really judge this as "backdoor dealing?". I would think more like controlling costs. They have to contract with someone for the base modem functionality (FordPass). Making the truck use two different mobile networks adds complexity and cost.

Sponsored