Can someone explain the WIFI feature and how this can be used ? Does it require Verizon or AT&T sign up ? Thanks for your help and ideas

 

It is for updating the software in the headunit. If you park close enough to your house, you can connect to the wifi in your house and update. As far as I know, that's about it.

 

No interwebs in your truck I am afraid. It's used to connect it to a router for updates not so much to surf the webs.

I was surprised but also think Internet in my truck would just be a distraction. Looking at instigram knives and boobies while driving is not really good unless you got lane keep assist and adaptive cruise.

 

That's funny but true - I was thinking live TV going down the road ....

 

I have a hot spot on my phone that I use with my laptop all the time without issue.

Every time I connect my truck to it and say update the software, it searches for updates for so long that most times I end up just cancelling it. Once on a long road trip I just let it go and eventually it failed.

As far as I can tell, something is broken and nothing about that system works.

 

X2 on cell fone hotspot...I will let you know on the updates, need to do that...

 

How do you do the updates ? Park in your drive way press WIFI button and it ask's you for your password to your home WIFI ?

 

Once logged in as you stated enter password to connect it should auto update.

I still feel this is a massive security risk for the trucks for exploiting weaknesses but I have no proof to back this just a long background in IT and security.

 

I am going to hazard a guess...your fone must already be paired with your truck or it will not work or fail.

I have long since retired from the IT biz with almost 30 years under my belt. I have never had a virus, malware or anything else affect my computer. I have full responsibility for as many as 457 desktops/laptops and never had a virus infect thru my network or my Class I TELCO CARRIER grade data center I architected and owned. NOT saying a end user never loaded a virus and create a mess. But I never had one promulgated from and external malevolent actor.

Back tracing the path the biggest problem is kids and grandkids. Take them out of the pic and most issues will go away.

 

That's very subjective though Oaks. There is a thoughand variables that can come into play. I have worked on public, private, and non profit. Every single place has been effected one way or another. Depends on how attractive you are as a target as well as far as I am concerned.

The one good side is that I found out the whole architecture the super duty is based off of has been around for over a year and half according to the service manager. The F150 control modules and core system is inside of the F350.

Remote car updating and full on customizable computers in vehicles is fairly new as far as I am concerned. I wonder how long it will be until you can upload your own car OS without complex tuners.

 

Granted.

Yes my background perhaps a bit different, R&D ARPANET, UNIX first time I ever laid hands on a DOS/Windoze machine was in '95 (which convinced me to NEVER hire an engineer that worked at MS).

 

You never saw the Jeep hack? Connected cars=dangerous.

 

Turn wifi on just for the update and turn it off afterwards. I need to look at my router to see if it's connected while locked up and shut down.

 

How do you tell it to update or know if an update is pending? I jsut connected it briefly and nothing happened. Just said success for connecting. Looks like the wifi was a half materialized thought.

 

I'll have to double check. I think I saw the button briefly when i was setting everything up tonight. I didn't take the time to try an update yet.