Navigation can’t be setup - no internet!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 25
Likes: 3
From: Naples, FL
2014 S-Class S550 2023 Audi Q8
Navigation can’t be setup - no internet!
Hi All,
I’m having trouble setting up the navigation system on my 2014 Mercedes-Benz S550. I keep getting an error message stating that I’m not connected to the internet.
My iPhone is connected via Bluetooth, so I assumed the car’s navigation system would use my phone’s internet connection. Am I missing something?
What do I need to do to get the navigation working properly? Any help would be much appreciated!
Thanks,
I’m having trouble setting up the navigation system on my 2014 Mercedes-Benz S550. I keep getting an error message stating that I’m not connected to the internet.
My iPhone is connected via Bluetooth, so I assumed the car’s navigation system would use my phone’s internet connection. Am I missing something?
What do I need to do to get the navigation working properly? Any help would be much appreciated!
Thanks,
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,463
Likes: 5,354
From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
No, it doesn't use your phone's Internet connection. Tethering is not support in US-spec models. The car has its own communications module that needs a subscription in order to have an Internet connection. For your generation model, the service was called mBrace, but more often referred to as Mercedes me these days. Not to confuse with Mercedes me connect, which is the current and newer platform used in MY2019 and newer.
Having said that, basic navigation doesn't require an Internet connection. I don't recall if the early W222 still used SiriusXM for live traffic or already switched to online live traffic. The latter is what needs an Internet connection if you want to use dynamic routing and/or see traffic flow and incidents on the map. Without an Internet connection, you can still navigate, but it won't factor in traffic. Best if you perhaps post a screenshot, so we can see where exactly you are getting this error message. It might be because live traffic and dynamic routing is enabled in the settings, but w/o an Internet connection it can't receive the data.
However, as far as I know the live traffic service has long been discontinued for mBrace anyway, so even if you subscribed to mBrace it wouldn't give you live traffic. Also, your model year may still have a 3G modem, which at this point is dead anyway since all US carriers have shut down their 3G networks. If that's the case, you actually need to take the car in to disable the communications module. The error message you are getting might actually stem from the system trying to establish a connection, but fails, because there's no network to be found.
Having said that, basic navigation doesn't require an Internet connection. I don't recall if the early W222 still used SiriusXM for live traffic or already switched to online live traffic. The latter is what needs an Internet connection if you want to use dynamic routing and/or see traffic flow and incidents on the map. Without an Internet connection, you can still navigate, but it won't factor in traffic. Best if you perhaps post a screenshot, so we can see where exactly you are getting this error message. It might be because live traffic and dynamic routing is enabled in the settings, but w/o an Internet connection it can't receive the data.
However, as far as I know the live traffic service has long been discontinued for mBrace anyway, so even if you subscribed to mBrace it wouldn't give you live traffic. Also, your model year may still have a 3G modem, which at this point is dead anyway since all US carriers have shut down their 3G networks. If that's the case, you actually need to take the car in to disable the communications module. The error message you are getting might actually stem from the system trying to establish a connection, but fails, because there's no network to be found.
Last edited by superswiss; Jun 4, 2025 at 06:07 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2024
Posts: 266
Likes: 111
From: Alien Town Roswell NM
2014 S550
Navigation works fine in my 2014 model and somehow alerted me of a couple speed traps though I'm not sure how.
I installed a Roadtop carplay unit several months ago and use Waze for navigation now. It's much better than the factory navigation and having all of the streaming options for music is great. Probably the best upgrade I've done so far.
I installed a Roadtop carplay unit several months ago and use Waze for navigation now. It's much better than the factory navigation and having all of the streaming options for music is great. Probably the best upgrade I've done so far.
Super Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 810
Likes: 182
From: Laguna Niguel
'94 SL600,'05 SL600,'06 S65,'07 E63,'14 E63S,'09SL600 all sold, ‘15 S65,‘18 E63S,'17 SL65, '17S65Cab
The 2014, like my 2015 S65 has a 3G module that is now unsupported. That makes no difference because the 3G connection was so slow it was useless, I never used it. The nav does not require an internet connection to operate. My factory nav system works fine, there is no need to disable the 3G module.
I notice I am now getting weather alerts on the screen. I believe those are coming from the Sirius/XM satellite radio connection. They are unrelated to where the car is actually located.
I notice I am now getting weather alerts on the screen. I believe those are coming from the Sirius/XM satellite radio connection. They are unrelated to where the car is actually located.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,463
Likes: 5,354
From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
Here's the FAQ for some more information along with all the affected models. MB also partnered with Verizon Hum to offer some similar services post 3G shutdown.
Having owned an Audi previously that also had a 3G modem, they put out a firmware update to disable the modem, because the system would otherwise in certain situations try to connect to the network and display an error message. They offered a similar device as Hum to affected customers.
I don't fully remember if MB put out an update, too. If you never used mBrace then it was never active in the first place, but if a previous owner had activated it then it is active and might display errors as it continues to try to check if the subscription is still active.
https://www.mbusa.com/en/owners/3g-network-sunset
Having owned an Audi previously that also had a 3G modem, they put out a firmware update to disable the modem, because the system would otherwise in certain situations try to connect to the network and display an error message. They offered a similar device as Hum to affected customers.
I don't fully remember if MB put out an update, too. If you never used mBrace then it was never active in the first place, but if a previous owner had activated it then it is active and might display errors as it continues to try to check if the subscription is still active.
https://www.mbusa.com/en/owners/3g-network-sunset
