Onboard Wi-Fi

ember1205 · December 7, 2023

10 hours ago, kickass audio said:

So far for the past 3 days I setup an automation rule on my samsung galaxy s21 so when I am paired to the radio in the truck it will turn on my mobile hotspot through my cell phone and then my truck finds the hotspot on my cell phone and pairs up with that to continue everything like the built in google voice when you single press the microphone button on the wheel and the g-maps in the truck works fully as well.

Why not just use Android Auto? I prefer Waze over Google Maps for navigation, but have access to both via AA. And I don't have to worry about what level of stupidity the built-in apps and system sink to in terms of all of the garbage the truck tries to download "automatically" over the hotspot feature...

KinkyDuramax · December 7, 2023

11 hours ago, kickass audio said:

Mine fully ends on 12/26/23 but my data part of the plan ended back in November 16th I believe, it was only a 30 day trial of the full plan then went to 3 months of safety+security and after that it's 3 years of the remote start/unlock through the mychevrolet app and then that is gone too.

So far for the past 3 days I setup an automation rule on my samsung galaxy s21 so when I am paired to the radio in the truck it will turn on my mobile hotspot through my cell phone and then my truck finds the hotspot on my cell phone and pairs up with that to continue everything like the built in google voice when you single press the microphone button on the wheel and the g-maps in the truck works fully as well.

Prior to last week my truck was totally offline for data when driving around and only was online when I was sitting in the driveway and connected to my home's WiFi and the only thing I lost last week was the built in g-maps and the app downloads. My speed limit sign on the drivers screen was still functional. Then on Sunday i lost the speed limit sign on the drivers screen until I paired up via mobile hotspot to keep a data connection going, even though my offline maps were still fully downloaded to the truck, including my custom maps I downloaded on my own.

i will add though that as long as you have offline maps current in the truck for a year until they need to be re-downloaded again, I was able to dismiss the nagging warning about the app not working unless I have a data plan twice and type in the address for a destination that was in the offline map zone and drive to it using the built in g-maps app. I did not have the speed limit sign nor did I have traffic updates but it wasn't totally dead without an active data connection or plan. It just nagged twice about the need for a data plan and I said dismiss both times and it never came back up on that trip again. Granted it was only a 15 minute drive but it only complained twice and then shut up about it.

Very slick. I don't have an Android phone but I don't need mobile-hotspot either. The few occasions I have needed it were mostly for pairing other things just for a quick update. It sucks to see that we pay so much for a Truck but only get a limited time for use on some "subscriptions".

It's not a deal-breaker by all means just was hoping to see it be under the 3/36k. Lol

kickass audio · December 8, 2023

13 hours ago, ember1205 said:

Why not just use Android Auto? I prefer Waze over Google Maps for navigation, but have access to both via AA. And I don't have to worry about what level of stupidity the built-in apps and system sink to in terms of all of the garbage the truck tries to download "automatically" over the hotspot feature...

I am currently using AA but am also exploring options on tethering vs just using AA and calling it a day. So far my data usage for the past 3 days of driving to work was only 15mb of data which is not even a drop in the bucket for my 25gb high speed hotspot limit. The speed limit was the only piece not working with just AA unless I set AA to a destination then the speed limit would appear on the 13" screen in the bottom right corner but not show on the tiny icon on the drivers screen. I'm going to try next month after I see what my data usage is for the month to not pair up any longer and go back to being offline 100% of the time and see if the speed limit goes away again on the drivers screen.

Edit: the auto downloads don't lock you in for good. For example you can turn off the auto download for the truck's OTA updates via WiFi, you can go to the google maps app and go to settings>privacy center and turn off auto download for all networks on the offline maps, you can also open the play store and turn off auto download app updates. I have found that so far after the past week when I set the map updates to manual download, if I run it every day, they are done after 1 minute and I have 3 offline maps that are over 5gb in local storage size, it's only updating the changes that are made from the last sync not everything. App updates from the play store are slow as a mother no matter how fast my connection speed is and the install process is even slower. normally when I have app updates I leave my keys in the truck, leave the ignition in the service mode and walk away for 15 minutes or so until it finishes downloading/installing then I shut the truck down again. It works for me that way.

I do wonder if I could get the downloads to run faster if the damn truck supported being connected to a 5GHz network and not just the 2.4GHz networks. 2.4 has longer range but 5 is faster and maybe it would help cut some time down on the downloads.

Edited December 8, 2023 by kickass audio

ember1205 · December 8, 2023

Why would 5GHz WiFi benefit you if your limiting factor is the LTE network on the hotspot?

The reason most devices like what's in your truck don't offer 5GHz is because it's a different radio (additional expense) and is less stable for the kinds of connections it would leverage (like connecting to WiFi at your house where the extra range of 2.4GHz is actually better). 2.4GHz radios are a commodity item and work with pretty much everything out there while 5GHz is an additional cost, has reduced range, and generally doesn't "increase" how many devices / networks are usable.

lennybg · December 11, 2023

The onboard wifi is slowwwwwwwww as hell. Do a speed test and see for yourself.

I use my phone as a hotspot for the kids when we travel but it was causing my phone to get hot as hell since i was using it as a hotspot, along with ApplePlay for the Waze and music... when on the trucks wifi the internet speed is crap, like 4mb down and 1 up. On my phone im getting over 25down and 15 up.

Gangly · December 11, 2023

Even when I had free Wifi and OnStar for the truck just after purchasing it, I never activated it. I've never used my truck's Wifi or OnStar, and I highly doubt that I ever will, I just don't need it.

I have Android Auto and it has worked flawlessly for me since day one. I have ZERO interest in any subscription service through GM, Ford, RAM, or any manufacturer, and the day that it's mandated to have a subscription service to use a navigation platform is the day I swap manufacturers. Car Play and Android Auto are too good while OEM platforms still have a hard time figuring out what roads are closed or open, a year after the fact.

I know GM is placing their own proprietary software in their higher end EV's that do not allow the use of Android Auto or Apple Car play. They should have figured out it with their old CUE system that people don't want to be forced into using OEM proprietary software, regardless of how good the OEM's think it is. Everything in our life is Apple or Android, and I want my vehicle to integrate with those platforms, not be a stand alone unicorn that constantly glitches and needs updates.

Reminds me of an old episode of Married with Children when Jefferson is bragging about a new car he purchased but still hasn't driven because of the problems it comes with new. I'm starting to wonder if GM thinks the world is a bunch of Jeffersons.

Al Bundy : Jefferson, you've had the car five months, it hasn't been off the rack yet. What's wrong with it?

Jefferson D'Arcy : Well, they don't know, but it's something very sophisticated, very expensive, and very, very Euro. Ha ha. I'm telling you, I'm on top of the world with that car. You can ask anybody on the bus how happy I am.

Edited December 11, 2023 by Gangly