What is the PCM HotSpot for anyway?

[evanevery]

- I know there are a bunch of folks who say you can (and some who say you can't) use the PCM WiFi hotspot for Internet access. I don't see this as any real benefit cause my phone already has Internet access via its cellular connection. I don't need to put another piece in the middle. So, I really don't care about this as it seems to be pretty pointless.

- I know some folks who say you can (and some folks who say you can't) use it to stream Apply Carplay to the PCM. But I'm not an Apple User so this doesn't matter to me either...

- Is there something else I'm missing? Is there some other PCM-based advantage to linking your phone to the WiFi hotspot? I tried "transferring" a charger location from my phone (Porsche Connect App) to the Nav system but it would only work when the phone WASN'T connected to the car's hotspot.

I can't find any real reference to what it is supposed to provide in the GTK App. Does anyone know what benefit(s) it is supposed to provide?

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[struther]

- I know there are a bunch of folks who say you can (and some who say you can't) use the PCM WiFi hotspot for Internet access. I don't see this as any real benefit cause my phone already has Internet access via its cellular connection. I don't need to put another piece in the middle. So, I really don't care about this as it seems to be pretty pointless.

- I know some folks who say you can (and some folks who say you can't) use it to stream Apply Carplay to the PCM. But I'm not an Apple User so this doesn't matter to me either...

- Is there something else I'm missing? Is there some other PCM-based advantage to linking your phone to the WiFi hotspot? I tried "transferring" a charger location from my phone (Porsche Connect App) to the Nav system but it would only work when the phone WASN'T connected to the car's hotspot.

I can't find any real reference to what it is supposed to provide in the GTK App. Does anyone know what benefit(s) it is supposed to provide?

One benefit of a hotspot in the car is for kids to connect a tablet that is Wifi only in the backseat. But yeah, agree that it isn’t a super useful feature as I could simply setup my phone as a hotspot. I can’t myself using it in the car even if it was active.

 

[esortho]

At least in Sweden you also need the extra Data package for it, at 25USD per month for 7GB, which is at least 2.5x as expensive as a regular mobile 4G subscription so yes, usage is probably limited.

 

[dnanian]

A potential benefit of the built-in hotspot is for connected radar detectors (like the Escort 360c or RED 360c). While they could also connect through a phone's hotspot, if you're not always connecting your phone to USB or the Qi chargers, using a built-in hotspot would save battery.

Apart from that and the "kids with WIFi devices", though, it's hard to see the point...but perhaps we're missing the intended use case.

(I would like to see them enable car-to-home-WiFi, though; it's a far better way to deliver OTA updates.)

 

[Gogs]

WiFi in the car is actually really useful, if you join your mobile to the car Wi-fi your mobile voice calls & applications using data will be better as in the UK we actually talk over the data, just that you never actually realise that. The car connection will be/should be better than your mobile in your pocket. etc.

 

[evanevery]

WiFi in the car is actually really useful, if you join your mobile to the car Wi-fi your mobile voice calls & applications using data will be better as in the UK we actually talk over the data, just that you never actually realise that. The car connection will be/should be better than your mobile in your pocket. etc.

So, its basically only for data? (Internet Service) There is no functional advantage to communicate with any of the PCM services?

I get the "kids with tablets" thing. If their tablets don't have a cellular connection, then they need the WiFi. So, OK for that. But I also don't have kids. (I don't like sharing my toys) ;-)

...The car connection will be/should be better than your mobile in your pocket. etc...

I seriously doubt this. (Unless the Taycan's cellular provider has substantially better service than the cellular provider in your pocket). If you already have a SmartPhone with Internet Access, then using the WiFi Access point to get Internet Access is purely redundant and adds unnecessary equipment into the loop. Effectively, all you are doing is pushing the efficient GSM/LTE Internet Access built into your Cell Phone one step further away by using the Hotspot in the car to convert the car's GSM/LTE Internet Access into a WiFi service. Not only is this less efficient, but all you are doing is paying for the data via your car's cellular service instead of paying for it via a more efficient cellular service built into the phone (usually free anyway). You're still ultimately getting your data/voice over a cellular network. Why put WiFi in the middle?

Your voice service over data (via WiFi) might be better in hardwired broadband connections, but the WiFi service in your car is still only GSM/LTE cellular on the back end. Its the same technology in the middle. The car is just converting WiFi to Cellular. As such, it shouldn't make any quality difference (you might actually lose performance due to the extra overhead)...

In any case, it sounds like this is just like the WiFi HotSpot in basically every other car on the market. No advantage to actually interface with any of the cars systems (PCM)...

Personally, I don't see the need for an "Internet Hotspot" in any of my other vehicles. Even less so for the one in the Taycan as the Internet Data isn't even enabled in US vehicles!

I'll just delete the HotSpot WiFi Credentials from my phone as it keeps hijacking my perfectly good GSM/LTE Internet Connectivity when I get into the car.

I guess I'm NOT missing anything.... Thanks!

 

[feye]

In any case, it sounds like this is just like the WiFi HotSpot in basically every other car on the market. No advantage to actually interface with any of the cars systems (PCM)...

Well, at least they could have put a 5G module in, then the WiFi would have had some use at least until I get my next phone with 5G.

 

[evanevery]

Well, at least they could have put a 5G module in, then the WiFi would have had some use at least until I get my next phone with 5G.

Yeah, the hotspot only seems to be of any value if you don't already have internet access on your device or if the car's cellular connection is actually faster than the one provided by your device.

Nothing new here I guess... No point in paying for yet ANOTHER data plan...

 

[MissionC]

Apart from that and the "kids with WIFi devices", though, it's hard to see the point...but perhaps we're missing the intended use case.

I think there are two possible reasons:

1. Because other cars have it and people sorta expect it
2. Possible concern over degradation of cell signal due to the thermal glass and the glass roof with phones sitting in a pocket or something

 

[daveo4EV]

it’s not useful until Porsche provide hotsport support in the US (at least for US customers) - it’s also not useful in a home setting cause I can’t join my home wifi to download updates and data...so bascially it’s untapped potential for which we have no idea what porsche’s plans are.

 

[dnanian]

Possible concern over degradation of cell signal due to the thermal glass and the glass roof with phones sitting in a pocket or something

Interestingly, the exterior antenna is brought down to the armrest area, and supposedly allows for a good signal for a phone in there. I've certainly seen minimal losses...

 

[GaryT]

At a Taycan launch party, the head of the Taycan product for North America told me that the metal foil in the Panoramic Glass Roof and the optional Thermally & Noise Insulated Glass create significant interference for cellphone and other RF signals. For that reason, they have designed an antenna into the center armrest to provide a strong signal to the cellphone while it is the inductive charging cradle.

 

[evanevery]

...Possible concern over degradation of cell signal due to the thermal glass and the glass roof with phones sitting in a pocket or something

That would be a pretty effective marketing plan. Make the interior of the vehicle impervious to any outside signals so they can sell you a data plan at crazy expensive prices!

(I have the thermal and sound insulated glass and my phone is not having any reception signals)

 

[evanevery]

it’s not useful until Porsche provide hotsport support in the US (at least for US customers) - it’s also not useful in a home setting cause I can’t join my home wifi to download updates and data...so bascially it’s untapped potential for which we have no idea what porsche’s plans are.

Its actually a REAL issue! Cause if your phone automatically switches from its own functional GSM reception to the local hotspot in the car, you will lose ALL INTERNET ACCESS. Your phone sees this nice tasty WiFi signal and then locks onto it thinking it can get its Internet service from a non-functional hotspot. Luckily most phones will alert you to a "dead" hotspot but some users might miss this.

I just told my phone not to connect to the cars network. Done.

 

[GaryT]

Its actually a REAL issue! Cause if your phone automatically switches from its own functional GSM reception to the local hotspot in the car, you will lose ALL INTERNET ACCESS. Your phone sees this nice tasty WiFi signal and then locks onto it thinking it can get its Internet service from a non-functional hotspot. Luckily most phones will alert you to a "dead" hotspot but some users might miss this.

I just told my phone not to connect to the cars network. Done.

I had the identical issue. My phone was automatically switching from GSM to the the Taycan's relatively stronger hotspot. I solved the problem by turning off the "Auto Reconnect" on the phone's Taycan Wi-Fi connection.

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