Best way to use the Ford hotspot?

[Truckstuff]

I have a 2021 powerboost and often need to use the internet from the truck. Question is what’s the best way to use it. Do I leave the car on accessory? Do I just leave the car on and let the engine cycle to charge the battery?
thanks

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[Aron]

My gut feeling is to leave the truck on and let it manage it's power needs on its own--I have a hard time believing that that would draw signficant power, so the ICE shouldn't cycle on very often. As a side benefit, you'll also have access to climate control.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Best option is to not use it at all. Instead use your phone and save the 20-25/mo fee. I had it on my 20 Ranger as well as the PB and the Ford hotspot is a joke. While it does provide internet when you have the cell plan through AT&T Not much of an issue if you are already on AT&T. If not then that's another carrier bill to deal with. You have to remain in AT&T's coverage area rea the speeds it provides are comical at best.

Side by side comparisons of the Ford hotspot and a cell phone on LTE network not 5G are night/day. A phone connecting to LTE (not 5G) will easily provide 25-35+ Mbps to devices over its own hotspot. The truck hotspot at best will do 3-4Mbps in the same area. To add to that AT&T will throttle it down after you use just a few hundred GB of data even though it's "unlimited."

If you're going to be doing a lot of camping in areas with cell coverage and wanting internet access something like the T-Mobile Home Internet for 25-35 a month would be far better then the AT&T hotspot on the truck.
But to answer your question for extended time periods, yes you would leave the truck in the Ready state and disable the 30 min shutoff.

 

[{tpc}]

I have had the hotspot in the last 3 trucks. I did the free trial in the first one. Like someone else said, it’s kinda a joke. It’s better to just use your phone as a hotspot.

I thought hey this would be good for those times maybe your phone doesn’t have a signal. Nope, because it uses pretty much the same tech as your phone.

Phones can support voice and data at the same time now, so it’s easier to use that.

Now if they put satellite internet, ie starlink in the trucks that might have some merit.

 

[Truckstuff]

For some reason, the multiple camp spots we go to the truck hotspots(we have a ford and ram) is the only thing that can get data service. We have people with Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile cell phones. Voice works fine from the phones but data is lacking for some reason. But when we use the hotspot data from the truck it works Without an issue. I don’t know if it’s that the truck has a bigger antenna than the phones but for 25 bucks a month that I can cancel and add it whenever I need. I feel like it’s a pretty simple trade-off for everyone to be happy and do work meetings without issue when needed

 

[DrTone]

I you camp allot. Starlink RV might be a better option.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

For some reason, the multiple camp spots we go to the truck hotspots(we have a ford and ram) is the only thing that can get data service. We have people with Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile cell phones. Voice works fine from the phones but data is lacking for some reason. But when we use the hotspot data from the truck it works Without an issue. I don’t know if it’s that the truck has a bigger antenna than the phones but for 25 bucks a month that I can cancel and add it whenever I need. I feel like it’s a pretty simple trade-off for everyone to be happy and do work meetings without issue when needed

My best guess would be the truck cell uses 4G LTE with roaming and most phones these days are defaulting to 5G and not allowing 4G LTE or roaming data connections.

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