SIM card slot
06-23-2019, 07:57 AM
#21
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arrtewwx (06-23-2019)
06-25-2021, 12:11 PM
#22
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I've seen mixed reports on what does and doesn't work by activating and using the external sim. Some say that the external sim is only used for the WiFi hot spot while any Audi Connect data are routed though the internal eSIM. Others say that if the external SIM is activated that all data requests are sent out via it be it the hot spot or Audi Connect.
I'm personally inclined to think that it's the latter in that in order to use 2 SIM simultaneously, at least in a cell phone, the hardware needs to support Dual Sim Dual Standby (DSDS) or Dual Sim Dual Active (DSDA). In cell phones this allows you to received calls from both phone numbers associated with the SIM cards. With DSDS once a call is active for one of the SIMs phone number the other SIM card is disabled until the call ends. This is due to the phone only having a single antenna and only one SIM at a time can use it actively. DSDA allow both SIMs to stay active all the time because the phone has 2 antennas. From a Data point of view, once again on a cell phone, you pick which SIM you want the phone to use for data connections. You can't pick and choose based on app or whatever that I'm aware of.
A cell phone can have 2 SIM slots but can't do DSDS or DSDA because of the lack of extra hardware, OS support and/or antennas. You can pick which SIM card you want to be active and that is the only SIM that will get used. I personally believe this is how the cell hardware works in the Audi. So if you enable the external SIM then all data goes out though it and the internal SIM is inactive.
In relations to Audi Connect. I think some people think that if they use an external SIM after their trial expires that they will still be able to use the Connect Prime features for free such as Google Earth, Google Voice Search, etc.. This isn't the case because those extra services under Connect Prime have to have an active license and the MMI hardware will verify if the license is valid or not. If not, those feature is disabled in the MMI. Now if you have an active Connect Prime license, I saw a person report in another thread that they can use those services still with their external SIM.
That all being said, If you don't care about any of the Connect Prime features but you want to still use the WiFi Hot Spot without having to pay for Connect Prime and/or Connect Plus, then activating the external SIM and using whatever compatible data SIM provider you want sounds like a good plan and I would assume the free Connect Care features will still work over the external SIM being that the Connect Prime features seem to work over it if you have an active license.
I could be wrong but I will be trying this with a Google Fi data only SIM once my trial expires sometime in late November.
I'm personally inclined to think that it's the latter in that in order to use 2 SIM simultaneously, at least in a cell phone, the hardware needs to support Dual Sim Dual Standby (DSDS) or Dual Sim Dual Active (DSDA). In cell phones this allows you to received calls from both phone numbers associated with the SIM cards. With DSDS once a call is active for one of the SIMs phone number the other SIM card is disabled until the call ends. This is due to the phone only having a single antenna and only one SIM at a time can use it actively. DSDA allow both SIMs to stay active all the time because the phone has 2 antennas. From a Data point of view, once again on a cell phone, you pick which SIM you want the phone to use for data connections. You can't pick and choose based on app or whatever that I'm aware of.
A cell phone can have 2 SIM slots but can't do DSDS or DSDA because of the lack of extra hardware, OS support and/or antennas. You can pick which SIM card you want to be active and that is the only SIM that will get used. I personally believe this is how the cell hardware works in the Audi. So if you enable the external SIM then all data goes out though it and the internal SIM is inactive.
In relations to Audi Connect. I think some people think that if they use an external SIM after their trial expires that they will still be able to use the Connect Prime features for free such as Google Earth, Google Voice Search, etc.. This isn't the case because those extra services under Connect Prime have to have an active license and the MMI hardware will verify if the license is valid or not. If not, those feature is disabled in the MMI. Now if you have an active Connect Prime license, I saw a person report in another thread that they can use those services still with their external SIM.
That all being said, If you don't care about any of the Connect Prime features but you want to still use the WiFi Hot Spot without having to pay for Connect Prime and/or Connect Plus, then activating the external SIM and using whatever compatible data SIM provider you want sounds like a good plan and I would assume the free Connect Care features will still work over the external SIM being that the Connect Prime features seem to work over it if you have an active license.
I could be wrong but I will be trying this with a Google Fi data only SIM once my trial expires sometime in late November.
Any updates on this? did you ever tried the Google Fi?
06-25-2021, 12:39 PM
#23
AudiWorld Super User
You're able to close your glovebox with the OBD11 box inside, I'd have a hard time closing mine with sunglasses (folded), mine has just about zero storage and completely useless! Wondering how you did that, unless Audi redesigned the glovebox area? My car is a '19 S5 coupe. Technically, my glovebox is the one by your left knee below the headlamp switch, that sucker is enormous!
06-25-2021, 12:53 PM
#24
Club AutoUnion
That’s where my OBDEleven resides (without the box — in the provided pouch) as well as (4) extra wheel bolt locks plus a round tire gauge. Another reason for me keeping my 2018 S5 I guess. My owners manual leather folio is in the cubby on the left side, under the dash.
—John
—John
06-25-2021, 01:42 PM
#25
AudiWorld Senior Member
There is no need to have a SIM card in the external slot. If you have the external SIM feature actiavted using an OBD device l(ex., OBD eleven), your phone acts as an external SIM when it is connected to the car. I'd think Google Fi will work in this scenario. I am on AT&T network through H2O an MVNO so cannot say for sure.
01-09-2022, 10:12 PM
#26
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Hi,
I did this on OBDeleven,
I still didn't see the network bars appearing in the MMI, Then I activated the NAD options in long coding.
Then I could see the bars, when I take off the SIM, the bars disappear, but the "Data connection settings"(Where I can activate the roaming and put the right APN settings did NOT appear).
Can you give me a lead please ? I heard that when this is done, you cannot access Audi Connect but I still can (even if it is expired already).
Can anyone help please ?
I did many resets to see if the option will come in, but no luck. I wanna use it for wifi for the kids
I did this on OBDeleven,
I still didn't see the network bars appearing in the MMI, Then I activated the NAD options in long coding.
Then I could see the bars, when I take off the SIM, the bars disappear, but the "Data connection settings"(Where I can activate the roaming and put the right APN settings did NOT appear).
Can you give me a lead please ? I heard that when this is done, you cannot access Audi Connect but I still can (even if it is expired already).
Can anyone help please ?
I did many resets to see if the option will come in, but no luck. I wanna use it for wifi for the kids
01-10-2022, 02:22 PM
#27
AudiWorld Senior Member
Hi,
I did this on OBDeleven,
I still didn't see the network bars appearing in the MMI, Then I activated the NAD options in long coding.
Then I could see the bars, when I take off the SIM, the bars disappear, but the "Data connection settings"(Where I can activate the roaming and put the right APN settings did NOT appear).
Can you give me a lead please ? I heard that when this is done, you cannot access Audi Connect but I still can (even if it is expired already).
Can anyone help please ?
I did many resets to see if the option will come in, but no luck. I wanna use it for wifi for the kids
I did this on OBDeleven,
I still didn't see the network bars appearing in the MMI, Then I activated the NAD options in long coding.
Then I could see the bars, when I take off the SIM, the bars disappear, but the "Data connection settings"(Where I can activate the roaming and put the right APN settings did NOT appear).
Can you give me a lead please ? I heard that when this is done, you cannot access Audi Connect but I still can (even if it is expired already).
Can anyone help please ?
I did many resets to see if the option will come in, but no luck. I wanna use it for wifi for the kids
01-11-2022, 12:17 PM
#28
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Thank you for the reply, appreciated.
01-12-2022, 10:36 AM
#29
09-05-2022, 12:14 PM
#30
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Hopefully you get this as I jsut switched to google Fi. How did you get it to work? I recieved a nano sim which clearly will not fit in there? Did you get a sim adapter, and just place it in? Could you give a quick guide on this tried looking on several different forms.