Can I connect the Taycan to my home wifi?

WasserGKuehlt

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Well look at it this way, you are thinking of how you would use it not others, unfortunatly, if you are travelling with the car, the roaming connection doesn't work. What's the alternative, we'll WiFi connection to your roaming phone.
Well, that's not true - specifically for US-market Taycans traveling to, say, Canada. (I just did this trip over the weekend, as well as many other times in the past.) The car is 'roaming' independently of my phone's roaming status: it was able to initiate a charging session, dload & display charger availability, traffic data..

Having a WiFi enabled connection solves more problems than it creates.
It depends on whose problems we are referring to :) - the producer's, or the consumer's. For the latter, I'm inclined to agree with you; for the former, absolutely not.
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W1NGE

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I dont believe it would damage the 12V battery else I would have faced that with my Tesla.
It makes sense to allow for WiFi connection specially if you are travelling with your car over seas and the roaming package doesn't work.
More so, in UAE, the TRA does not have a deal with Porsche yet so the PCM functions don't work.
Porsche need to up-skill their tech team.
Allow for more seamingless integrations. Why can't Android Auto's nav appear on the dash in front of you. Why can't you download apps such as Spotify and Anghami and others. Why can't you have a customised screen with dashboard like functionalities. Weather, calendar, business news, would news...
It's about collaborating with the consumer. Anyway off topic. There are more benifits to wifi than less. So might as well.
Buy a Russian spec Taycan if you require external WiFi hotspot connectivity. Alternatively, other Porsche models e.g. Macan offer external WiFi hotspot connectivity in most regions - why, I know not.

Not a tech issue per se and more to do with a combination of commercial and privacy arrangements in a given region.

Spotify is already integrated into the PCM dependent only on subscribing to a premium account. Android Auto integrates seamlessly too. News, weather, calendar integration also present but perhaps region dependent.

Never had a need for external connectivity not going forward given the potential cyber threat.
 

whitex

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WiFi on the other hand seems to be more discretionary - it's just a convenience-type feature, one that users would expect (or not), but not one they'd be willing to spend money on. Further, its usefulness seems a bit limited to me - I know I'd only be using it at home/on my home network and absolutely nowhere else. They'd need to harden that endpoint (whether or not they consider the owner to be hostile or just preventing self-pwnage), and I do agree with you that bridging the connections (cell and WiFi) for more reliable OTA would not have been trivial.
Ok, I'll bite. They already have an owner in the inside of the car - WiFi hotspot. They already allow WiFi for internet connection, but only in Russia. Are you saying Porsche is just more trusting of Russian owners vs. the rest of the world? If not, they already have it hardened. And honestly, LTE is open internet, so I sure hope they hardened that part pretty well (heck, I have my own LTE femto-cell in my garage to which the Taycan is connecting, so I already have an attack vector on the internet site - the connection from femto cell to cellular gateway is encrypted, but let's just say the femto cell is not fort knox, or you could just get a Stingray off the black market which is designed to intercept LTE connections).
 

whitex

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Well, that's not true - specifically for US-market Taycans traveling to, say, Canada. (I just did this trip over the weekend, as well as many other times in the past.) The car is 'roaming' independently of my phone's roaming status: it was able to initiate a charging session, dload & display charger availability, traffic data..
Please clarify, are you saying that the car was able to get internet connectivity through your phone (which was roaming)? Apple CarPlay? Android Auto? Bluetooth?
 

WasserGKuehlt

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Ok, I'll bite. They already have an owner in the inside of the car - WiFi hotspot. They already allow WiFi for internet connection, but only in Russia. Are you saying Porsche is just more trusting of Russian owners vs. the rest of the world? If not, they already have it hardened. And honestly, LTE is open internet, so I sure hope they hardened that part pretty well [...].
I can't begin to speculate why Russia-market cars are so singularly different; the simplest explanation would be of a legal nature: they weren't allowed to use the cellular network, or they had to give up too much (privacy, control/privileges etc.)

But my point wasn't as much about the technology used for connectivity, and rather about its settings. The easiest way to secure something you ship to a user is to not let them configure its security. (I don't mean the 'admin' default password on routers, but they get a point for trying.) You can ship a readily-secured cell network client device in the car - because the user is completely out of the configuration aspect. You can't really achieve the same with WiFi - it's their network, so you depend on them to configure it correctly. And as I said before, why bother? Evidently the manufacturer decided the cost of cellular service is worth the downsides of shipping the car with WiFi connectivity.

Please clarify, are you saying that the car was able to get internet connectivity through your phone (which was roaming)? Apple CarPlay? Android Auto? Bluetooth?
No, the opposite: the phone's roaming was off, and the car was connected: it negotiated plug and charge (twice), and the nav had all the expected functionality. The point was to that the car's connection to the cloud/backend services does not depend on the phone's connectivity.
 


whitex

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You can ship a readily-secured cell network client device in the car - because the user is completely out of the configuration aspect. You can't really achieve the same with WiFi - it's their network, so you depend on them to configure it correctly.
Are you suggesting the car is not using open internet through LTE, but instead has a some secured cellular network to connect to (so Verizon is securing Taycan network)? If not, the modem is just connecting to an untrusted internet, makes no difference whether it's through WiFi or LTE.
 

WasserGKuehlt

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Are you suggesting the car is not using open internet through LTE, but instead has a some secured cellular network to connect to (so Verizon is securing Taycan network)? If not, the modem is just connecting to an untrusted internet, makes no difference whether it's through WiFi or LTE.
Yes, that is my assumption. (To quote someone here, anything less would be a felony.) I don't think I have the means to verify it, though.
 

whitex

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Yes, that is my assumption. (To quote someone here, anything less would be a felony.) I don't think I have the means to verify it, though.
I hope Porsche is not putting such a critical part of the system completely in the hands of a cellular provider. For one, they use different providers all around the world, so testing them all would be a nightmare. It is much easier to just defend in one spot, assume all traffic from internet modems is completely untrusted. Then apply end-to-end encryption and authentication for any device talking to the internet as the next layer of defense.
 


WasserGKuehlt

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I hope Porsche is not putting such a critical part of the system completely in the hands of a cellular provider. For one, they use different providers all around the world, so testing them all would be a nightmare. It is much easier to just defend in one spot, assume all traffic from internet modems is completely untrusted. Then apply end-to-end encryption and authentication for any device talking to the internet as the next layer of defense.
They probably* do that, too. They’re not mutually exclusive, though, right? And per-country agreements with cell network providers have to happen anyway.

*in fact, I know they do (and I’ll leave it at that). But now I realize you were paving the argument that “then WiFi is not different at all” 😁
 

Lowrider38

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Such a pity in the Middle East and Africa we are getting orphaned unconnected cars at a very high price. I also live in canada drive a taycan there as well. I expected the same experience but these are 2 different cars and the total experience is ruined
No car charge status
No smart lift
No streaming trough the pcm without carplay
Being sold a 22kw mobile charger connect but no app to connect to it
No trip planning or sending destination to car
No remote control of the car or setting the temperature or hvac
Ohh and no connect services : functions on demand …………etc

just don’t understand Porsche policy here why not give this region another mean of connection if they can not get licensing for the eSIM or imei. A simple WiFi connection would solve this and in the end it’s Ip so it has to be secured and encrypted no matter it is LTE , WiFi or else
 

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Such a pity in the Middle East and Africa we are getting orphaned unconnected cars at a very high price. I also live in canada drive a taycan there as well. I expected the same experience but these are 2 different cars and the total experience is ruined
No car charge status
No smart lift
No streaming trough the pcm without carplay
Being sold a 22kw mobile charger connect but no app to connect to it
No trip planning or sending destination to car
No remote control of the car or setting the temperature or hvac
Ohh and no connect services : functions on demand …………etc

just don’t understand Porsche policy here why not give this region another mean of connection if they can not get licensing for the eSIM or imei. A simple WiFi connection would solve this and in the end it’s Ip so it has to be secured and encrypted no matter it is LTE , WiFi or else
Russian spec cars have WiFi for remote connectivity.

You don't need an app for the PMCC (or PMC+) - programming connectivity is normally via the PCM (remote or in car) - you can hotspot to it directly (or WiFi) and use the web server interface, so you do have a path but as you'll discover there's not much point in it when you get there!

FOD - not much to FOD these days as it happens - largely dependent on your car's spec but chances are your options other than (ironically) a data package will comprise a very short list.

Smartlift - do you have air suspension (don't see why this would be restricted per se)?
 

Lowrider38

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Russian spec cars have WiFi for remote connectivity.

You don't need an app for the PMCC (or PMC+) - programming connectivity is normally via the PCM (remote or in car) - you can hotspot to it directly (or WiFi) and use the web server interface, so you do have a path but as you'll discover there's not much point in it when you get there!

FOD - not much to FOD these days as it happens - largely dependent on your car's spec but chances are your options other than (ironically) a data package will comprise a very short list.

Smartlift - do you have air suspension (don't see why this would be restricted per se)?
Yes I do have the Pasm but smart lift is disabled probably related to connectivity agree with you as this should be on but it’s not

They should have specs the same wifi as the Russian cars for our region. I do have friends who bought their taycan from small importers that bring them from Germany fully activated it’s a shame that we buy from official local Porsche centers and have inferior cars to smuggled ones!
 

ciaranob

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Yes I do have the Pasm but smart lift is disabled probably related to connectivity agree with you as this should be on but it’s not

They should have specs the same wifi as the Russian cars for our region. I do have friends who bought their taycan from small importers that bring them from Germany fully activated it’s a shame that we buy from official local Porsche centers and have inferior cars to smuggled ones!
That is indeed somewhat ridiculous but a victim of policies re connectivity/server access I guess.

For info, forum member Dee had being experimenting with VCDS software (free but you have to pay a nominal fee for the correct OBDII tool to utilize) which has industry std. sw tools to basically 'hack' the settings in most VAG group cars - obviously if you are in ANY way concerned re warranty which I suspect you are(!) this is not an option but you might be interested to look into this thread #78 where he has found access to multiple functions in the car that are changeable via VCDS (however many (most?) also require manufacturer PIN codes to fully unlock but these too may also available through certain forums as mentioned by Dee).

Posted link above is already a couple of pages into the discussion but really interesting nonetheless (originally started from a discussion on the purchasable OBDAPP software/tool that can adjust ride height w/o need to for hard links i.e. by software alone - supposedly it too can address other functions in the car). Just a thought in respect a possible route around the inactive components in the car and again not advocating anyone should consider this but I have done similar things with the BMW equivalent software hacks post warranty with great success.
 

Lowrider38

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That is indeed somewhat ridiculous but a victim of policies re connectivity/server access I guess.

For info, forum member Dee had being experimenting with VCDS software (free but you have to pay a nominal fee for the correct OBDII tool to utilize) which has industry std. sw tools to basically 'hack' the settings in most VAG group cars - obviously if you are in ANY way concerned re warranty which I suspect you are(!) this is not an option but you might be interested to look into this thread #78 where he has found access to multiple functions in the car that are changeable via VCDS (however many (most?) also require manufacturer PIN codes to fully unlock but these too may also available through certain forums as mentioned by Dee).

Posted link above is already a couple of pages into the discussion but really interesting nonetheless (originally started from a discussion on the purchasable OBDAPP software/tool that can adjust ride height w/o need to for hard links i.e. by software alone - supposedly it too can address other functions in the car). Just a thought in respect a possible route around the inactive components in the car and again not advocating anyone should consider this but I have done similar things with the BMW equivalent software hacks post warranty with great success.
Thanks looks interesting! I will definitely read
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