Connected drive and internet access

Hi, finally got my new F31 i ordered in November. Now I'm trying to get internet up and running. The bluetooth connection works since I can access "Bmw live" but the internet browser fails to load any pages. I only get an error message after about 30 seconds - connection problems or no reply from server. Any suggestions how to troubleshoot? Suspect there are no tools like ping/nslookup/ipconfig in a Bmw :-) The "update services" command works and downloads settings successfully.

Regards Per

Originally Posted by Piffo

Hi, finally got my new F31 i ordered in November. Now I'm trying to get internet up and running. The bluetooth connection works since I can access "Bmw live" but the internet browser fails to load any pages. I only get an error message after about 30 seconds - connection problems or no reply from server. Any suggestions how to troubleshoot? Suspect there are no tools like ping/nslookup/ipconfig in a Bmw :-) The "update services" command works and downloads settings successfully.

Regards Per

Not sure about in Sweden but in the US you need the extra convenience package to access the internet which is $199/year.

Originally Posted by Piffo

Hi, finally got my new F31 i ordered in November. Now I'm trying to get internet up and running. The bluetooth connection works since I can access "Bmw live" but the internet browser fails to load any pages. I only get an error message after about 30 seconds - connection problems or no reply from server. Any suggestions how to troubleshoot? Suspect there are no tools like ping/nslookup/ipconfig in a Bmw :-) The "update services" command works and downloads settings successfully.

Regards Per

The internet services and the Google points of interest show up on everyone's iDrive nav but in order to make those services work you need to sign up for BMW Convenience Plan for $199 a year. Here is a link to the US version, I'm assuming there's something like this where you live. It also includes a Consierge who you can call whenever you want to get directions or find a movie or get a reservation at a restaurant.

http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...anLanding.aspx

BJ

Does it link to your phone for data access or does it have its own 2G/3G/4G/LTE chip? For $199 maybe it provides a hotspot access with unlimited data usage...

Originally Posted by fb88

Does it link to your phone for data access or does it have its own 2G/3G/4G/LTE chip? For $199 maybe it provides a hotspot access with unlimited data usage...

Nothing to do with your phone at all, it's an independent data plan from BMW directly within iDrive (the same network that gets you SOS when you need it, streams data once you pay for it).

BJ

Thanks for the replies!

Internet, BMW Apps, BMW Live etc was separate options when the car was ordered. It has 609, 614, 615, 6AL, 6NR, 6NK among other options.

We don't have BMW Assist at all in Sweden so the car uses my phones data connection over the bluetooth. To bad since there seems to be a lot of nice features. I hoped it would work today since I got a "BMW" live registration mail where I clicked on a link to activate the account but still same error message. The registration was made from the car so the data connection works for the "BMW Live" and the in "active services" menu, it states "internet" is active for my vehicle. Does anyone know if all internet access from the car is routed through BMW?

/Per

Originally Posted by Piffo

Hi, finally got my new F31 i ordered in November. Now I'm trying to get internet up and running. The bluetooth connection works since I can access "Bmw live" but the internet browser fails to load any pages. I only get an error message after about 30 seconds - connection problems or no reply from server. Any suggestions how to troubleshoot? Suspect there are no tools like ping/nslookup/ipconfig in a Bmw :-) The "update services" command works and downloads settings successfully.

Regards Per

Try again later... sometimes the server just does not respond. If you can connect to BMW Live then it should connect to the Internet as well.

I have accessed both (BMW Live and Internet) at 5:56am today without issues via the Hotspot in my iPhone from the USA. My Combox is custom coded for direct Hotspot access.

I have a different question regarding Connected Drive.

I downloaded the Connected Drive app to my iPhone when I test drove the F30. When I connected the iPhone to the car via the Apple cable, I noticed that, as with the iPod, it appeared to completely take over the iPhone so that I could not navigate anything the phone at all. The navigation occurred only through the iDrive screen, and applied only to those apps navigable through that screen.

I have the MLB At Bat app and during the summer, I always listen to my hometown team's radio broadcasts through it, but At Bat is not included with Connected Drive (yet).

Question: is there a way to dismount the Connected Drive app on the iPhone while it is attached to the car via Apple cable, so I can navigate the phone while continuing to charge it through the car, or is that impossible and do I have to connect the phone to the aux input with a 1/8" cable instead?

Originally Posted by chasfh

Question: is there a way to dismount the Connected Drive app on the iPhone while it is attached to the car via Apple cable, so I can navigate the phone while continuing to charge it through the car, or is that impossible and do I have to connect the phone to the aux input with a 1/8" cable instead?

Not sure what you mean by this. Once the connectedDrive app is connected through your iPhone cable - you can hit the home button, exit the app, and do whatever else you want on your phone. However, this does take you out of BMW apps on your iDrive so you won't be able to access your twitter, messages, FB feed, etc until you open the connectedDrive app again.

Originally Posted by chasfh

I have a different question regarding Connected Drive.

I downloaded the Connected Drive app to my iPhone when I test drove the F30. When I connected the iPhone to the car via the Apple cable, I noticed that, as with the iPod, it appeared to completely take over the iPhone so that I could not navigate anything the phone at all. The navigation occurred only through the iDrive screen, and applied only to those apps navigable through that screen.

I have the MLB At Bat app and during the summer, I always listen to my hometown team's radio broadcasts through it, but At Bat is not included with Connected Drive (yet).

Question: is there a way to dismount the Connected Drive app on the iPhone while it is attached to the car via Apple cable, so I can navigate the phone while continuing to charge it through the car, or is that impossible and do I have to connect the phone to the aux input with a 1/8" cable instead?

To listen to At Bat, you just wouldn't launch the Connected Drive app. Just start At Bat and go.

Originally Posted by SamS

To listen to At Bat, you just wouldn't launch the Connected Drive app. Just start At Bat and go.

When you plug the phone into the car through the Apple cable, doesn't Connected Drive automatically launch and take over the phone? That's what I experienced on the test drive.

Originally Posted by chasfh

When you plug the phone into the car through the Apple cable, doesn't Connected Drive automatically launch and take over the phone? That's what I experienced on the test drive.

No. It definitely does not.

Originally Posted by chasfh

When you plug the phone into the car through the Apple cable, doesn't Connected Drive automatically launch and take over the phone? That's what I experienced on the test drive.

That must be an F30-thing because my iPhone 4S (6.1.1) never locks up the screen at any mode in my E92 M3 with Combox. Even at iPod mode I can select BMW Apps at my iPhone while iPod music is playing.

Originally Posted by SamS

No. It definitely does not.

Originally Posted by Technic

That must be an F30-thing because my iPhone 4S (6.1.1) never locks up the screen at any mode in my E92 M3 with Combox. Even at iPod mode I can select BMW Apps at my iPhone while iPod music is playing.

Hmm, OK, I hope you're right Sam. Although it seemed to when I plugged it in on the test drive, and I couldn't shut it down on the phone. It was the same as when you plug in your iPod to through the old Y cable on the E92. Maybe I did something wrong.

Originally Posted by chasfh

Hmm, OK, I hope you're right Sam. Although it seemed to when I plugged it in on the test drive, and I couldn't shut it down on the phone. It was the same as when you plug in your iPod to through the old Y cable on the E92. Maybe I did something wrong.

Perhaps that test car did not have a Combox.

Originally Posted by chasfh

Hmm, OK, I hope you're right Sam. Although it seemed to when I plugged it in on the test drive, and I couldn't shut it down on the phone. It was the same as when you plug in your iPod to through the old Y cable on the E92. Maybe I did something wrong.

If you launched the ConnectedDrive app, and couldn't exit out, you may have needed to unplug the phone and reconnect. Either way, it's not normal behavior.

Originally Posted by SamS

If you launched the ConnectedDrive app, and couldn't exit out, you may have needed to unplug the phone and reconnect. Either way, it's not normal behavior.

To be clear, I did not manually launch the Connected Drive app after hooking it up to the car. It launched itself, taking over the phone in the same way my E92 takes over my iPod when I plug that in.

Originally Posted by chasfh

To be clear, I did not manually launch the Connected Drive app after hooking it up to the car. It launched itself, taking over the phone in the same way my E92 takes over my iPod when I plug that in.

That is really odd, and sounds impossible based on my interaction with iOS 5/6 and both the E9x iDrive and the NBT iDrive in my AH3. You sure you didn't launch the app inadvertently?

Or, you might be confusing the iPhone's iPod "Accessory Connected" screen? That will automatically lock you out of using the phone's iPod controls in favor of using the iDrive menus.

Originally Posted by SamS

That is really odd, and sounds impossible based on my interaction with iOS 5/6 and both the E9x iDrive and the NBT iDrive in my AH3. You sure you didn't launch the app inadvertently?

Or, you might be confusing the iPhone's iPod "Accessory Connected" screen? That will automatically lock you out of using the phone's iPod controls in favor of using the iDrive menus.

I'm only 80% sure what I described happened. I pick up my car in about three weeks, so I will know for sure within minutes of taking possession of it.

Originally Posted by Technic

Try again later... sometimes the server just does not respond. If you can connect to BMW Live then it should connect to the Internet as well.

I have accessed both (BMW Live and Internet) at 5:56am today without issues via the Hotspot in my iPhone from the USA. My Combox is custom coded for direct Hotspot access.

Is it possible to code my HU_NBT to use Wifi instead of bluetooth to connect to my phone (Sony Xperia configured as Hotspot) or is this specific for the Combox? BMW Live works with google/streetview/weather access so the bluetooth works but it seems very slow. I suspect it causes a timeout in the internet browser so maybe hotspot access will work better. As far as I know it is possible to enable the Wifi in HU_NBT but I've only seen examples where it connects to a device acting as media server, not for internet access.

Originally Posted by boltjaM3s

The internet services and the Google points of interest show up on everyone's iDrive nav but in order to make those services work you need to sign up for BMW Convenience Plan for $199 a year. Here is a link to the US version, I'm assuming there's something like this where you live. It also includes a Consierge who you can call whenever you want to get directions or find a movie or get a reservation at a restaurant.

http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...anLanding.aspx

BJ

Do we all get BMW assist automatically?