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I use Google Fi for my carrier, which network switches between US Cellular, T Mobile and Sprint. They have a great deal on data only SIMs and I have several of them for our iPads. Google doesn’t charge anything for the SIM, just the data, so I got one with the idea of plugging into my car. The SIM is micro format so I got delayed a few days to order an adapter. That arrived today and it was quick work of plugging into the car.
It immediately identified a T-Mobile LTE APN, among others, that I could connect to. That part was easy... as far as I can tell, the car is capable of receiving and sending data.
The problem, which I don’t think is related to the SIM, is that the PCM Apps menu still gives me the “go to porsche.com/connect” service to register the car. I’ve done this a bunch of times and it simply doesn’t update. I think I need to head down to the dealer to get it sorted out. Will report back on cellular status.
Did you get to this page on the website after you signed up? If so, notice the pairing code for my car I've grayed-out on the right.
I believe on the screen you show on your PCM, you then press the Opt button on the PCM (the physical button) to enter the pairing code for your car and everything should sync up.
Do this:
Take the sim out
Connect directly to your home WiFi
Go to nav-on the destination screen, wait for google search option to appear, may take a couple of seconds
Once that happens, do any search, just to see that it works
From that moment on all should work. Update at will, the google earth and traffic will appear on the map screen, etc
Unfortunately, to the best of my research here, seems that the att blocks the so called google services via isp. Meaning, once you plug the SIM card back, all that will work is the hotspot. Nice way for them to double sell services. Using the phone as hotspot and connecting to it also did not work. I even got a dedicated hotspot, no joy. If there was a way to access the PCM files, would be fairly easy to change that. Audi uses Tmobile on which is essentially the same head unit (same FCC number).
For me that's ok. The traffic data is ludicrously outdated compared to waze. The fuel prices off base. Flight info and parking, really? The only thing I miss are references from google earth, but whatev's.
Long drives I use waze with the car Mac, following the waze prompts. Works well.
The whole Porsche Connect thing is awful. I've given up on it and just use CarPlay which, while limited, at least does what I expect it to do. Now if only I could get more than just Waze voice over. . .
Do this:
... Using the phone as hotspot and connecting to it also did not work.
Just FYI: I have AT&T on my phone and with the Personal Hotspot on the phone enabled, the car successfully connects to it and uses it as its data source. This has been my solution for connectivity. I have unlimited data so there aren't any worries there, I'm not sure how much the car is pulling as I drive with the Google Earth maps, but it hasn't been a problem with my infrequent drives.
I've also been trying the Car Play maps solution. Since I also have an Apple Watch, a cool side effect of using Car Play for navigation is that each upcoming turn is alerted with taps on my wrist from the watch.
All in all, I find it kind of funny that the car supports three different mapping solutions: the PCM's built-in one, Car Play maps, and Google Earth Maps. There's something cool about actually seeing the satellite imagery and buildings around you when using Google Earth so at the moment that is my preferred general maps display unless I'm actively using navigation.
yes, did that. The pairing code goes to the dealer for activation, which I did.
The problem is on this page. I have tried to add my car at least 4 times, each time with “we’ll get back to you” and nothing happens.
I see. That screen never showed up for me. In case it helps, here is some additional information:
So they really do make this confusing. There are two similarly named services that are different and do different things: Porsche Connect and Porsche Car Connect. They are two different apps.You may be mixing them up since you said you had to take a code to the dealer... I know I did at first.
Porsche Connect supports the screen you initially showed, the Navigation and Infotainment capabilities Porsche calls it. It provides the PCM apps for things like news, weather, gas prices, navigation presets, etc. This service is provided by Porsche.
Porsche Car Connect supports actual remote interaction with the car. Things like setting up speed alerts on the car, fence alerts, status checks on the car, lock/unlock the car, etc. This service is actually provided by Vodaphone.
Porsche Connect is the screen you showed the first time that provides the Apps. The pairing code I showed you from the My Porsche website does not get entered by the dealer, so that's why I think you are mixing up the two services, easy to do with the names being so similar. You can enter it directly in the PCM, I think by hitting Opt like I suggested earlier. If necessary, I can do a full factory reset on my car to try to recreate the steps for this as a verification. But I am certain I entered this pairing code myself in the PCM directly at home.
Porsche Car Connect I do not have, but I did receive an activation code for it my applying on the different website listed above. Vodaphone then sent an activation code to my via email. This activation code has to be taken to the dealer for entry via the PIWIS (I assume).
The apps on the phone are different as well. Again they look similar but notice the different naming in the screenshot from my phone below. The one for My Porsche, the infotainment one is on the left.
Is your car a 2017 or 2018? Because the system was changed for 2018 cars with the new embedding of a SIM card into the PCM. Whether it changed with the start of 2018 production, or sometime after that, I don't know.
For my 2017 Targa 4S, I could take out the ATT SIM card supplied at the time of delivery (and in fact I did) and I had no problem hooking up to my cell phone hotspot; I cancelled the ATT service and continued to use all Porsche Connect Services, as I previously had done. In my 2018 Targa 4 GTS, the ONLY SIM card in there is the embedded one and the car refused to connect to my Verizon iPhone hot spot (which continued to work fine in my 2017 Cayenne, at least until I totaled it.) The 2018 PCM even displayed a message that to connect to a hot spot for a data connection I had to remove the embedded SIM card. When hooked up to my hotspot in the 2017, I had full functionality of the PCM including real-time traffic.
In the 2018 Targa 4 GTS, I opted not to activate the Vodafone Telematics because I really didn't need remote access to my fuel level. However, I wanted to use Google Search and real-time traffic so I signed up for the year's free trial of Porsche Connect. This did NOT require the addition of an ATT SIM card; just activation by signing up for the trial. I presume these data come through the embedded SIM card. I cannot get the PCM to connect to my Verizon iPhone WiFi hot spot on my 2018 GTS as it did on my 2017 Targa 4S.
Thanks for clarifying. The “my porsche” Connect site is where I think I’m having an issue. I have submitted my vin, proof of ownership, and ID at least 4 times and have received nothing from porsche. Every time I go to this portal, I am greeted with an “no vehicles” in the menu.
Originally Posted by StormRune
I see. That screen never showed up for me. In case it helps, here is some additional information:
So they really do make this confusing. There are two similarly named services that are different and do different things: Porsche Connect and Porsche Car Connect. They are two different apps.You may be mixing them up since you said you had to take a code to the dealer... I know I did at first.
Porsche Connect supports the screen you initially showed, the Navigation and Infotainment capabilities Porsche calls it. It provides the PCM apps for things like news, weather, gas prices, navigation presets, etc. This service is provided by Porsche.
Porsche Car Connect supports actual remote interaction with the car. Things like setting up speed alerts on the car, fence alerts, status checks on the car, lock/unlock the car, etc. This service is actually provided by Vodaphone.
Porsche Connect is the screen you showed the first time that provides the Apps. The pairing code I showed you from the My Porsche website does not get entered by the dealer, so that's why I think you are mixing up the two services, easy to do with the names being so similar. You can enter it directly in the PCM, I think by hitting Opt like I suggested earlier. If necessary, I can do a full factory reset on my car to try to recreate the steps for this as a verification. But I am certain I entered this pairing code myself in the PCM directly at home.
Porsche Car Connect I do not have, but I did receive an activation code for it my applying on the different website listed above. Vodaphone then sent an activation code to my via email. This activation code has to be taken to the dealer for entry via the PIWIS (I assume).
The apps on the phone are different as well. Again they look similar but notice the different naming in the screenshot from my phone below. The one for My Porsche, the infotainment one is on the left.
Thanks for clarifying. The “my porsche” Connect site is where I think I’m having an issue. I have submitted my vin, proof of ownership, and ID at least 4 times and have received nothing from porsche. Every time I go to this portal, I am greeted with an “no vehicles” in the menu.
Okay, sorry to hear that! It sounds like you'll need to ask the dealer to help out there. I can't imagine how else you could resolve it.
Is your car a 2017 or 2018? Because the system was changed for 2018 cars with the new embedding of a SIM card into the PCM. Whether it changed with the start of 2018 production, or sometime after that, I don't know.
For my 2017 Targa 4S, I could take out the ATT SIM card supplied at the time of delivery (and in fact I did) and I had no problem hooking up to my cell phone hotspot; I cancelled the ATT service and continued to use all Porsche Connect Services, as I previously had done. In my 2018 Targa 4 GTS, the ONLY SIM card in there is the embedded one and the car refused to connect to my Verizon iPhone hot spot (which continued to work fine in my 2017 Cayenne, at least until I totaled it.) The 2018 PCM even displayed a message that to connect to a hot spot for a data connection I had to remove the embedded SIM card. When hooked up to my hotspot in the 2017, I had full functionality of the PCM including real-time traffic.
In the 2018 Targa 4 GTS, I opted not to activate the Vodafone Telematics because I really didn't need remote access to my fuel level. However, I wanted to use Google Search and real-time traffic so I signed up for the year's free trial of Porsche Connect. This did NOT require the addition of an ATT SIM card; just activation by signing up for the trial. I presume these data come through the embedded SIM card. I cannot get the PCM to connect to my Verizon iPhone WiFi hot spot on my 2018 GTS as it did on my 2017 Targa 4S.
interesting difference between the 2017 and the 2018, and ATT and Verizon.
I have an incoming 2018 GT3 and now I’m worried this won’t work with my Verizon phone.
So so can you not get google search and real time traffic if you can’t get your phone to be a WiFi hotspot?
That embedded SIM is a software SIM that is showing up in smartphones, cars and other connected devices. It’s called eSIM and Porsche was showing a Panamera with it at Mobile World Congress last November. This is a far superior approach to configuring wireless devices, my Google Pixel2 has it and as soon as I connected to wifi the phone configued itself with the carrier without having to insert a SIM. The cellular Apple Watch has eSIM.
Originally Posted by Drifting
interesting difference between the 2017 and the 2018, and ATT and Verizon.
I have an incoming 2018 GT3 and now I’m worried this won’t work with my Verizon phone.
So so can you not get google search and real time traffic if you can’t get your phone to be a WiFi hotspot?
interesting difference between the 2017 and the 2018, and ATT and Verizon.
I have an incoming 2018 GT3 and now I’m worried this won’t work with my Verizon phone.
So so can you not get google search and real time traffic if you can’t get your phone to be a WiFi hotspot?
It will work fine, just not via your phone's hot spot. You will need to sign up for Porsche Connect (first year is free) which activates the PCM's built in SIM. Data for traffic, Google searches, etc are downloaded through it. There is still a connection to the phone because my calendar appointments show up.
At least that's how I THINK it's connected. In any event, it does work perfectly well with my Verizon iPhone X.
It will work fine, just not via your phone's hot spot. You will need to sign up for Porsche Connect (first year is free) which activates the PCM's built in SIM. Data for traffic, Google searches, etc are downloaded through it. There is still a connection to the phone because my calendar appointments show up.
At least that's how I THINK it's connected. In any event, it does work perfectly well with my Verizon iPhone X.
i also have an iPhone X. So your phone contacts are transferred easily but that’s it? What about music? Can you stream it? Do you just use the hardline connection for apple carplay?
if you have att instead of Verizon, can you skip the Porsche connect (after first year ) and just use your phone?
i also have an iPhone X. So your phone contacts are transferred easily but that’s it? What about music? Can you stream it? Do you just use the hardline connection for apple carplay?
if you have att instead of Verizon, can you skip the Porsche connect (after first year ) and just use your phone?
Phone contacts and streaming occur over Bluetooth; they're totally independent of a data connection. Only need the hardline connection for Apple CarPlay.
I don't think ATT users will be able to skip Porsche Connect, but I really don't know. My 2017 used an ATT sim card but when I took out the sim card it worked fine using my Verizon hot spot. You just can't connect the 2018s to your phone's hot spot; at least I couldn't figure out how and nobody could tell me.
02-27-2018, 04:33 PM
Cellular data connection - Google Fi
