Anybody use the in-car network without 4G LTE data plan?

[Doug_L]

I am looking to use an Apple TV as a media server to power rear seat entertainment (RSE) similar to other folks here who have used Roku boxes. I don't have a phone with unlimited data to tether the Apple TV to, but I figure that I can have my phone (or wife's or kids') mirror to the Apple TV to provide content (from phones' memory) or to strea, (Netflix etc) using each phones' plan.

In order to mirror an iPhone to an Apple TV, though, you need a WiFi network.

I know the car (2015 Yukon XL Denali) can create WiFi network if subscribing to OnStar data plan.

The question is: Is that WiFi network working and accessible if I don't sign up for a data plan? Has anyone done it?

I am not near my car and haven't had a chance to tinker with it yet. Thanks.

 

[ericandrews]

Your solution sounds like it would work. I am still in the trial period of my Onstar and have a free hotspot for a few months so I cannot test your theory.

The only issue is... I would assume that the browsable SSID is disabled when you don't subscribe to the hot spot service.

I carry one of these when traveling. Its powered off USB and is very small. This would give you the same functionality as the internal hotspot without data.
TP-Link Travel Router

 

[humer101]

I have regular WiFi network by Autonet work perfect and plans are not expensive.
[emoji393] [emoji392] [emoji341]

 

[Doug_L]

I had a chance to try this out over the weekend, and sure enough there does not appear to be any WiFi network established by the vehicle - I tried searching for one to join with my iPhone but found nothing. I scoured the menus under the Settings via the dashboard touchscreen and came up with nothing there as well.

It would appear that since I never signed-up for data service (or if I did, I never used it to create a hot spot) and thus there is no established SSID for the car.

Curious as to whether I can sign-up for service, establish network, and then discontinue service but retain network.

I think that question is now more rhetorical and/or philosophical (for me at least) as this is probably a dead-end and if I require in-car network will likely establish my own using peripheral device as recommended above.

Thanks.

 

[Nord]

I had a chance to try this out over the weekend, and sure enough there does not appear to be any WiFi network established by the vehicle - I tried searching for one to join with my iPhone but found nothing. I scoured the menus under the Settings via the dashboard touchscreen and came up with nothing there as well.

It would appear that since I never signed-up for data service (or if I did, I never used it to create a hot spot) and thus there is no established SSID for the car.

Curious as to whether I can sign-up for service, establish network, and then discontinue service but retain network.

I think that question is now more rhetorical and/or philosophical (for me at least) as this is probably a dead-end and if I require in-car network will likely establish my own using peripheral device as recommended above.

Thanks.

If you go on the RemoteLink On Star app under 4G LTE there is an option to turn the wifi hotspot on or off. I'm still running off the free 3gb so I don't know if it will give me that option once I use that up.

 

[yates ™]

The factory components are not to make a network but rather to simply provide a hotspot if that makes sense.