What is Car-Net?

[DorsetDave]

Just been looking on GTI TV at http://www.golf-gti.tv and looking at the Discover Pro information it states:-

"The 'Discover Pro' navigation system comes with a coloured easy-to-use TFT-touchscreen and a variety of useful components. The integrated Car-Net online services keep you updated about what is going on in your surrounding area."

Does anyone know how this works? Does it link to your mobile (IPhone) and use up your data allowance, and does this allow you to use the Google Maps as shown on a lot of the testers videos such as in http://youtu.be/-8fCySmIL8c ?

[p3asa]

I'm sure the UK don't get access to car-net. This has been discussed in other threads. 

[Andy_cs]

Accurate UK info is a bit difficult to come by, have look at
http://en.volkswagen.com/en/Online_Services.html#/tab=501bb1db84af03a92aa131379d7738bd

and http://en.volkswagen.com/en/Online_Services/laenderverfuegbarkeit.html which indicates service is availalbe in UK, I guess time will tell

[Jimble]

Accurate UK info is a bit difficult to come by, have look at
http://en.volkswagen.com/en/Online_Services.html#/tab=501bb1db84af03a92aa131379d7738bd

and http://en.volkswagen.com/en/Online_Services/laenderverfuegbarkeit.html which indicates service is availalbe in UK, I guess time will tell

Very interesting, so it won't work with the iphone then as it's not rsap enabled in which case you'd need a sim card to put in the car with credit or contract!? 

It looks awesome but could work out expensive!

[Sootchucker]

Yeah we don't have it yet, but I guess in time it will come like Audi' "connect" which is only just now available for order on the A3 some 6 months after launch.

Essentially, car net is a way of receiving information via the Internet in the car on the move. This can be used for example, googlemap overlays for the sat Nav, real time traffic jam reporting and displaying, live POI searches and picture searches etc. as well as generating a wifi network in the car for passengers to log onto for example their iPads.

Trouble is, car net is only available with a certain hardware combination. Firstly a prerequisite is Discover Nav Pro (the other Navs will not work). Secondly mobile phone premium. Using this system the car can connect in one of 2 ways. Firstly, if the phone connected to the inductive phone plate in the armrest is rSAP compatible, then it will use this phone and sim to download the relevant information. Additionally, the Nav hardware installed in the glovebox (that has the 2 SD card slots), in addition would have a sim slot. This sim slot will take a standard phone sim with a data and talk allowance, and use this instead of the actual phone.

The €100 extra in the German price list for Car net, as I understand it, is for the modified glovebox unit with the Sim slot, (and its this that currently isn't available in the UK), but as said, you also need the premium phone pack as well and Navi pro.

[Bill_the_Bear]

Trouble is, car net is only available with a certain hardware combination. Firstly a prerequisite is Discover Nav Pro (the other Navs will not work). Secondly mobile phone premium. Using this system the car can connect in one of 2 ways. Firstly, if the phone connected to the inductive phone plate in the armrest is rSAP compatible, then it will use this phone and sim to download the relevant information. Additionally, the Nav hardware installed in the glovebox (that has the 2 SD card slots), in addition would have a sim slot. This sim slot will take a standard phone sim with a data and talk allowance, and use this instead of the actual phone.

Hmm.  So as I understand you this link:
http://en.volkswagen.com/en/Online_Services/laenderverfuegbarkeit.html
says we can get all the services.  But, you must have Pro Nav and Advanced Phone Prep... and then they are going to be using your data allowance to stream the data?  My experience with UK networks data coverage (in Cambridge mind, renowned for being the flattest county in the country) is that connection is exceedingly poor.  Probably the worst service in the world anyway.  Like they have one 3G cell tower with a range of 200m or something.  I'm not exaggerating much here its piss poor.

So, thats going to be hideously expensive on the phone bill then?  Probably need to switch to unlimited 4G to get anywhere.  Not to mention adding phone prep too... grr.  Oh and no word of when or if it would actually work? I'd have to drop one of my options to add this.

Anyone know how the phone prep works with android?  Any issues?

[mcmaddy]

Am I right in thinking you can't even spec the premium phone set up anyway on its own? I can't see it on any of the pricelists I've got.

[Andy_cs]

It's an option on the May 1st price list @ £310

I'm sort of tempted along with the Climate windscreen but only if the Car Net thing works as described, I think this is not yet clear in the UK. rSap should be OK with my Galaxy S3 from what I can tell

[p3asa]

Yeah we don't have it yet, but I guess in time it will come like Audi' "connect" which is only just now available for order on the A3 some 6 months after launch.

I've had Audi Connect on my A1 for the last 6 months. Nothing really to write home about.
You get Google Maps which is good so in effect you shouldn't need to update your maps.

I can access the weather and the news while on the move and it gives you details mostly historic about the area you are driving through or going to.

Probably the best thing about it is you can search Google on line for shops etc and then navigate to them or it gives you the option to phone them.



Oh it also gives you Google Street view when you have stopped.

It has a SIM slot on the head unit so if you do have an iPhone you can still use all the services however it either means removing your SIM every trip or having a different phone number while in the car.

[mcmaddy]

It's an option on the May 1st price list @ £310

I'm sort of tempted along with the Climate windscreen but only if the Car Net thing works as described, I think this is not yet clear in the UK. rSap should be OK with my Galaxy S3 from what I can tell

S3 will work no problem. I need to update the firmware on my s2 before the car comes.