Will update enable car to be used as wifi hotspot?

[W1NGE]

Yes, I am aware of this, however, this option is not available for us in the US as of yet as I was told when I purchased the car. Was hoping this software update made it possible which is why I posted this thread. So far, nobody has answered this question.

Which model year do you have?

MY21 - hotspot is standard
MY20 - not sure but surprise if not albeit it may not work (!)

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[W1NGE]

This is the information posted on Porsche North America web site for Porsche Connect In-Car Hotspot with Verizon (this was available from 2020). Service is available with an appropriate subscription as mentioned earlier.

If for some reason the service wasn't working due to a software bug (that isn't clear from your post) and you now have the update(s) applied then logically it should work just fine.

Seems pretty straight-forward to me.

 

[Dr Chill]

Simple sounding but not the case. I just spoke to Porsche NA. They transferred me to AT&T who said they offer connected services for all Porsche models except Taycan. They transferred me to Verizon who said they do not provide this service for Porsche, despite what the Porsche website says.

Someone is lying.

 

[W1NGE]

Simple sounding but not the case. I just spoke to Porsche NA. They transferred me to AT&T who said they offer connected services for all Porsche models except Taycan. They transferred me to Verizon who said they do not provide this service for Porsche, despite what the Porsche website says.

Someone is lying.

Left hand / right hand comes to mind!

Someone on this forum who is from USA / Canada will have this option / service for sure - nuts to think otherwise!

 

[daveo4EV]

WiFi hotspot is a not an option for North american vehicles MY 2020 -no one at Porsche has been able to tell me why.

 

[TT459S]

Yes, I am aware of this, however, this option is not available for us in the US as of yet as I was told when I purchased the car. Was hoping this software update made it possible which is why I posted this thread. So far, nobody has answered this question.

Similar in Canada. My understanding is there is also no agreement in place with a mobile provider here. I was hoping I could use a PCM based hotspot as I don't have WiFi where I park and charge (using Porsche Mobile Charger Connect) - and wouldn't like to leave a phone in the car to act as hotspot. I do think enabling a PCM hotspot it is just a software switch, as the PCM gives remote access, real-time traffic, weather, news (if it works...), internet radio, Google access, etc. via the Porsche network. Porsche must be worried people will using too much data using the PCM's LTE connection - for instance 3 passengers watching Netflix in 4K...

 

[W1NGE]

Similar in Canada. My understanding is there is also no agreement in place with a mobile provider here. I was hoping I could use a PCM based hotspot as I don't have WiFi where I park and charge (using Porsche Mobile Charger Connect) - and wouldn't like to leave a phone in the car to act as hotspot. I do think enabling a PCM hotspot it is just a software switch, as the PCM gives remote access, real-time traffic, weather, news (if it works...), internet radio, Google access, etc. via the Porsche network. Porsche must be worried people will using too much data using the PCM's LTE connection - for instance 3 passengers watching Netflix in 4K...

I doubt if you could use the car's hotspot in this scenario even if you had a data contract. Aside from this the hotspot would terminate when you power off the car and lock it, right?

Further I don't quite follow the logic of what you are trying to do as you can monitor charging directly to the car via the Porsche Connect App or My Porsche whilst charging (no need for PMCC to be connected to the internet).

 

[franksc]

Like I was saying before - if I look @ connect options available for my VIN, I only see the Car Security Package:

If you click "Change vehicle" from this page and choose "Models" then "Taycan" you will see this as an option:

So looks like its intended to support. If you have small children with tablets, you understand why this is an important feature . Yes you can hotspot from your phone, but then risk possibility of being throttled on primary device for data consumption.

 

[Dr Chill]

But unfortunately there's no way to add the in-car wifi hotspot to your cart and purchase it. Has anyone in US been able to do this? On a 2020?

 

[dnanian]

But unfortunately there's no way to add the in-car wifi hotspot to your cart and purchase it. Has anyone in US been able to do this? On a 2020?

It's quite clear that the 2020s also use Verizon (you can see that in the status dialog), although it doesn't display the IMEI, so you can't just call Verizon and activate the hotspot.

The Hotspot is clearly listed in the WiFi options, so it's obviously intended to work, but I, like you, don't have the option to purchase the plan in the store.

I've called Porsche and they don't seem to have a good idea as to why. They "escalated" the issue, but I haven't heard anything.

 

[SergeyIndy]

I would like to revive this thread to understand how to enable Verizon hotspot directly with Verizon.
On the chat with them now and they need IMEI as there is a promo 4th line but does not appear to be eligible to be free. However, I would like to understand how to locate the IMEI or so-called CAR number would be helpful that looks like this per Verizon rep:

 

[W1NGE]

I would like to revive this thread to understand how to enable Verizon hotspot directly with Verizon.
On the chat with them now and they need IMEI as there is a promo 4th line but does not appear to be eligible to be free. However, I would like to understand how to locate the IMEI or so-called CAR number would be helpful that looks like this per Verizon rep:

I don't think this will work and the only option you have is to take the Verizon data package from Porsche as a Porsche Connect service.

The IMEI is accessible via the PCM by tapping the phone icon then '...' then Phone Settings then Serial Number IMEI. Other possibly related options are here too.

Worth a shot but I suspect activation is required via Porsche .

Much easier / cheaper to use your mobile as the hotspot.

 

[SergeyIndy]

This is helpful. My rationale, useful or practical this option or not, is to know how to enable it, make sure it works, and then in case I need it, I know how to use it.

Hotspot feature has been different on all of ours: 2016 Macan has a $210 factory option of some sorts through AHA app and never really worked, then our 2020 Cayenne has ATT hotspot but that has to be operated directly with ATT after 1-month free trial is over, so now Taycan looks like the simplest of them all and just a Porsche Connect store service, at $20/month plus taxes/fees, as you all pointed out with 1-month free.

Our Taycan has Thermal Glass, Tint, and Exhoshield on the windshield but no tint in the inside of windshield, so all surrounding glass is double filmed but not the sunroof, but it has the Groovey shade (no impact on signal), but that is where I assume the signal to phones comes in anyway.

I will be testing this weekend to see how much signal (bars) and bandwidth (download/upload kbps) is lost when standing with a phone outside vs. inside using Verizon and ATT as my work phone is Verizon and personal is ATT. Then when I enable 1 free month to be used say for a family trip, I would like to be able to compare to see how car's hotspot (using external antenna) compares to the phone signal and bandwidth.

However, the most useful daily use is the use of external antenna for just phone calls if the phone is connected to the car via BT or cable (can someone confirm that is the case). However, I have yet to test the difference and I also understand that if the phone is in the wireless charging compartment there is no more signal booster that may have been there in the earlier models, potentially removed to reduce overheating. I have yet to verify if the phone overheats when in the wireless charging compartment.

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