WiFi Question

[drmanny3]

I am toying with the purchase of a new radar detector the Escort 360c or Escort Redline 360c. They rely on WiFi to update as well as get info. Our NSX does not have WiFi but you can use your iPhone as a hotspot allowing the car to connect. I was playing with this the other day when I realized that in using my phone as a hot spot I lost Apple Carplay. I was able to play Pandora via Bluetooth but the sound quality was off. Is there a fix for this? I suppose I could use my phone as a hotspot and let the radar detector connect and not the car? What about adding a 4G mobile modem. If I use a device that works with ATT then I can use my family minutes. What have you done in this situation.

 

[drmanny3]

I spoke with a ATT Tech who nomally sets up an account with a car that has a built in modem. He said that our car does in fact have a modem already built in. Acura would have to release access to ATT so that they could setup WiFi service. This is what I did with my 2017 Volvo. My sense is that Acura uses the modem for Acura Link and would not want to share with ATT or anyone else.

 

[drmanny3]

For those who are interested in adding WiFi to their cars, ATT has a product that is named Spark by Harman. It connects to the obd2 and will provide WiFi once you have a sim card installed. The problem for me was that I wanted to add this to my other cell phone family plan. Because it is not a built in unit, ATT will only provide data minutes to the unit itself. The minimum cost for a data plan is $25 per month. It will allow you to connect up to 8 devices to the internet while you are driving or in the car. It operates at a 4G level. Does anyone know where the Acura NSX built in modem resides? I would like to check it out to see if I can repurpose the unit.https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/gear/att-spark-harman/

 

[drmanny3]

This is an old post, so I thought I would update with info. The Telematic unit is not something one can upgrade with a new chip. The later model NC1s have a 4g chip which allows connection for Acura Link. You cannot just access the 4g chip and connect for WiFi. There is a new 5G unit from netgear that is meant for automotive use. It is pricy at $500 and then you have your monthly charges. It would allow many other devices to connect with the internet. It does not require the obd2 connector. Just a battery connection.

I was able to replace my original 3g Telematic unit with one that currently works 4g.

 

[NbyNW]

This is an old post, so I thought I would update with info. The Telematic unit is not something one can upgrade with a new chip. The later model NC1s have a 4g chip which allows connection for Acura Link. You cannot just access the 4g chip and connect for WiFi. There is a new 5G unit from netgear that is meant for automotive use. It is pricy at $500 and then you have your monthly charges. It would allow many other devices to connect with the internet. It does not require the obd2 connector. Just a battery connection.

I was able to replace my original 3g Telematic unit with one that currently works 4g.

For your new 4G unit did a dealer swap it for the old 3G unit or did you do it? If you did it what is the part number? Any other details? I never really used AcuraLink yet it does get an insurance discount for tracking/recovery. Wonder if an AirTag would get the same discount?

 

[drmanny3]

I do get a discount because of Acura Link. I initially tried to purchase a used telematic unit. However, there are very few around. It is specific to the NSX model. I tried other Acura units and they would not allow connection. In the end I had the dealer acquire one and replace mine. New they are around a thousand.