Project Fi and the MMI/AudiConnect

[hotleadsingergu]

Good morning, AZers!

I've been on Project Fi as my cell carrier pretty much since it started. This is Google's carrier, so the prices are very low (unlimited talk and text for $20, data is $10/GB, but all unused data is converted back to monetary credit -- e.g. if I only use half, they credit $5 back). The best part? They just recently started giving out Data-Only SIMs!

It comes out of your standard bucket, so there's no charge for the SIM or for having an additional device on your account. I ordered one yesterday (should come tomorrow), and I'll be trying to set it up in the car as soon as it arrives. For non-Fi phones and devices it uses T-Mo for all data, so it should just work out of the box without a problem...but has anyone tried it? Doing the math, I'm guessing it will cost me less than like $10 per year, since the only data I use is sending addresses to the MMI from my computer.

Any thoughts on potential for this? The cost savings could be enormous, assuming all works the way it should.

[torinalth]

if they do indeed use T-mobile's stuff it should work as long as the sim is a 2g or 3g sim (depending on the version of your MMI modem)

[lamarboards00]

Interesting... I've been debating whether to upgrade to 3G+, this may push me over the edge!

[theswoleguy]

Following

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[hotleadsingergu]

if they do indeed use T-mobile's stuff it should work as long as the sim is a 2g or 3g sim (depending on the version of your MMI modem)

The SIM itself is an LTE SIM, but I'm using a 3G+ MMI version.

[brianc21]

I use a tmobile SIM with a data plan and it works perfectly.

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[RudyH]

I would be careful with that...likely won't work. Read the FAQ on Project Fi's website.

https://fi.google.com/about/faq/#supported-devices-1

Why is Project Fi only available on the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6?
These devices are the first smartphones that supports our network of networks. They work with the Project Fi SIM card, which supports multiple cellular networks, and a state-of-the-art cellular radio tuned to work across network types.

Can Audi's MMI handle network of networks, I am going on a limb and saying most likely not - going with B9.5 maybe/not likely unless there is demand of having this technology available for you to use

[hotleadsingergu]

I would be careful with that...likely won't work. Read the FAQ on Project Fi's website.

https://fi.google.com/about/faq/#supported-devices-1

Why is Project Fi only available on the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6?
These devices are the first smartphones that supports our network of networks. They work with the Project Fi SIM card, which supports multiple cellular networks, and a state-of-the-art cellular radio tuned to work across network types.

Can Audi's MMI handle network of networks, I am going on a limb and saying most likely not - going with B9.5 maybe having this technology available for you to use

That's only for the full SIM. The Data-Only SIM is listed to work with any devices capable of using T-Mobile's network for data. They recommend iPads and other tablets, but it states it works with any.

The Data-Only SIMs actually don't have the network-switching capability, at all. They rely entirely on T-Mobile's network, which is why I'd imagine this should work just fine. I'll know tomorrow when the SIM and adapter come (since they're all Nano-SIMs).

[carlosvjr92]

Keep us posted on if it works or not. If it does I'll definitely be going the same route

[mpower3o2]

That's only for the full SIM. The Data-Only SIM is listed to work with any devices capable of using T-Mobile's network for data. They recommend iPads and other tablets, but it states it works with any.

The Data-Only SIMs actually don't have the network-switching capability, at all. They rely entirely on T-Mobile's network, which is why I'd imagine this should work just fine. I'll know tomorrow when the SIM and adapter come (since they're all Nano-SIMs).

If an invite is approved, do we get the choice to get a data SIM only?

Requested an Invite.

Crossing Fingers.

[wangshuo1989]

The price doesn't seem good enough for me. Right now I'm with Verizon, unlimited text & msg, 6G data, two lines for $87. And I can tether my phone's data to MMI. That means my MMI gets LTE speed, and I don't have to pay extra for it.

[RudyH]

That's only for the full SIM. The Data-Only SIM is listed to work with any devices capable of using T-Mobile's network for data. They recommend iPads and other tablets, but it states it works with any.

The Data-Only SIMs actually don't have the network-switching capability, at all. They rely entirely on T-Mobile's network, which is why I'd imagine this should work just fine. I'll know tomorrow when the SIM and adapter come (since they're all Nano-SIMs).

ah that's interesting, will be interesting to see how it turns out
Not available here in Canada :(

[mjr034]

The price doesn't seem good enough for me. Right now I'm with Verizon, unlimited text & msg, 6G data, two lines for $87. And I can tether my phone's data to MMI. That means my MMI gets LTE speed, and I don't have to pay extra for it.

How do you get the MMI to link up with your phone data?

[hotleadsingergu]

The price doesn't seem good enough for me. Right now I'm with Verizon, unlimited text & msg, 6G data, two lines for $87. And I can tether my phone's data to MMI. That means my MMI gets LTE speed, and I don't have to pay extra for it.

Do you use all 6GB of data every month? Fi credits you anything you don't use in actual $$, not data. If I go a month where I use 2GB, exactly, I pay $40. I go a month where I use 500MB, I pay $25. While there are months I use 2GB, most months I actually use much less...so I save quite a bit per year.

As for tethering...how do you do that? Do you have a MiFi hooked up to the car and you've set up your hidden menu to accept the internet from it? Do you actually use that much data that it makes it worthwhile, at all? I use like 100MB/month, max. The car doesn't have enough functionality to need more than that, and anyone in my car has no reason to use the WiFi. If they really did, I could just tether from my phone.

Either way...I'm not paying extra to include my car in my plan. It literally costs me nothing more than the data that's used, which is the same in your case, it sounds like.

[MerkurRS]

The price doesn't seem good enough for me. Right now I'm with Verizon, unlimited text & msg, 6G data, two lines for $87. And I can tether my phone's data to MMI. That means my MMI gets LTE speed, and I don't have to pay extra for it.

Agreed.
I did the full MMI 3G+ conversion over a year ago and just successfully completed the tethering WiFi project. It all works perfectly, uses my LTE network with little data usage and no additional data bills.

[VenturiRS]

Agreed.
I did the full MMI 3G+ conversion over a year ago and just successfully completed the tethering WiFi project. It all works perfectly, uses my LTE network with little data usage and no additional data bills.

Woah woah woah. Where is the tutorial for this? I have 10GB monthly and I barely use it.

Here comes the "use the search" policeman.

[hotleadsingergu]

I kept two Unlimited plans (AT&T and Verizon) for many years, before realizing that I wasn't even utilizing it the way I needed to to make it worthwhile. I was paying $90, before tax, for the one (Work paid for the other).

My average now is $33 (averaged every month with Fi)...and I couldn't look back. I'll be adding probably 100MB/month to the overall data usage including my car, but there's no other fee...so I'm looking at an average then of $33.10/month.

As I've asked...what's the purpose of having an LTE connection for your car? It can't possibly be so you can use the WiFi, since it's the exact same service as your phone...so what need do you have for it? I'm not trying to tell you it's dumb...I'm just curious.

- - - Updated - - -

If an invite is approved, do we get the choice to get a data SIM only?

Requested an Invite.

Crossing Fingers.

Pretty sure your primary has to be an actual Phone account, and then you can add data-only. I'm not entirely sure, but the data-only doesn't have a number associated with it, so I'm pretty sure it needs a head account to utilize.

[bizzy]

I kept two Unlimited plans (AT&T and Verizon) for many years, before realizing that I wasn't even utilizing it the way I needed to to make it worthwhile. I was paying $90, before tax, for the one (Work paid for the other).

My average now is $33 (averaged every month with Fi)...and I couldn't look back. I'll be adding probably 100MB/month to the overall data usage including my car, but there's no other fee...so I'm looking at an average then of $33.10/month.

As I've asked...what's the purpose of having an LTE connection for your car? It can't possibly be so you can use the WiFi, since it's the exact same service as your phone...so what need do you have for it? I'm not trying to tell you it's dumb...I'm just curious.

- - - Updated - - -



Pretty sure your primary has to be an actual Phone account, and then you can add data-only. I'm not entirely sure, but the data-only doesn't have a number associated with it, so I'm pretty sure it needs a head account to utilize.

He did that so he doesn't need to rely on the 3g speeds for google maps and Audi connect or whatever it's called.

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[hotleadsingergu]

He did that so he doesn't need to rely on the 3g speeds for google maps and Audi connect or whatever it's called.

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That's kind of my point though...the Audi Connect doesn't really increase much in speed, and the google maps takes very little time as it is. If given the choice between 3G or LTE I'd take the LTE, but if there's a much cheaper option I'd do that.

[wangshuo1989]

How do you get the MMI to link up with your phone data?

I learned that from this thread: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...-via-Tethering

[wangshuo1989]

Do you use all 6GB of data every month? Fi credits you anything you don't use in actual $$, not data. If I go a month where I use 2GB, exactly, I pay $40. I go a month where I use 500MB, I pay $25. While there are months I use 2GB, most months I actually use much less...so I save quite a bit per year.

As for tethering...how do you do that? Do you have a MiFi hooked up to the car and you've set up your hidden menu to accept the internet from it? Do you actually use that much data that it makes it worthwhile, at all? I use like 100MB/month, max. The car doesn't have enough functionality to need more than that, and anyone in my car has no reason to use the WiFi. If they really did, I could just tether from my phone.

Either way...I'm not paying extra to include my car in my plan. It literally costs me nothing more than the data that's used, which is the same in your case, it sounds like.

After I turned on google earth all the time, I did used almost all 6GB data every month.

Tethering tutorial is here: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...-via-Tethering.
If you are only using 100MB a month, then your plan sounds good. But I love looking at Google Earth while driving, and enjoy street view for my destination, so it has to consume significantly more data.

[hotleadsingergu]

I kept on Google Earth for the first ~3 months of owning the car, and I don't think I used more than like 150MB per month. Do you just scroll all over and play with it all the time? Do you keep up the map at all times? I really only use the map, at all, while I'm navigating somewhere, and sometimes not even then, at least until I get closer to my destination. I'd rather keep up a list of the upcoming music.

If you're really using 6GB of data a month it makes sense having a dedicated LTE line. Even if I used that much data a month, it would still be cheaper with Fi than I had with AT&T and Verizon. I can't wait until they're forced to change some of their ways.

[superswiss]

I kept on Google Earth for the first ~3 months of owning the car, and I don't think I used more than like 150MB per month. Do you just scroll all over and play with it all the time? Do you keep up the map at all times? I really only use the map, at all, while I'm navigating somewhere, and sometimes not even then, at least until I get closer to my destination. I'd rather keep up a list of the upcoming music.

If you're really using 6GB of data a month it makes sense having a dedicated LTE line. Even if I used that much data a month, it would still be cheaper with Fi than I had with AT&T and Verizon. I can't wait until they're forced to change some of their ways.

+1. Google Earth caches about a 30 mile radius. How the heck did he manage to use 6GB? I have the maps up at all times to see traffic and Google Earth turned on. My data usage is between 100-500MB/month depending on how often I leave my home area.

I agree with you. If you don't use the car's hotspot, LTE adds very little speed. The Audi Connect services are not much faster over LTE. The slow part is the server infrastructure.