Why connect to Wifi?

[blondejd]

Hi everyone,

Apologies if this has been addressed somewhere else already (I couldn't find it myself).

Just got my Bolt, and I notice that it can be made to connect to Wifi. Anyone know why you'd want to connect your Bolt to Wifi? Doesn't seem to give you any added functionality (it sure doesn't make the quite terrible MyChevrolet app work any faster or do anything extra).

I assume this is for future use or firmware updates, but perhaps someone out there has better information?

 

[TimBolt]

Hi everyone,

Apologies if this has been addressed somewhere else already (I couldn't find it myself).

Just got my Bolt, and I notice that it can be made to connect to Wifi. Anyone know why you'd want to connect your Bolt to Wifi? Doesn't seem to give you any added functionality (it sure doesn't make the quite terrible MyChevrolet app work any faster or do anything extra).

I assume this is for future use or firmware updates, but perhaps someone out there has better information?

The Bolt Wifi is available for free for a trial period. If you don’t have an unlimited data planusing WiFi will save you the data usage vs your cellular plan. My free WiFi has expired, but I did use it during the trial period, I didn’t notice any performance difference vs the phone’s cellular connection.

 

[blondejd]

Actually, I'm not talking about using the Bolt as a WiFi access point--I'm talking about the opposite. You can connect the Bolt's WiFi to a regular WiFi access point (in this case, my home WiFi). I'm just wondering why you would?

 

[user 962]

For the non existent over the air updates.

 

[TimBolt]

I agree that this is a solution in search of a problem, I had no idea the Bolt can do this, and I also have no idea why anyone would want or need to do this.

 

[roguenode]

It’s actually a solution to a problem some people face. I use it daily as I live in the mountains where there is zero cell service. Having the car connected to my home wifi allows me to use check charging status, precondition / remote start the car, etc.

 

[TimBolt]

It’s actually a solution to a problem some people face. I use it daily as I live in the mountains where there is zero cell service. Having the car connected to my home wifi allows me to use check charging status, precondition / remote start the car, etc.

I stand corrected. Thanks for the explanation.

 

[SeanNelson]

It’s actually a solution to a problem some people face. I use it daily as I live in the mountains where there is zero cell service. Having the car connected to my home wifi allows me to use check charging status, precondition / remote start the car, etc.

What? Can you actually do this via WiFi without having an OnStar subscription?

 

[roguenode]

It’s actually a solution to a problem some people face. I use it daily as I live in the mountains where there is zero cell service. Having the car connected to my home wifi allows me to use check charging status, precondition / remote start the car, etc.

What? Can you actually do this via WiFi without having an OnStar subscription?

Yes, the OnStar basic package is free for 5 years and with that you can still connect the car to Wifi networks and use the key pass and fob remote features. So, thankfully, I can get vehicle status, remote start, and precondition outside of cell service as long as my car is on my WiFi network, You can also use our phone as a WiFi hotspot and have it as a WiFi network the car uses.

I don’t blame anyone for wondering this would be needed. For most people, living where there is zero cell service is unheard of.

 

[SeanNelson]

It’s actually a solution to a problem some people face. I use it daily as I live in the mountains where there is zero cell service. Having the car connected to my home wifi allows me to use check charging status, precondition / remote start the car, etc.

What? Can you actually do this via WiFi without having an OnStar subscription?

Yes, the OnStar basic package is free for 5 years and with that you can still connect the car to Wifi networks and use the key pass and fob remote features.

OK, so I'm not talking about the car's WiFi hot spot. It's obvious to me that the hotspot requires an OnStar subscription because it relies on the car's ability to transmit and receive data via the cellular network, and it's the OnStar subscription that pays for the cellular service.

What I'm interested in is if the car can act as a WiFi client on your home network, and whether you can communicate with the car via the phone app over such a connection. I hear you saying that this is possible, but I don't understand why you would still need an OnStar subscription to do this.

By the way, here in Canada the trial period for OnStar is only 6 months.

 

[roguenode]

What? Can you actually do this via WiFi without having an OnStar subscription?

Yes, the OnStar basic package is free for 5 years and with that you can still connect the car to Wifi networks and use the key pass and fob remote features.

OK, so I'm not talking about the car's WiFi hot spot. It's obvious to me that the hotspot requires an OnStar subscription because it relies on the car's ability to transmit and receive data via the cellular network, and it's the OnStar subscription that pays for the cellular service.

What I'm interested in is if the car can act as a WiFi client on your home network, and whether you can communicate with the car via the phone app over such a connection. I hear you saying that this is possible, but I don't understand why you would still need an OnStar subscription to do this.

By the way, here in Canada the trial period for OnStar is only 6 months.

I am not talking about the car's WiFi hot spot either. There is another Bolt owners forum. You may want to check the "What is free if we don't buy a subscription & how long?" thread as it has some of this information. Also in that thread is a Canadian owner who verified after his 6 month trial ended he was automatically switched to the free 5yr OnStar basic plan. I am not certain why even the basic plan is needed. I would guess it's not needed for the car to connect to wifi networks for the mythical updates GM hasn't produced, but that it's needed for the app. Just a guess though as I'm not privy to the communication architecture of the myChevrolet app.

 

[desiv]

Sounds like there are multiple things in question here:

What I'm interested in is if the car can act as a WiFi client on your home network

Yes, you can connect your car to your home WiFi.

and whether you can communicate with the car via the phone app over such a connection.

Yes and no.. Apparently, the car can use this WiFi connection to talk to OnStar/Chevy if there is no cell coverage, so the remote application will still work for preheating, etc..
However, the app is NOT talking directly to the car.

I hear you saying that this is possible, but I don't understand why you would still need an OnStar subscription to do this.
By the way, here in Canada the trial period for OnStar is only 6 months.

You still need "basic" OnStar, which is apparently free past the subscription for quite a while..
As long as all you are doing is using the app for status, preheating, etc.
Other OnStar features (routing, call for help, WiFi hotspot) require additional subscriptions, as I understand it..

desiv

 

[njBoltEV]

Yes, the OnStar basic package is free for 5 years and with that you can still connect the car to Wifi networks and use the key pass and fob remote features.

OK, so I'm not talking about the car's WiFi hot spot. It's obvious to me that the hotspot requires an OnStar subscription because it relies on the car's ability to transmit and receive data via the cellular network, and it's the OnStar subscription that pays for the cellular service.

FWIW, I do not have an OnStar subscription, but pay for monthly Wifi -- it works fine

 

[dandrewk]

OK, so I'm not talking about the car's WiFi hot spot. It's obvious to me that the hotspot requires an OnStar subscription because it relies on the car's ability to transmit and receive data via the cellular network, and it's the OnStar subscription that pays for the cellular service.

This is not accurate. You do not need an OnStar subscription for you car to be a WiFi hotspot. What you do need is a subscription to an internet provider.

My Bolt is a hotspot, and I do not have an OnStar subscription. I do have my Bolt registered as a device on my AT&T plan, the same as my iPhone. It's a separate subscription (options - $10/month for 1 GB or $20/month for unlimited data) but is set up and paid via AT&T.