evanswan

In-Vehicle Hotspot this is now a $500 option in the car. Any techy's do this for less?


Checking your email and browsing the web is not a problem when you're in the office or from the convenience of your home. However, this is a different story when you're traveling on the road. With the Mercedes-Benz In-Vehicle Hotspot you can add internet connectivity to your vehicle. The In-Vehicle Hotspot allows you to connect up to four wireless end devices such as a laptop, tablet PC, or mobile device at the same time for a fast and secure internet connection. The router is securely installed and easily accessible. An encrypted password ensures limited access to your wireless connection.

And this cool stuff: How much does this cost? anyone know?

Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Headunit Interface

Open your drive to a whole new world with the Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Headunit Interface.

Features and advantages include:


•Transforms your existing COMAND system into a multi-functional media and entertainment center
•COMAND buttons and central controller allow for easy navigation
•Browse the Internet with functions including: page back/forward, reload page, stop page loading and zoom in/out*
•Full access to e-mail*
•Create and visit favorites and bookmarked pages
•Cookies and private data can easily be deleted
•Listen to webradio while driving**
•Subscribe to, view or listen to RSS News Feeds

Make the experience yours. To find out more or to purchase a device, please call or visit your authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer.

Intelligent Headunit Interface is available for MY07-MY09 S-Class, MY07-MY09 CL-Class, and MY10-MY11 E-Class Sedan/Wagon/Coupe/Convertible

ghstudio

http://mbofmadison.com/introducing-t...wifi-hot-spot/

http://www.crownautomobile.com/clien...e/wifi-faq.pdf

http://my.autonetmobile.net/

Interesting announcement....

We know that comand 4.5 has a browser built in..and it has connectivity to the internet through cellphones using the Bluetooth DUN profile available on some phones (unfortunately, not iphones). Both the browser and internet are turned off in the US cars....but by changing two settings in the engineering menus, it can be enabled.

We know that it works because at least one owner has it working with Verizon and his Blackberry. You need to enable the tethering feature with Verizon to do this...and there may be some additional setup steps needed.

But, as far as we know, there is no wireless lan support built in. The wireless router mercedes is offering (autonetmobile) appears to only support wireless Lan's, not bluetooth, so I'm not sure how it links to the Mercedes comand system which doesn't appear to have wireless 802.11 capability, but now I guess I have to dig in and see if maybe it does and we don't know about it.

Hopefully, Mercedes will now enable the browser/internet connectivity officially in comand so we don't have to unofficially enable it.

Now, I understand how ipad and pc users can benefit from having a hotspot (even though there is a data limit), but I can't figure out why I want my comand system to interface with the internet, given that I already have a smartphone (iphone or android or blackberry). That's one of the reasons I'm going to enable this tethering, just as soon as I get an android phone...waiting for the new samsung nexus at Verizon.

Finally, Verizon and I presume other carriers offer mobile hotspots that are around $100 or less. What is the advantage of having the mercedes hotspot which just mounts in the trunk?

Lots of questions...

CEB

Correct. You can basically get the mobile hotspots for free with a new line activation. I wonder what MB charges as the monthly connectivity fee and what you get for it.

Remember that while you can get unlimited data for smartphones, most data plans are capped at 2gb, so getting internet radio through a mobile hotspot makes little sense. Why not just pair your phone via BT audio and stream radio that way.

If you really feel the need for a hotspot, then get one from VZW, Sprint or AT&T, toss it in the glove box and you have thing - just much cheaper.

ghstudio

The prices are in the faq that I referenced.

CEB

Ahhh, thanks. So $30 plan is 1gb a month. Accordingly $180 of the $500 is for a half year's connectivity and it appears to run on the VZW network.

That said, you can get a LTE (4G) Mi-Fi device from VZW starting at $20 and a 2gb plan for $20 a month. Free activation if ordered online.

Accordingly, the MB solution would cost you $680 the first year (and $320 thereafter) for 1gb per month (3G) while the VZW solution would cost $260-$350 the first year ($240 thereafter) for 2gb of LTE data.

How much data does one use? It is difficult to say, but an hour of streaming music per day is about 2gb a month.

Me? If I had to have a hotspot in my car then I'd go the VZW (or sprint or AT&T) rout over the MB solution.

ghstudio

and if it were me, I'd use the hotspot capability built into my smartphone and just activate the feature.....I don't need a separate hotspot.

aeggroup

I'm not using internet in my cars, but I use laptop to connect to the internet via my BlackBerry anywhere my celll phone works. You have to download PdaNet to your phone and computer, connect your phone to computer, turn on this program and you're ready to browse the web.
I think it will work in a car as well as anywhere else. And..it's free ...

http://junefabrics.com/blackberry/index.php

The link is for BlackBerry, but you may find it for any phone they support.

CEB

PdaNet is not free. After the trial period, the program pops up messages every minute or so (that you need to click to remove) bugging you to buy the full version.

While I have the full version of PdaNet, it is a violation of all of the carriers' TOS agreements to use these types of programs and regular use (above and beyond what a "normal" person uses on their phone) will get you a warning letter, a hefty bill or service cancellation.

I use PdaNET very sparingly and only when I'm somewhere where wifi is unavailable and I need to type a lengthy email or send a file I have on my laptop.

Like all tethering software, the speeds are limited to what you can get on your phone and dedicated mobile internet connections are usually much faster.

mafialink

Why spend 500 on this when you can get any sprint smartphone that has a built in hotspot. Seems limited functionality in this product.

Diesel Benz

Mine is not from Sprint and also supports this hotspot (WLAN) feature. Mine supports voice calls too while the hotspot is active, does this Sprint smart phone do it? Otherwise you need two separate devices.

The problem with the smart phone option is that it would need a phone specific cradle for charging and to be able to make use of the external antenna (both are important in this application and only one phone can sit in the cradle).

mafialink

I just used a sprint smartphone as an example. You can also go out and buy any hotspot device from Verizon, ATT, Sprint. They cost around 100 bucks and do the same thing. As for charging, this can also be plugged into any DC plug you have in the car.

hyperion667

if you can't do without the web for a ride in your car; you've got problems......

ghstudio

no external antenna is needed, either for the hotspot or your phone....and you can already use your phone as a hotspot with the appropriate feature enabled with your cell carrier. Of course if a phone call comes in, your data feature is temporarily suspended which is why a separate hotspot may be a better choice for some.

In my case I just want to use the comand console to see what I can do with the browser that is built into comand 4.5 (but turned off by Mercedes in US cars). I activated the browser, but have not yet connected it to the internet because my iphone won't work with the comand interface that Mercedes implemented (DUN). I've found that the browser only works when the car is completely stopped....which is an understandable safety feature, unless, of course, you want to drive through a neighborhood with zillow and see the values of homes as you pass them. You can save "favorite" URL's and you can scroll thru your favorites....I can see possibly facebook, mail, .... but if you have to sign in each time using the comand buttons, forget it...no way.

And of course, there seems to be conflicting info about whether this "new" feature connects with the comand system at all. If it does, I'd like to know how it does because all of the hotspots I've seen from the company that provides the mercedes hotspot are based on 802.11 wireless not bluetooth...and there is no 802.11 built into Comand (as far as I know). A little mystery....

So for me, there is no interest in the hotspot feature, but I still am interested in having access to the internet from a screen built into my dash.

CEB

From what I gather, this device is hardwired to the car, so the connection to the car would be hardwired while the connections to the devices would be via wireless.

I could be completely wrong, but I'm not sure what else (other than power) would need to be hardwired.

mac jones

It would be great to have connectivity, in this day and age It's sort of essential now at all times. God I start to sweat profusely when i'm offline

I presently just use a Hot-spot feature of my iPhone with my iPad; which works reasonably well in a auto environment. But it certainly would be more convenient to have the cars LCD up and running. After all, it IS a computer.......

Cartronics

The only carrier I know this to be true of is Verizon. Verizon can not carry phone and data at the same time. However, AT&T and others CAN carry a phone call and data at the same time. It is essential for our work and use the hotspot feature of our iPhones while talking many times each day.

CEB

The same holds true for Sprint or any other CDMA carrier. Current CDMA technology does not allow for simultaneous voice and data.

Cartronics

Very true... I always forget about Sprint... as Sprint is almost unheard of here anymore in Atlanta. I had been predicting the demise of Sprint for about 4 years, and I obviously have been wrong, as they must have a stronghold somewhere - just not here.