Tesla promises: will/will not be a hotspot & 4 USB ports

[AmpedRealtor]

In addition to the labels, 5.6 (vs. 5.0) affords the ability to turn off the power saving mode, and the brightness transition from daytime to nighttime mode and vice-versa is gradual instead of instant (to reduce distraction). While it continues 5.0's ability to connect via any Wi-Fi network (including a cellphone "tethering" capability), it does NOT provide tethering (Wi-Fi access) to the car's 3G connection.

Tesla never promised that the Model S could turn itself into a hot-spot to share its 3G connection. That is an absolutely silly feature that would cost Tesla a lot of money due to increased 3G bandwidth and which would offer users no useful benefit, but lots of frustration. 3G connections are also not fast enough to support tethering of multiple devices. This is also not a feature that anyone is expecting. If anyone is expecting this feature, it's best to let it go because it's not going to happen.

Tesla is not in the business of offering free internet access to owners of its vehicles to be shared among the owners' other connected devices.

 

[riceuguy]

Tesla never promised that the Model S could turn itself into a hot-spot to share its 3G connection. That is an absolutely silly feature that would cost Tesla a lot of money due to increased 3G bandwidth and which would offer users no useful benefit, but lots of frustration. 3G connections are also not fast enough to support tethering of multiple devices. This is also not a feature that anyone is expecting. If anyone is expecting this feature, it's best to let it go because it's not going to happen.

Tesla is not in the business of offering free internet access to owners of its vehicles to be shared among the owners' other connected devices.

It got lost in the threads, but FlasherZ I believe was responding to an earlier question about using the 3G as a hotspot; he wasn't griping!

 

[ckessel]

Tesla never promised that the Model S could turn itself into a hot-spot to share its 3G connection.

Well, define "promise". It was stated several times early on before the car started shipping that it would be a wifi hotspot. I think it was even on the website list of features at one point. It's very much a cool feature I was hoping to be able to use for my non-3G iPad on trips. Then again, Tesla has yet to charge for the 3G connections and originally they were going to once they worked out the details. Not sure if they're just eating the cost now or still working out details.

 

[jomo25]

Well, define "promise". It was stated several times early on before the car started shipping that it would be a wifi hotspot. I think it was even on the website list of features at one point. It's very much a cool feature I was hoping to be able to use for my non-3G iPad on trips. Then again, Tesla has yet to charge for the 3G connections and originally they were going to once they worked out the details. Not sure if they're just eating the cost now or still working out details.

I'm quite sure it was a listed feature (for future) at one point. I assumed it would become available eventually. Never assumed it would be free. And probably would never use it. Though I can see why some would. Remember this was back when 4G was just becoming the norm. So sharing a 3G connection was common and considered a viable thing.

 

[steve841]

Tesla never promised that the Model S could turn itself into a hot-spot to share its 3G connection.

Well, that's not 100% correct... at the factory event, Elon's speech indicated hot-spot via the car would be available.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

Yes they did say wifi hotspot. I have no 3g/4g? cellphone thingies at all. Just wifi items (besides the Tesla now....Hi Big brother). Actually the wifi Items are my wife's. Her parents constantly try to get her cell phones but the closest we let it come is wifi items :wink:

 

[ModelS8794]

Tesla never promised that the Model S could turn itself into a hot-spot to share its 3G connection. That is an absolutely silly feature that would cost Tesla a lot of money due to increased 3G bandwidth and which would offer users no useful benefit, but lots of frustration. 3G connections are also not fast enough to support tethering of multiple devices. This is also not a feature that anyone is expecting. If anyone is expecting this feature, it's best to let it go because it's not going to happen.

Tesla is not in the business of offering free internet access to owners of its vehicles to be shared among the owners' other connected devices.

Tell us how you really feel.

I would love this feature, as it would allow my kids to stream to their wifi-only tablets while on road trips. Contrary to your statements, it was something at least 1 tesla rep said would become available, at the same time data packages rolled out (to avoid tesla shouldering the cost). So here's one opinion contrary to your own in pretty much every respect: it's not silly, it is useful, it won't cost tesla anything, and it would offer this user tremendous benefit.

Certainly could have been bad info this rep passed along, but there it is...

 

[Doug_G]

Well, that's not 100% correct... at the factory event, Elon's speech indicated hot-spot via the car would be available.

Yes, he did. But to be honest I never really believed it would come to pass.

 

[brianman]

Tesla never promised that the Model S could turn itself into a hot-spot to share its 3G connection.

Incorrect. It was advertised in the "More Technology" subsection of "By the numbers".

Model S Features | Tesla Motors

Model S works as a hotspot, providing internet connectivity for other devices while on the go.

This text was later changed on the main site but apparently is still live at the above URL for some reason.

I specifically remember this feature listed because I was debating on getting a hotspot (Clearwire) and held off on doing so because my Model S would make it redundant / unnecessary. So far that has proven to be an incorrect conclusion.

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Tesla never promised .... That is an absolutely silly feature that would cost Tesla a lot of money ....

Unsolicited advise generally regarding Tesla:
Chiding others for saying Tesla never promised something and/or for asking for a "silly feature" that would "cost a lot of money" is generally a foolish endeavor. A lot of Tesla's history involves promised expensive and/or "silly" features, and unofficial experts have been around following Tesla for a long, long time.

Many people learned this lesson regarding "superswapping", panoramic sunshade, the rear console, and apparently now the wifi hotspot feature. The list is long.

 

[dirkhh]

Unsolicited advise generally regarding Tesla:
Chiding others for saying Tesla never promised something and/or for asking for a "silly feature" that would "cost a lot of money" is generally a foolish endeavor. A lot of Tesla's history involves promised expensive and/or "silly" features, and unofficial experts have been around following Tesla for a long, long time.

Many people learned this lesson regarding "superswapping", panoramic sunshade, the rear console, and apparently now the wifi hotspot feature. The list is long.

So true, so true. In many ways you could add the S40 to that list. Or the front console.

 

[dsmith2189]

Incorrect. It was advertised in the "More Technology" subsection of "By the numbers".

Model S Features | Tesla Motors

This text was later changed on the main site but apparently is still live at the above URL for some reason.

View attachment 32830

I specifically remember this feature listed because I was debating on getting a hotspot (Clearwire) and held off on doing so because my Model S would make it redundant / unnecessary. So far that has proven to be an incorrect conclusion.

- - - Updated - - -


Unsolicited advise generally regarding Tesla:
Chiding others for saying Tesla never promised something and/or for asking for a "silly feature" that would "cost a lot of money" is generally a foolish endeavor. A lot of Tesla's history involves promised expensive and/or "silly" features, and unofficial experts have been around following Tesla for a long, long time.

Many people learned this lesson regarding "superswapping", panoramic sunshade, the rear console, and apparently now the wifi hotspot feature. The list is long.

forget WiFi hot spots, I'm just wondering what happened to the 4 USB ports.

 

[brianman]

forget WiFi hot spots, I'm just wondering what happened to the 4 USB ports.

I can replicate USB ports (kind of) to get more than 4.

I can't (easily) "retrofit" the wifi hotspot feature. I'm far more unhappy about this than the song storage. Surprised by its absence? No. Unhappy about it? Yes. Is there anything I can really do about it? No. Angst++.

 

[mitch672]

I can replicate USB ports (kind of) to get more than 4.

I can't (easily) "retrofit" the wifi hotspot feature. I'm far more unhappy about this than the song storage. Surprised by its absence? No. Unhappy about it? Yes. Is there anything I can really do about it? No. Angst++.

I bet the 4 USB ports exist on the logic board, likely they only brought out 2 for cost and simplicity (can you really use more than 2? Other than using them with cables to charge phones etc). I'm betting if we could look at the board, we'd find 4 USB ports.

 

[brianman]

I bet the 4 USB ports exist on the logic board, likely they only brought out 2 for cost and simplicity (can you really use more than 2? Other than using them with cables to charge phones etc). I'm betting if we could look at the board, we'd find 4 USB ports.

I believe people wanted them in the 2nd and 3rd row seating areas. With outlets at those locations, hopefully port replicators could then be used and satisfy all 7 passengers.

 

[Robert.Boston]

I believe people wanted them in the 2nd and 3rd row seating areas. With outlets at those locations, hopefully port replicators could then be used and satisfy all 7 passengers.

Exactly -- kids playing with gadgets on long trips need power. But obviously we've wandered far from the topic of software upgrades...

So it appears that 5.6 is the bug-fix version of 5.0 and 5.5, unifying the North American and European software streams. How long will Tesla take validating 5.6 before they start upgrading the NA user base on 4.5?

 

[FlasherZ]

It got lost in the threads, but FlasherZ I believe was responding to an earlier question about using the 3G as a hotspot; he wasn't griping!

This is correct. I was just noting a response to the question that had been posed earlier, in another thread that has since been reorganized.

 

[omarsultan]

I heard Chris Penrose, the SVP for Emerging Tech at AT&T, speak at the Mobilize conference last week. He indicted that AT&T is updated their systems to support much more sophisticated interaction between cars and their data network. The big news was the near ubiquitous LTE support across the GM product line, but HSPA (up to 14Mbps) support for the Model S is pretty cool. One of the interesting things AT&T will be able to do is have two accounts against a single SIM, so Tesla could maintain they data telematics connection, but also turn up a separate connection you can use that is billed separately. One other thing Chris mentioned is the ability to add you Tesla to your MobileShare account--for me that would be a no brainer to add my car to my data plan for another $10.

For now, Tesla is ahead of the game with a built in SIM and radio, but that is not going to last. I would see LTE becoming standard in the next year.

 

[Palpatine]

For now, Tesla is ahead of the game with a built in SIM and radio, but that is not going to last. I would see LTE becoming standard in the next year.

Hopefully we will have an upgrade option to get the Model S on LTE. I would pay a few hundred dollars to swap out the hardware if they can do it.

 

[wcalvin]

My understanding, back when (maybe six months ago), was that TM was temporarily paying for the internet access but that the owner would have to take over at some point--and that one possibility was using the built-in (but dormant) wifi in the MS to connect via the hotspot of one's cell phone. That if your iPhone was using 4G, you'd be upgrading from the temporary 3G.

 

[apacheguy]

The big news was the near ubiquitous LTE support across the GM product line, but HSPA (up to 14Mbps) support for the Model S is pretty cool.

For the record, I've never come remotely close to seeing HSPA speeds in my car. Max I get is about 1.5-2 Mbps down with full bars.

Hopefully we will have an upgrade option to get the Model S on LTE. I would pay a few hundred dollars to swap out the hardware if they can do it.

Better yet, label it as a "hardware upgrade" and get it for free if you have a service plan.