Apple Carplay with a WIFI Box

[ElectricAnt54]

I am very confused by carlinkit’s advertising & sales. They run multiple online stores each selling the product at different prices. Sometimes the site says version 3 & some say no version number but say to upgrade before using, another said version 2 and one said 2023 version.

So what is the difference ? Are they all the same after applying the updates? All say you need sim but I hear this is no longer true. None mention ability to do Bluetooth tethering but I hear it works.

 

[heavyD]

It's mostly all the same hardware being sold by several different vendors who all claim they are the official supplier. Try to buy from the vendors that have the best track record for customer service as sometimes they can become finicky or bricked.

 

[iderdik]

There’s also a North American version and a European version that cost different amounts (due to LTE modem?)

 

[jerome8283]

@ElectricAnt54

I purchased from an Amazon vendor. They were very helpful when I reached out to them. They provided installation information below.

Vendor:

Amazon.com Seller Profile: QuTu Official Store

Purchase Link: https://a.co/d/aZb4vh0

I followed 1-4 below when I initially powered up the T2C device, outside the car.

Upgrade Process:

1. First power up your Tesla box (this is the T2C).
2. Open the phone's settings, click Bluetooth, pair the device's Bluetooth signal (click to allow), use Carplay.
3. Open the browser that comes with the phone, then enter the URL ''192.168.3.1'', scroll down and click '' upgrade ''.
4. After the upgrade is successful, wait for the box to finish restarting on it.
Note: You cannot disconnect or unplug the box during the upgrade process.

Once you complete the update you can take the device to the car.
1. You’ll need to connect to the device via WiFi (AutoKitxxx), password=88888888 (you can change it later)
2. Open the Tesla browser and connect to https://tslpush.com (this is the secure URL)

 

[jerome8283]

Also, you should probably contact the vendor via Amazon (email) just in case anything has changed.

 

[timeshifter]

I am very confused by carlinkit’s advertising & sales

Welcome to the club. Confused is not a strong enough word!

Based on a thread I found on Reddit and some interactions with the company I think this is the official store:

Carlinkit official store - usb->wireless CarPlay adapters & video electronics interface.

Shop the Carlinkit Official Website. Browse the latest collections, explore the campaigns and discover our online USB wireless CarPlay adapters and accessories.

carlinkit.store

And this is the official website:

Carlinkit Official Website | Smart Driving Safe Traveling

As an innovative company specializing in the development of connected car products,We are fully committed to the research and development, application and promotion of multi-screen interactive products.

www.carlinkit.com

I bought mine with the link that @jerome8283 posted above. I don't QuTu is truly the official site, but for 99 bucks and getting it in two days I didn't really care. Plus, they seem to be supporting it OK so far.

 

[jerome8283]

Yeah it was pretty crazy for me too when I started looking at where to purchase the T2C. Amazon is no better for some items. The storefront is often just a cover.

 

[DBV1]

Purchased from the Amazon vendor that @jerome8283 recommended. Setup was quick and easy. Took it on a 6 hour drive yesterday and worked perfectly. Awesome to have CarPlay finally, although still wish the Tesla would offer it natively. The only thing that could be improved and not sure it can, since it uses the browser, is for it to display at a higher quality. It is still very good, but could be even a little better. The sale price was $75, so for that price I think it is worth it, especially on longer trips. Will keep testing it, but it seems like a keeper.

My wife keeps asking how secure these little boxes are. Any opinions on that, as not some device that can steal our data - right?

 

[jerome8283]

Purchased from the Amazon vendor that @jerome8283 recommended. Setup was quick and easy. Took it on a 6 hour drive yesterday and worked perfectly. Awesome to have CarPlay finally, although still wish the Tesla would offer it natively. The only thing that could be improved and not sure it can, since it uses the browser, is for it to display at a higher quality. It is still very good, but could be even a little better. The sale price was $75, so for that price I think it is worth it, especially on longer trips. Will keep testing it, but it seems like a keeper.

My wife keeps asking how secure these little boxes are. Any opinions on that, as not some device that can steal our data - right?

Totally agree, the T2C solution does work well. I don’t know enough about the security of Bluetooth PAN it uses. It’s supposed to be less secure than WiFi. If there are any computer security folks here who might know more, please chime in.

 

[ElectricAnt54]

Purchased from the Amazon vendor that @jerome8283 recommended. Setup was quick and easy. Took it on a 6 hour drive yesterday and worked perfectly. Awesome to have CarPlay finally, although still wish the Tesla would offer it natively. The only thing that could be improved and not sure it can, since it uses the browser, is for it to display at a higher quality. It is still very good, but could be even a little better. The sale price was $75, so for that price I think it is worth it, especially on longer trips. Will keep testing it, but it seems like a keeper.

My wife keeps asking how secure these little boxes are. Any opinions on that, as not some device that can steal our data - right?

Security is one concern I have too. hmm, if you share your internet connection to T2C via iPhone tethering, you could turn on iPhone’s beta VPN feature for an extra layer of security…in theory.
I do not have T2C so can’t test the theory.

 

[iderdik]

My issues with T2C are:
1. It uses only wireless CarPlay and loses connectivity sometimes.
2. It does not play audio through the browser so you must keep your car’s audio system set to Bluetooth. This means you can use Waze while listening to the car radio. You can use a music or radio app in CarPlay so it’s not the biggest deal but I like using the cars radio for instant on and ease of use.

 

[jerome8283]

My issues with T2C are:
1. It uses only wireless CarPlay and loses connectivity sometimes.
2. It does not play audio through the browser so you must keep your car’s audio system set to Bluetooth. This means you can use Waze while listening to the car radio. You can use a music or radio app in CarPlay so it’s not the biggest deal but I like using the cars radio for instant on and ease of use.

I use Apple Music when using the T2C because I’m using Waze anyway. I don’t have connectivity issues.

 

[DBV1]

I use Apple Music when using the T2C because I’m using Waze anyway. I don’t have connectivity issues.

In my 6 hours of usage so far, I had no connectivity issues. Also tested Apple Music, SiriusXM, TuneIn, iHeart Radio and Tidal. All worked extremely well and were easier to use than Tesla interface. Used Waze the whole time too.

 

[chrick]

I received this over last weekend. I've updated the firmware/software and cannot get CarPlay to display on Tespush.com. I am connected to the device's wifi, my power, wifi and signal LEDs are all lit up, but the LED for CarPlay isn't lit. My phone is connected to the device via Bluetooth and CarPlay is enabled for that connection. I've tried it with and without SIM. I'm thinking I'll be returning it as I also cannot get a satisfactory response from support. Anyone had similar issue and figured out a fix?

 

[jerome8283]

Where did you purchase it? How are you communicating with support?

If you updated the firmware you should not need a SIM.

Try forgetting the BT connection on your phone (AutoKitxxx) and remove the same BT connection associated with CarPlay on your phone under “My Cars”, power the T2C off/on and wait until your phone recognizes the BT connection again. You should see the white CarPlay screen appear on your phone. In the car you need to connect to your phone via BT and to the T2C WiFi. Once connected you should be able to go the Tesla browser and launch tespush.com to get to CarPlay. This is all from memory.

 

[charlesoris]

Any idea how much Hotspot data is used per month for Waze or Google Maps navigation? I want to know if I should switch to a different plan with AT&T.

 

[DBV1]

I got to use this again for another trip and this time it was not as flawless as last trip. For some reason the unit disconnected about 4 or 5 times. Not sure what was going on. But after that, I will probably end up returning it. Too bad, as really like Carplay in the Tesla, but not worth the hassle if it does not stay connected. Don’t have any idea what could have changed from the first trip.

 

[jerome8283]

I got to use this again for another trip and this time it was not as flawless as last trip. For some reason the unit disconnected about 4 or 5 times. Not sure what was going on. But after that, I will probably end up returning it. Too bad, as really like Carplay in the Tesla, but not worth the hassle if it does not stay connected. Don’t have any idea what could have changed from the first trip.

I have not used mine in a few weeks now but just booted it and see there is a new software version. Have you updated lately?

 

[jerome8283]

Any idea how much Hotspot data is used per month for Waze or Google Maps navigation? I want to know if I should switch to a different plan with AT&T.

No, sorry.

 

[DBV1]

I have not used mine in a few weeks now but just booted it and see there is a new software version. Have you updated lately?

I have not, since about two weeks ago. How do you tell it needs a new firmware? Would it not show up when I plug it into my Tesla?