Explorer a WiFi Access Point? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Explorer a WiFi Access Point?

Gandalf

Well-Known Member
Joined
January 25, 2011
Messages
214
Reaction score
0
City, State
Southern California
Year, Model & Trim Level
2011 Limited
Looking at the downloadable Explorer brochure and it says about MyFordToucn and Sync:

This available system also displays your personal photos, enables you to create a Wi-Fi® hot spot for passengers to access while on the road, and works with many popular electronic devices, including video game consoles.
Really? Can you use your laptop to access the Web from inside the car or am I missing something? Any of the new Ex owners have this and can comment?
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Well you need a cell-phone with Internet access/data plan. The Explorer can turn your phone into one big wireless router but it can only connect up to 5 devices. So there's 2 parts to the Ford marketing statement (as always).
 






Looking at the downloadable Explorer brochure and it says about MyFordToucn and Sync:


Really? Can you use your laptop to access the Web from inside the car or am I missing something? Any of the new Ex owners have this and can comment?
Seems to me I saw either a video or commercial about this. That's all I can add since mine won't arrive until the end of the month.
 






Well you need a cell-phone with Internet access/data plan. The Explorer can turn your phone into one big wireless router but it can only connect up to 5 devices. So there's 2 parts to the Ford marketing statement (as always).
Dang. I figured there was a catch! :)
 






I believe a USB cellular aircard would work also. Not a feature that I've looking into since my phone already becomes a hostpot.
 






Yea, you can put a USB aircard in the USB ports. Also, you can log the car onto a wifi network and then port it back out as it's own network. Obviously it isn't going to work well when your moving, but I was able to log my father's explorer onto his home wifi network so when it is in the garage it logs on. Not sure if you can access and drives or anything through the network, but I think it will use it for health reports to syncmyride.

There is a very nice GUI on sync that shows all the ways you can connect the explorer to the internet and port it back out for passengers in the car.
 






That's some pretty wild stuff.
 






So, can my BlackBerry make the Limited a WiFi hot zone? If yes, I may win father-of-the-year award with my 2 daughters and their iPads!
 






I think it should be able to. I have a blackberry right now (give me 3 months to get my Droid Bionic) and haven't had a chance to try it on my father's and my truck isn't here yet.

You should be able to go into the sync setup and choose a internet access point of a usb aircard, another wifi network, or a cell phone with internet capability. Then you can create a wifi network for the truck and I think you can even make an encryption key for it. I'm not sure if the car has to be one or just accessory power or what for it to work.

BTW, I remember reading that this is how they load the sync on the explorers in the plant, they just push it down through the wifi connection into the explorers as they roll down the line.
 






I have tried for 2 weeks (unsuccessfully) to get my droid to do this. I have an option to pay Verizon an extra $10/month to make my phone a hot spot and wanted to avoid this cost if the explorer does it. Has anyone successfully gotten their explorer to do the hot spot via their phone without paying the "hot spot" fee to the carrier?
 






I have tried for 2 weeks (unsuccessfully) to get my droid to do this. I have an option to pay Verizon an extra $10/month to make my phone a hot spot and wanted to avoid this cost if the explorer does it. Has anyone successfully gotten their explorer to do the hot spot via their phone without paying the "hot spot" fee to the carrier?

PM me.
 






so please educate me, how do I get the wi-fi hotspot to work? we have the MFT and sync (package 202A). Thanks
 






I thought I read that the wi-fi only works when parked. It won't work while driving.

Another baby out with the bathwater item - like not using Nav while driving.

Seems in several places caution won out over common sense, and Ford didn't put enough emphasis on what the passengers in this "family vehicle" might want.
 






I thought I read that the wi-fi only works when parked. It won't work while driving.
Your MyFord Touch Supplement booklet states:Certain features in text messaging are speed dependent and cannot be completed when the vehicle is traveling at speeds over 5 mph (8 km/h).
 






Back
Top