Connecting to WiFi. What's the point?

[MiamiBlue]

I noticed I can connect my car to my WiFi.

What does this let me do? I can't seem to do any software updates this way.

 

[Beachbum]

I have also wondered this, given it also connects via Bluetooth.
Anyone know?

 

[geoffbland]

Wardriving at speed and with style - maybe, who knows?!?

 

[ADC]

Wardriving at speed and with style - maybe, who knows?!?

Where do you plug in the Pringles can though...?

My guess is it is there for wireless Android Auto / Apple Carplay.

 

[MiamiBlue]

Where do you plug in the Pringles can though...?

My guess is it is there for wireless Android Auto / Apple Carplay.

I remember using Pringles cans for high gain directional WiFi antennas back in the day!

I know Android Auto uses a WiFi connection (data is not fast enough through Bluetooth).

But the Emira will connect to my home WiFi for an internet connection in a setting that seems unrelated to CarPlay / AndroidAuto use.

 

[ADC]

Oh right... of course

It is an odd capability TBH. Maybe it was intended for OTA updates, but just didn't get built out. Weird.

 

[Nick Sticks]

I am KITT, originally designed with Series 2000 circuitry.

There's nothing worse than a smart-ass automobile.

 

[RoryBellows]

Its probably so it can phone home. Everything collects your data now.

 

[DerTheDer]

I don't think its normal WIFI. When my WIFI drops in the car, my android auto also drops. Maybe it's Bluetooth? Who knows with Lotus.

 

[seriously]

when I try to connect to wireless it says my airplay will drop. Another lotus mystery.

 

[slotuw]

There are no mysteries here. Like other cars that support Android and/or Apple Play the car provides a WiFi network to which the smartphone connects to allow the phone and the head unit of the car to interoperate. Not via a Bluetooth as it does not support the required protocols.
Once connected, the head unit and smartphone act as client and server, where the head unit sends requests to the app running on the phone and displays its responses.
Put more simply, if you are displaying and selecting routes via the touch screen in your car using Google Maps, Google Maps running on your smartphone is managing the routes and it is using the mobile connectivity of your smartphone to receive near realtime traffic updates over the Internet.
Simples

 

[MiamiBlue]

There are no mysteries here. Like other cars that support Android and/or Apple Play the car provides a WiFi network to which the smartphone connects to allow the phone and the head unit of the car to interoperate. Not via a Bluetooth as it does not support the required protocols.
Once connected, the head unit and smartphone act as client and server, where the head unit sends requests to the app running on the phone and displays its responses.
Put more simply, if you are displaying and selecting routes via the touch screen in your car using Google Maps, Google Maps running on your smartphone is managing the routes and it is using the mobile connectivity of your smartphone to receive near realtime traffic updates over the Internet.
Simples

But there's a separate WiFi connection option where you can connect to (for example your home WiFi) put in the password and it connects and shows a connection icon.
This is completely separate to the Android Auto connection (which uses WiFi, but is not initiated by WiFi or requires password type/authentication settings etc).