[homeryen88]

Adding a Permanent Wifi Hotspot in the Car

I have added a permanent wifi hotspot in my F30.

Why? Well, it’s really for one reason and for one reason only. It’s to allow my cloud-capable dash cam to realize its full functionality (live dash cam view, GPS positioning, push notifications) when I’m away from the car.

Cloud-capable dash cams certainly provide some next-level benefits!:
1. If my car is stolen or if I can’t remember where I parked my car, the dash cam + permanent wifi hotspot allows me to access a map function on the dash cam app to locate my car (thanks to the dash cam’s built-in GPS).
2. If I am away from the car but I wanted to get a live view of what is happening around my car, the dash cam + permanent wifi hotspot allows me to access that live view.
3. Parking mode is the most useful feature of a dash cam. Thus most importantly, the dash cam + permanent wifi hotspot allows me to receive push notifications if it detects some kind of hard impact (otherwise, you’d only know that an impact had occurred once you return to your car and turn on the dash cam). It will also allow me to quickly pull up the video file of that impact wherever I may be (without that cloud connection, you can only download those files by either wirelessly connecting to the dash cam (if it has wifi capability) when you are in close proximity or by physically attaching a cable to the dash cam the old-fashioned way.

But these cloud-capabilities can only work in conjunction with an active wifi hotspot. You could have that wifi connection, likely, if you are parked at your home or at the local coffee shop. But, what if you’re parked somewhere else (the mall / a friend’s house / the supermarket / on a city street)?
IMHO then, having a permanent wifi hotspot in the car would be needed in this scenario.

BTW, if you are totally new to the concept of a hotspot, you can view this informative 5-minute video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktxC3vDukbc

SKYROAM SOLIS LITE (SSL):
After doing much research, I believe that this would be the lowest cost investment for a permanent wifi hotspot device/solution for the primary purpose of pairing with a cloud-capable dash cam.

Read about it here:
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/skyroam-solis-lite

Visit their website:
https://www.skyroam.com/godata-local-home

Purchase it here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XM9LV9B/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A2EER51DNG9JUZ&psc=1

Advantages:
1. With the SSL, pricing is very friendly at $6 per month for the first 1GB. If you burn through this initial amount, it will be just $3 for each additional GB used. This cycle resets top of the month. Most/all other wifi hotspot plans would require a greater minimum amount of GB you’d need to purchase.

BTW, how much data would really be used if you’re just looking to receive a handful of push notifications? How much data would really be used if you’re just looking to download the occasional video file when you’re not by your car?

I read this interesting article (“How Much Data Do I Need?,” Feb 2020 | https://3g.co.uk/guides/how-much-data-do-i-need) that says that 1GB a month will get you: 40 minutes daily of web browsing and social media. Or 10 hours per month of online music. Or even 1-2 films per month (standard definition @ 480p).

So, in purchasing this device to harness the dash cam’s cloud functionality, one would only need a very light monthly allotment of data. You probably wouldn’t even use close to 1GB of data per month.

2. This device (and many others like this sold by the major carriers as well as on Amazon) is portable. The SSL allows access to wifi globally and the marketing literature says you’ll get 4G LTE speeds with no throttling (note: Skyroam says that this device isn’t reliable for heavy online gaming sessions). In addition to the USA-only data plan; there is also a global data plan. So, it’s not just a pocket-sized solution for a permanent wifi hotspot in my car but I can take this device when I travel internationally.

3. Battery power of the SSL, when fully charged, is advertised at around 16 hours. Going back to the dash cam’s for a minute … the parking mode function only works while the dash cam receives power after you’ve turned off the car. So, the best way to provide continual power to the dash cam is with an external battery (like the Blackvue 124-x with its 3rd-party-tested 18+ hours of battery life). Again, the cloud-capabilities can only work in conjunction with an active wifi hotspot. Happily, the battery life of the SSL matches up fairly well. At the very least, I am guaranteed that my dash cam + permanent wifi hotspot will work in tandem to grant me continual overnight surveillance alongside dash cam access-via-the-cloud.

Disadvantages:
1. There is a 20-25 second boot-up time, which I find a bit lengthy in today’s get-it-done-now environment.

2. The SSL requires a slightly different USB-to-C adapter (an adapter does come with the device). See the pic for reference and you’ll notice that the SSL adapter’s (orange) metallic head is one millimeter longer than the one that came with my Android phone. So, some but not all third-party USB-to-C adapters will work.

3. Once the SSL depletes its battery charge (and it shuts off), you will need to remember to turn the device back on. This does not have an “always-on” function, which would be nice as I do prefer the convenience of “set-it-and-forget-it”. On this note, you’ll want to keep the SSL within arm’s reach.

WHAT ELSE?:
With a diameter of 3.5” and a height of about 1”, you could easily toss this into the center console and power it up with the USB port contained within. But I opted to place it in the glove compartment (see pic). To keep it continually charged (so that it charges when the car is on), I’ve threaded the USB-C end of the power cable up through the lower left side of the glove box. I then semi-hid the power cable in the panel creases and made sure to avoid overlapping the cable with the airbag down there.

I’ve then connected the power cord (USB head) to the 12v cigarette lighter beneath the glove box using these two products (see pics):
Car Charger RAVPower Mini Dual USB Car Adapter 24W 4.8A Output:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071FHZRQN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Right Angle USB Adapter:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G8H7I44/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The operating temp of the SSL is listed as 14° F to 131° F (-10° C to 55° C), so leaving the device in the car should be fine (well, at least here in the DC region).

YOU CAN ALSO INVESTIGATE AN OPTION VIA A MAJOR CARRIER
If you’re not one to try tech from brands that are unfamiliar to you, the next least expensive option (in terms of another portable wifi device purchase + light usage monthly plan) would be with T-Mobile ($10 per month for 2GB data / $25 for 6GB). Their hotspot/wifi plan is standalone/pre-paid, so you won’t have to be locked into any of their other services. The other carriers are more expensive when it comes to light-usage plans.

On that topic, you can check out this video for additional perspective on setting up wifi in the car via T-Mobile:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNVFvs4Vx7U

That said, the other major carriers do offer their own standalone wifi hotspot devices and accompanying data plans, and if you are of the mindset that convenience trumps savings, you should investigate their own offerings if you currently are a subscriber to one of those carriers.

FINALLY, I SHOULD MENTION…
I want to remind readers that the SSL (as your permanent wifi hotspot in the car) is likely the best option IF you are looking to use a very small amount of monthly data. Actually, I do believe it’s the most economical option that I’ve seen as long as your usage is less than 6GB monthly (which would be $21 per month if you used up all 6GB). Using just 2GB (probably more than enough for my needs) would be $9 per month. So, it’s an ideal solution if you are primarily looking to just enable your cloud-connected dash cam (or if you might just want to have a nearby, back-up wifi device to enable the wifi calling feature on your smartphone).

But if you instead want to primarily use a permanent wifi hotspot to perform more heavy-duty tasks (e.g.: allowing your adult passengers to work on their laptops while on the road; to allow your kids to continually engage in social networking activities with their friends while on road trips), then you may want to investigate other devices and plans from other carriers as your solution. The more data you use, the more competitive the landscape becomes (Sprint is then likely the go-to option which offers a pre-paid, standalone plan of 50GB of wifi hotspot data for $50/mo). Regardless, I am thrilled to now have a permanent wifi hotspot in my car. I am going to access it so that I can check out how many forum members have “appreciated” this post.


Stay healthy, stay connected, and Mod On!

[ooshnoo]

It's almost as if they paid you to say all this!

[Gen13 F36]

Why?

I just turn on my phone hotspot if someone doesn't have data(I don't have friends that don't have data on their phones

[homeryen88]

Originally Posted by ooshnoo

It's almost as if they paid you to say all this!

I'll take that as a compliment regarding my eloquent writing style. Thank you. But, if you look at all my other posts, you'll see that my approach is the same. Why I purchased something; pros and cons; other available options in the marketplace; up-close observations, and some added detail so that you know I care about contributing quality commentary.

Get13 … good question. I do mention that parking mode needs an ongoing hotspot that is turned ON. If you take your phone with you, then the dash cam probably can not connect to the cloud if you are tethering. You'll need to have something that is "always on" in the car. Please refer to that video for a further explanation.

[chowser51]

doesn't the car have the connected app to tell you where your car is if you forget?

i haven't really used mine at all, guess i need to since i have it.

not really worried about seeing what's around my car live. it's just a car.

i bought a thing for my daughter's car, it's $80 a year. plugs into her obd2.
i can track her car wherever she is, speed, braking, etc. that's about the only big brotherish thing i do.

[Gen13 F36]

Get13 … good question. I do mention that parking mode needs an ongoing hotspot that is turned ON. If you take your phone with you, then the dash cam probably can not connect to the cloud if you are tethering. You'll need to have something that is "always on" in the car. Please refer to that video for a further explanation.

This comes with monthly bill right...so NO

[PichaDis11]

Very well written and I appreciate the insights. I was thinking of this for my Blackvue dash cam setups as my car was always getting hit in parking lots. This will come in handy.

[Palantir]

Originally Posted by homeryen88

Adding a Permanent Wifi Hotspot in the Car

I have added a permanent wifi hotspot in my F30.

Why? Primarily, it’s to allow my cloud-capable dash cam to realize its full functionality (live dash cam view, GPS positioning, push notifications). Cloud-capable dash cams certainly provide some next-level benefits!:
1. If my car is stolen or if I can’t remember where I parked my car, the dash cam + permanent wifi hotspot allows me to access a map function on the dash cam app to locate my car (thanks to the dash cam’s built-in GPS).
2. If I am away from the car but I wanted to get a live view of what is happening around my car, the dash cam + permanent wifi hotspot allows me to access that live view.
3. Parking mode is the most useful feature of a dash cam. Thus most importantly, the dash cam + permanent wifi hotspot allows me to receive push notifications if it detects some kind of hard impact (otherwise, you’d only know that an impact had occurred once you return to your car and turn on the dash cam). It will also allow me to quickly pull up the video file of that impact wherever I may be (without that cloud connection, you can only download files by either wirelessly connecting to the dash cam (if it has wifi capability) when you are in close proximity or by physically attaching a cable to the dash cam the old-fashioned way.

IMHO, having a permanent wifi hotspot in the car is needed in this particular (and maybe only) scenario. Otherwise, if passengers just needed access to the internet while they were in the car, you could simply use the tethering function on your smartphone to create a hotspot (or they could use the in-car wifi hotspot if the car came equipped with that package).

BTW, if you are totally new to the concept of a hotspot, you can view this informative 5-minute video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktxC3vDukbc

SKYROAM SOLIS LITE (SSL):
After doing much research, I believe that this would be the lowest cost investment for a permanent wifi hotspot device/solution for the primary purpose of pairing with a cloud-capable dash cam.

Read about it here:
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/skyroam-solis-lite

Visit their website:
https://www.skyroam.com/godata-local-home

Purchase it here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XM9LV9B/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A2EER51DNG9JUZ&psc=1

Advantages:
1. With the SSL, pricing is very friendly at $6 per month for the first 1GB. If you burn through this initial amount, it will be just $3 for each additional GB used. This cycle resets top of the month. Most/all other wifi hotspot plans would require a greater minimum amount of GB you’d need to purchase.

BTW, how much data would really be used if you’re just looking to receive a handful of push notifications? How much data would really be used if you’re just looking to download the occasional video file when you’re not by your car?

I read this interesting article (“How Much Data Do I Need?,” Feb 2020 | https://3g.co.uk/guides/how-much-data-do-i-need) that says that 1GB a month will get you: 40 minutes daily of web browsing and social media. Or 10 hours per month of online music. Or even 1-2 films per month (standard definition @ 480p).

So, in purchasing this device to harness the dash cam’s cloud functionality, one would only need a very light monthly allotment of data. You probably wouldn’t even use close to 1GB of data per month.

2. This device (and many others like this sold by the major carriers as well as on Amazon) is portable. The SSL allows access to wifi globally and the marketing literature says you’ll get 4G LTE speeds with no throttling (note: Skyroam says that this device isn’t reliable for heavy online gaming sessions). In addition to the USA-only data plan; there is also a global data plan. So, it’s not just a pocket-sized solution for a permanent wifi hotspot in my car but I can take this device when I travel internationally.

3. Battery power of the SSL, when fully charged, is advertised at around 16 hours. Going back to the dash cam’s for a minute … the parking mode function only works while the dash cam receives power after you’ve turned off the car. So, the best way to provide continual power to the dash cam is with an external battery (like the Blackvue 124-x with its 3rd-party-tested 18+ hours of battery life). But the cloud-capabilities can only work in conjunction with an active wifi hotspot. Happily, the battery life of the SSL matches up fairly well. At the very least, I am guaranteed that my dash cam + permanent wifi hotspot will work in tandem to grant me continual overnight surveillance alongside dash cam access-via-the-cloud.

Disadvantages:
1. There is a 20-25 second boot-up time, which I find a bit lengthy in today’s get-it-done-now environment.

2. The SSL requires a slightly different USB-to-C adapter (an adapter does come with the device). See the pic for reference and you’ll notice that the SSL adapter’s (orange) metallic head is one millimeter longer than the one that came with my Android phone. So, some but not all third-party USB-to-C adapters will work.

3. Once the SSL depletes its battery charge (and it shuts off), you will need to remember to turn the device back on. This does not have an “always-on” function, which would be nice as I do prefer the convenience of “set-it-and-forget-it”. On this note, you’ll want to keep the SSL within arm’s reach.

WHAT ELSE?:
With a diameter of 3.5” and a height of about 1”, you could easily toss this into the center console and power it up with the USB port contained within. But I opted to place it in the glove compartment (see pic). To keep it continually charged (so that it charges when the car is on), I’ve threaded the USB-C end of the power cable up through the lower left side of the glove box. I then semi-hid the power cable in the panel creases and made sure to avoid overlapping the cable with the airbag down there.

I’ve then connected the power cord (USB head) to the 12v cigarette lighter beneath the glove box using these two products (see pics):
Car Charger RAVPower Mini Dual USB Car Adapter 24W 4.8A Output:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071FHZRQN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Right Angle USB Adapter:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G8H7I44/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The operating temp of the SSL is listed as 14° F to 131° F (-10° C to 55° C), so leaving the device in the car should be fine (well, at least here in the DC region).

YOU CAN ALSO INVESTIGATE AN OPTION VIA A MAJOR CARRIER
If you’re not one to try tech from brands that are unfamiliar to you, the next least expensive option (in terms of another portable wifi device purchase + light usage monthly plan) would be with T-Mobile ($10 per month for 2GB data / $25 for 6GB). Their hotspot/wifi plan is standalone/pre-paid, so you won’t have to be locked into any of their other services. The other carriers are more expensive when it comes to light-usage plans.

On that topic, you can check out this video for additional perspective on setting up wifi in the car via T-Mobile:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNVFvs4Vx7U

That said, the other major carriers do offer their own standalone wifi hotspot devices and accompanying data plans, and if you are of the mindset that convenience trumps savings, you should investigate their own offerings if you currently are a subscriber to one of those carriers.

FINALLY, I SHOULD MENTION…
I want to remind readers that the SSL (as your permanent wifi hotspot in the car) is likely the best option IF you are looking to use a very small amount of monthly data. Actually, I do believe it’s the most economical option that I’ve seen as long as your usage is less than 6GB monthly (which would be $21 per month if you used up all 6GB). Using just 2GB (probably more than enough for my needs) would be $9 per month. So, it’s an ideal solution if you are primarily looking to just enable your cloud-connected dash cam (or if your passengers might need use of a wifi connection very sparingly). But if you instead want to primarily use the permanent wifi hotspot to stream online music during your commute every day; to allow your adult passengers to work on their laptops while on the road; to allow your kids to continually engage in social networking activities with their friends while on road trips … then you may want to investigate other devices and plans from other carriers as your solution. The more data you use, the more competitive the landscape becomes (Sprint is then likely the go-to option which offers a pre-paid, standalone plan of 50GB of wifi hotspot data for $50/mo). Regardless, I am thrilled to now have a permanent wifi hotspot in my car. I am going to access it so that I can check out how many forum members have “appreciated” this post.

Stay healthy, stay connected, and Mod On!

Great write up. The thread is now saved in my favorites for future use. Thank you for taking the time to share such a wealth of research. You saved me at least, alot of time!

[bbq]

Or you can just use any old phone you have laying around. I do that when i go on a long trip. Pop a spare sim card in, connect it to the USB port, turn on the hot spot feature and throw it in the glove box.

[homeryen88]

Originally Posted by Gen13 F36

This comes with monthly bill right...so NO

Yes, unfortunately. That is an added cost (monthly hotspot plan) that one must remember to budget when investing in a cloud-capable dash cam. Otherwise, opt for a dash cam that doesn't come with cloud capabilities.

[homeryen88]

Originally Posted by chowser51

doesn't the car have the connected app to tell you where your car is if you forget?

i haven't really used mine at all, guess i need to since i have it.

not really worried about seeing what's around my car live. it's just a car.

i bought a thing for my daughter's car, it's $80 a year. plugs into her obd2.
i can track her car wherever she is, speed, braking, etc. that's about the only big brotherish thing i do.

You bring up a good observation. My F30 did not come with the "connected car" package. But, even if it did, I would still need a wifi source to connect with the cloud-capable dash cam once the car shuts off. I don't believe that the in-car wifi package is designed to stay on overnight (as an example).

T-Mobile, as an example, sells both an OBDII device as well as a standalone wifi hotspot device. I preferred the standalone device because: a) I can take the standalone device with me when I travel internationally and it will retain a charge whereas the OBDII will only work when the car is on … and b) I use a "lay-flat" HUD and that needs to be plugged into the OBDII when driving.

[upsidedownfunnel]

Originally Posted by Gen13 F36

This comes with monthly bill right...so NO

I know a lot of people are afraid of monthly bills, but we already have so many monthly bills. For things that actually provide a real service like mobile data, it makes sense for there to be a monthly bill. I'm assuming you have a smartphone and pay for its monthly bill as well.

If the service is worth it, why does it matter if you pay for it in one lump sum or in monthly payments?

[ronanz]

Decent write up. It's in the wrong Forum, but decent nonetheless...


https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=426


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