Removed Keypad To Get my Ranger Built

[Pinecrestjim]

At this point I gave not activated any in truck wifi or anything and Ford pass is working for me so far, there was no mention of a charge for anything that I know of. There is the separate AT&T in truck Wifi hotspot 3 mo. 3gig trial, but I havent set that up yet.

Have you found that you have to be in close proximity to the truck for Ford pass to work, or will it work from a block away (outside WiFi range)? Still trying to get some idea of how it works / connects.

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[toddiscdn]

Started it from a couple miles away this morning.

 

[Pinecrestjim]

Started it from a couple miles away this morning.

That really has me wondering what means it is using to communicate thru. Great information, thanks for posting this.

 

[DHare]

That really has me wondering what means it is using to communicate thru. Great information, thanks for posting this.

From what I can find, it sounds like it uses your phone's data to communicate to a hot spot in your truck. It appears that when the free trial of the hot spot expires, you'll lose the connection unless you subscribe. It is hard to find anything that really lays this out clearly or what it will cost. My Colorado had a GM Remote Link app that would do some of the same things as Ford Pass.

Ford also sells a SmartLink dongle that adds a hot spot to some older models (2010 thru 2017). You can purchase it for $17/month (plus required installation) and it enables some of the Ford Pass capabilities.

 

[bandit67]

The FordPass phone app does NOT require any subscription. As long as your vehicle is within range of some sort of nearby wifi, your FordPass phone app can remote start your vehicle, if your vehicle has the FordPass Connect. Technically, you could start your vehicle from across the country as long as both your phone and the vehicle is each within proximity of someone's wifi. Remote areas outside of wifi range would not allow you to remote start via the FordPass app, unless you subscribe to the service I mention below.

FordPass Connect also allows your vehicle to BE a wifi hotspot, and comes with a complimentary 3 month/3 gigs on a new vehicle. If you want your vehicle to be a full-time wifi hotspot, you can subscribe to the service via AT&T for a monthly fee. However, you do NOT have to subscribe to get your vehicle to remote start via the FordPass phone app so long as your vehicle can access someone else's nearby wifi.

We have been utilizing this feature for 2 years on our Fusion Sport, and have not paid the subscription to make the car the actual wifi hotspot.

 

[DHare]

The FordPass phone app does NOT require any subscription. As long as your vehicle is within range of some sort of nearby wifi, your FordPass phone app can remote start your vehicle, if your vehicle has the FordPass Connect. Technically, you could start your vehicle from across the country as long as both your phone and the vehicle is each within proximity of someone's wifi. Remote areas outside of wifi range would not allow you to remote start via the FordPass app, unless you subscribe to the service I mention below.

FordPass Connect also allows your vehicle to BE a wifi hotspot, and comes with a complimentary 3 month/3 gigs on a new vehicle. If you want your vehicle to be a full-time wifi hotspot, you can subscribe to the service via AT&T for a monthly fee. However, you do NOT have to subscribe to get your vehicle to remote start via the FordPass phone app so long as your vehicle can access someone else's nearby wifi.

We have been utilizing this feature for 2 years on our Fusion Sport, and have not paid the subscription to make the car the actual wifi hotspot.

Thanks for clarifying. Finally found info on cost for continued ATT Wi-Fi after the trial period. It's $20 per month (plus taxes, fees) for unlimited data with possible speed reduction after 22 GBs.

 

[MT19RANGER]

Thanks for clarifying. Finally found info on cost for continued ATT Wi-Fi after the trial period. It's $20 per month (plus taxes, fees) for unlimited data with possible speed reduction after 22 GBs.

Sounds just like my work vehicle w/ OnStar and WiFi Hotspot, I pay 20.07 a month for unlimited through AT&T plan. Works pretty good in the rural areas I goto in the oilfield.

 

[JDCinVA]

The FordPass phone app does NOT require any subscription. As long as your vehicle is within range of some sort of nearby wifi, your FordPass phone app can remote start your vehicle, if your vehicle has the FordPass Connect. Technically, you could start your vehicle from across the country as long as both your phone and the vehicle is each within proximity of someone's wifi. Remote areas outside of wifi range would not allow you to remote start via the FordPass app, unless you subscribe to the service I mention below.

FordPass Connect also allows your vehicle to BE a wifi hotspot, and comes with a complimentary 3 month/3 gigs on a new vehicle. If you want your vehicle to be a full-time wifi hotspot, you can subscribe to the service via AT&T for a monthly fee. However, you do NOT have to subscribe to get your vehicle to remote start via the FordPass phone app so long as your vehicle can access someone else's nearby wifi.

We have been utilizing this feature for 2 years on our Fusion Sport, and have not paid the subscription to make the car the actual wifi hotspot.

I think you're confusing cellular with wifi. It's not like your vehicle (or any device) can just automatically connect to someone else's wifi.

 

[rangerdanger]

I think you're confusing cellular with wifi. It's not like your vehicle (or any device) can just automatically connect to someone else's wifi.

No, but you can connect the Ranger to your home WiFi if you park in the driveway or garage.

 

[RedlandRanger]

I think you're confusing cellular with wifi. It's not like your vehicle (or any device) can just automatically connect to someone else's wifi.

Don't know about where you live, but around here I think anyone with Comcast internet has an open wifi access point. I would assume the truck could connect to it. I'm constantly being asked on my phone if I want to connect to an access point and most of them are comcast.

Maybe I should revise that statement - it isn't quite an open access point - it is separate from the users network, but it is open to the public. Kind of like a lot of routers nowadays have the option for a secured wifi and a public wifi - they are separate but go over the same pipe.

 

[toddiscdn]

All I can tell you is that I have not hooked up any At&T Wifi and when I started it in the earlier post, I was on a snowmobile trip and my truck was parked down a snowy lane in the middle of nowhere likely miles fro the nearest in home etc. wifi . I can tell you where I live its very rare if at all to find an open network.

I have done it with my phone on both data and wifi. I cant tell you how it works but my free trail for the truck hotspot has not yet been activated, I confirmed this. I know that obviously there is some cellular signal or the like, I do not know which, but can only tell you how it worked for me .

Cheers, Todd

 

[JDCinVA]

All I can tell you is that I have not hooked up any At&T Wifi and when I started it in the earlier post, I was on a snowmobile trip and my truck was parked down a snowy lane in the middle of nowhere likely miles fro the nearest in home etc. wifi . I can tell you where I live its very rare if at all to find an open network.

I have done it with my phone on both data and wifi. I cant tell you how it works but my free trail for the truck hotspot has not yet been activated, I confirmed this. I know that obviously there is some cellular signal or the like, I do not know which, but can only tell you how it worked for me .

Cheers, Todd

My truck is parked in a parking lot a good distance away from me, my phone is not connected to wifi at the moment, and neither is the truck. I was just able to unlock and lock my doors. So, it's definitely using cellular, and that tells me that the truck (for now, at least) has access to the AT&T cellular network. I guess the real question is, how long does this access last, and will we eventually have to start paying AT&T for it, even if we just want it for the FordPass functionality.

My interpretation (and hope?) from the FordPass Connect section on my sticker is that we'll always have access to the basic "Access Vehicle Control Features" such as remote start, lock/unlock, vehicle data, etc, but the Wi-Fi hotspot functionality is only a trial and requires a data plan from AT&T after the first 3 months. The basic vehicle control functionality really requires a minute amount of data, so it wouldn't be surprising if the deal Ford had with AT&T allowed for this for the life of the vehicle.

Another question is, if the basic AT&T access DOES go away after the three month trial, would the FordConnect functionality work exclusively over wifi, such as when your truck is parked in your driveway and connected to your home wifi? Not sure about that one.

ETA: On the owner FordPass page https://owner.ford.com/fordpass.html , disclosure note 171 states "Wi-Fi requires FordPass Connect, which includes complimentary 1-year subscription for remote features, excluding Wi-Fi hotspot, and starts with vehicle sale date." That makes it sound like all the remote features go away after one year unless you get an AT&T plan of some kind. That sucks if true.

 

[j0shm1lls]

This should clear things up...

 

[JDCinVA]

This should clear things up...

Unfortunately, it doesn't, because all marketing I've seen says the Ranger comes with "FordPass Connect", not SYNC Connect.

 

[j0shm1lls]

Unfortunately, it doesn't, because all marketing I've seen says the Ranger comes with "FordPass Connect", not SYNC Connect.

Well in that case... The description of this video states:

FordPass™ Connect is for 2019 and later model year vehicles and is required for certain features. FordPass Connect includes complimentary 1-year subscription for remote features, excluding Wi-Fi hotspot, and starts with vehicle sale date. Subscription is subject to compatible 4G network availability. Evolving technology/cellular networks may affect future functionality. Certain restrictions, third-party terms or message/data rates may apply.

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