The connect car, car connect whatever it is, its an example of how difficult it is to synergize tech and automotive machinery. It's as smooth as a porcupine's back.

I have AT&T. I called a Porsche connect AT&T specialist who said the SIM was supposed to be in the car. There is no SIM card in my car. Not sure if the dealer is supposed to give you one? I got a blank one from the local store - it doesn't work.

This clearly should have been addressed at delivery.

Anyone gone through this process? I'm trying to get a data connection for the PCM that doesn't use my phone.

DRP

 

i could use this info as well.

 

The dealer needs to activate the car connect. you also need to register with car connect first and get the pin number for your dealer. https://pcc.vodafonetelematics.com/cwp/login.do is the website to register. The sim card comes FROM THE DEALER. Unfortunately not all dealers know this. It takes an old school mini sim size sim card. thats two generations of sim card sizes ago. Be perisitant. My dealer that i bought my 991.2 TTS cab from had no idea what to do. I had to go to another delaer to hook it all up. The is a second hidden sim card that is non removable for the security services. You dealer probably got the two mixed up.

I'd guess maybe 25% of dealers are fully versed in how to set up and use Car Connect and Car Connect Plus. Its one of the more obtuse systems i've used. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions, i geek out on the telematic stuff

 

Dealer is giving me the actual SIM. I already signed up for the service and have the car activated at the dealer earlier. I believe I now need to take the number off the Sim card they give me and register it online at the ATT Porsche connect website. I'll confirm when it's done.

DRP

 

what was easier for me to do was to simply log onto my wifi hotspot then a spalsh window pops up asking you to register and activate the trial. Once you do that (easier with a laptop but doable with a phone) you can easily add it to your att account. I have 40GB a month (5 lines) and it popped right on. 10 bucks a month now that i burned through my 3GB. As an aside absent having an ATT account i'd never pay the data charges. I'm no cheapskate (literally optioned every leather option on my TTS) and i still don't think i could pay that and sit ok with it. Fortunately my Range and Bimmer both have same wifi service with ATT. This must be super high margin for them. wonder if the manufacturers are getting a cut?

 

Got the card from the dealer (below). Then went to the web to register it. All set - for 90 days....

Google maps works now w/real time traffic etc... The Porsche apps on the PCM still require that I open the iPhone app first I believe.

This is all relatively infant tech. It's not worth the hassle IMHO to use, but I want to try it out first to confirm that suspicion.

DRP

 

yes, its a pain in the *** definitely. I don't know why Audi (a sister company) can have an infotainment system with traffic and weather through XM which is super easy to set up, but with Porsche i have to keep my phone on and the PCM app on and login onto the car wifi. Seems very obtuse and intentionally difficult.

 

^^ Amen..

 

I'm disappointed they went away from using XM navtraffic. I wonder how much the carplay connect thing will cost every month and if it will work with Verizon instead of ATT.

 

carplay is free and is carrier agnostic. its the car connect app that is a pain in the ***. I believe you tether your phone to the PCM it can pull data that way but i haven't tried as i have AT&T luckily. They seem to have a monopoly as my Autobiography and 750i both use them for wifi. My 2015 S600 used verizon sold through Merc but it was slow as ****. I think Porsche is just trying to develop some residual revenue. Unfortunately all they're doing is annoying their base. No better implementation than XM traffic, weather and radio IMO. But paying XM doesn't make PAG money every year......

 

Pretty easy. I got my SIM card from my car dealer. I installed it. I went to AT&T's website and entered my SIM card number. Now, I'm connected.