Great Portable Router for M3

[hingus2000]

Hi all

Thought I'd share my solution for the Model 3's patchy wifi reception.

For background: I only have on-street parking but do have a front garden and live on the second floor, meaning at a minimum there is 10m distance from the nearest part of my flat to the car, and sometimes much more if I don't park outside. I haven't been able to get reliable wifi reception in the car at all.

I was searching for all sorts of garden / portable wifi repeaters and I came across this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B073TSK26W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For sub £20 it is a fantastic bit of kit which can act as a standalone wifi router, repeater, VPN server, client - you name it, this thing does it and it is smaller than a credit card.

I now have it sitting in the centre console, powered by the rear USB ports (will switch to the front once my hub arrives) and have perfect wifi coverage in the car. I think I'll leave it the car permanently and whenever I go to a family or friend's house, I'll connect it to their wifi once and then use it as a personal router and repeater.

Even if you don't need it for your car, I can't recommend it highly enough for other projects.

 

[Medved_77]

Hi all

Thought I'd share my solution for the Model 3's patchy wifi reception.

For background: I only have on-street parking but do have a front garden and live on the second floor, meaning at a minimum there is 10m distance from the nearest part of my flat to the car, and sometimes much more if I don't park outside. I haven't been able to get reliable wifi reception in the car at all.

I was searching for all sorts of garden / portable wifi repeaters and I came across this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B073TSK26W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For sub £20 it is a fantastic bit of kit which can act as a standalone wifi router, repeater, VPN server, client - you name it, this thing does it and it is smaller than a credit card.

I now have it sitting in the centre console, powered by the rear USB ports (will switch to the front once my hub arrives) and have perfect wifi coverage in the car. I think I'll leave it the car permanently and whenever I go to a family or friend's house, I'll connect it to their wifi once and then use it as a personal router and repeater.

Even if you don't need it for your car, I can't recommend it highly enough for other projects.

I guess it needs a permanent power source though? So good for installing a software update if the cars not sleeping but not capable of completing a software update remotely if the car is already asleep? I'm assuming the usb ports power down after a while?

 

[Akikiki]

Hi all

Thought I'd share my solution for the Model 3's patchy wifi reception.

For background: I only have on-street parking but do have a front garden and live on the second floor, meaning at a minimum there is 10m distance from the nearest part of my flat to the car, and sometimes much more if I don't park outside. I haven't been able to get reliable wifi reception in the car at all.

I was searching for all sorts of garden / portable wifi repeaters and I came across this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B073TSK26W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For sub £20 it is a fantastic bit of kit which can act as a standalone wifi router, repeater, VPN server, client - you name it, this thing does it and it is smaller than a credit card.

I now have it sitting in the centre console, powered by the rear USB ports (will switch to the front once my hub arrives) and have perfect WiFi coverage in the car. I think I'll leave it the car permanently and whenever I go to a family or friend's house, I'll connect it to their WiFi once and then use it as a personal router and repeater.

Even if you don't need it for your car, I can't recommend it highly enough for other projects.

Clever. Thanks for the posts. Bookmarked it.

Here's an idea for you. My mom and sister travel between each other's homes. And want to connect to WiFi. Sometimes they have to select the network at each others. So, I suggested, one of them change their network name and password to match the other, so they are the same. They did. Now their devices are just as secure, but regardless of who is at which house, the devices connect without assistance.

You could change your network and password (yes, sometimes its a pain, but you need do it only once) to make it match the other location you are are. Or if they have less devices, help them change theirs to yours.

 

[bjbrown]

Hi all

Thought I'd share my solution for the Model 3's patchy wifi reception.

For background: I only have on-street parking but do have a front garden and live on the second floor, meaning at a minimum there is 10m distance from the nearest part of my flat to the car, and sometimes much more if I don't park outside. I haven't been able to get reliable wifi reception in the car at all.

I was searching for all sorts of garden / portable wifi repeaters and I came across this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B073TSK26W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For sub £20 it is a fantastic bit of kit which can act as a standalone wifi router, repeater, VPN server, client - you name it, this thing does it and it is smaller than a credit card.

I now have it sitting in the centre console, powered by the rear USB ports (will switch to the front once my hub arrives) and have perfect wifi coverage in the car. I think I'll leave it the car permanently and whenever I go to a family or friend's house, I'll connect it to their wifi once and then use it as a personal router and repeater.

Even if you don't need it for your car, I can't recommend it highly enough for other projects.

This sounds good. I need a way to link to my wi-fi as my garage is too far way from my house. Will this solve my problem and how hard to set up is it ?

 

[pgkevet]

This sounds good. I need a way to link to my wi-fi as my garage is too far way from my house. Will this solve my problem and how hard to set up is it ?

Simplest are powerline adapters assuming garage power is on the same phase as the house

 

[hingus2000]

I guess it needs a permanent power source though? So good for installing a software update if the cars not sleeping but not capable of completing a software update remotely if the car is already asleep? I'm assuming the usb ports power down after a while?

So I’ve been experimenting with this tonight. Yes the USB ports appear to shut-off when the car goes to sleep.

Because I haven’t yet experienced an update, what I am unsure about is high the car behaves when downloading an update? Does it wake up to do so? Or rather, stay awake to do so? If so, the router would seem to be fine to follow the sleep pattern of the car.

If not, any decent portable battery pack will keep it going for a good few days as it draws circa 2 watts.

 

[hingus2000]

This sounds good. I need a way to link to my wi-fi as my garage is too far way from my house. Will this solve my problem and how hard to set up is it ?

Super easy to setup. Turn on, connect to its dedicated WiFi, access the admin page through a browser and everything is laid out in a well designed GUI. I’ll post pictures tomorrow.

 

[Medved_77]

So I’ve been experimenting with this tonight. Yes the USB ports appear to shut-off when the car goes to sleep.

Because I haven’t yet experienced an update, what I am unsure about is high the car behaves when downloading an update? Does it wake up to do so? Or rather, stay awake to do so? If so, the router would seem to be fine to follow the sleep pattern of the car.

If not, any decent portable battery pack will keep it going for a good few days as it draws circa 2 watts.

I'm not certain I'm afraid. When you receive a push notification to the phone to update I'm not sure if that notification is only delivered if your car is connected to WiFi. If it is then I guess you won't get the notification and would have to start the update from in the car.

Neat solution though regardless. Also means once you start the update you don't need to sit in the car tethered to your mobile waiting for the update to download.

 

[Akikiki]

Model 3 has persistent power in the mirror. I can't walk you through it, but there's a video on youtube for it. You could set it up and put a quick remote relay so you turn it on when you want it up, and off when you don't

 

[Adopado]

When you receive a push notification to the phone to update I'm not sure if that notification is only delivered if your car is connected to WiFi.

In the past I've had a notification that an update is available (whilst on LTE) which included a request that I should connect to Wifi to complete the download.

 

[hingus2000]

In the past I've had a notification that an update is available (whilst on LTE) which included a request that I should connect to Wifi to complete the download.

This is positive. Means the router can be plugged in / turned on once a notification is received. Presumably when downloading the update, the car remains awake (thus keeping the router on)?

 

[Adopado]

This is positive. Means the router can be plugged in / turned on once a notification is received. Presumably when downloading the update, the car remains awake (thus keeping the router on)?

I'm sure it will stay awake during the download ... even if that turned out to be a problem you could turn on Sentry Mode as the time-honoured Tesla method of keeping your car awake!

 

[MrBadger]

Its awake

The download


The install, triggered from app, and follow up reboot/checks

 

[rotor2k]

So it connects to your home WiFi?

 

[hingus2000]

So it connects to your home WiFi?

Yes. It will connect to (and store) any wifi network. It then creates its own wifi network. You can either set it to match the SSID of the wifi network it is extending, or have its own SSID.

It has a USB port so can share whatever is plugged into the USB port over the network. It can also act as a wireless access point to a tethered network or mobile modem.

 

[hingus2000]

I have had an additional idea: given that the router can be used to SMB share a USB device, I wonder if it can be used to share the contents of the SD card which Sentry/Dashcam is recorded to the home network, while the card reader remains plugged into the car?

I'm thinking something along the line of a the card reader being plugged into a USB splitter, which itself is plugged into the car and the router - so each "sees" the card reader simultaneously.

 

[CMc1]

I have had an additional idea: given that the router can be used to SMB share a USB device, I wonder if it can be used to share the contents of the SD card which Sentry/Dashcam is recorded to the home network, while the card reader remains plugged into the car?

I'm thinking something along the line of a the card reader being plugged into a USB splitter, which itself is plugged into the car and the router - so each "sees" the card reader simultaneously.

marcone/teslausb

 

[bjbrown]

Super easy to setup. Turn on, connect to its dedicated WiFi, access the admin page through a browser and everything is laid out in a well designed GUI. I’ll post pictures tomorrow.

Great, thanks

 

[Cyclone1]

I have had an additional idea: given that the router can be used to SMB share a USB device, I wonder if it can be used to share the contents of the SD card which Sentry/Dashcam is recorded to the home network, while the card reader remains plugged into the car?

I'm thinking something along the line of a the card reader being plugged into a USB splitter, which itself is plugged into the car and the router - so each "sees" the card reader simultaneously.

Hi, any chance of an idiots guide on setting it up please? Mine arrived today. My garage is around 15m from the house router so the car struggles to connect to my house WiFi. All software updates have been done so far using my iPhone as a hot spot.

I’ve followed the instructions and connected the unit to my house WiFi. But on disconnecting the unit and connecting it in my car it will not connect. Could this be because my house WiFi signal is poor?

 

[Neilman]

Hi, any chance of an idiots guide on setting it up please? Mine arrived today. My garage is around 15m from the house router so the car struggles to connect to my house WiFi. All software updates have been done so far using my iPhone as a hot spot.

I’ve followed the instructions and connected the unit to my house WiFi. But on disconnecting the unit and connecting it in my car it will not connect. Could this be because my house WiFi signal is poor?

15m outside through house walls might be 'pushing it'.
Asking a lot but is there anywhere roughly 1/2 way between car and the house router that you can place the repeater unit?