[Martin]

Are you using satelite mode on the Porsche Nav?

Affirmative, and with your question it occurred to me that the constant photo map rendering might be a data hog. I just unchecked that option, which should help. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[DJRob]

If you take out the SIM card the PCM ...

I've found that if you press on the SIM it will eject about 3/8" and the door will close with the ejected SIM in the slot. Super easy way to control when it uses those precious GBs.

 

[DJRob]

Checking your data usage

To check the data usage on the provided ATT SIM, go to https://myvehicle.att.com. Register, if you haven't already, and you should see something like this:

 

[Martin]

In my experience, the ATT site did not allow me to register my SIM during the trial period. The day the trial ended, I could register but there was no record of prior data use. Once I chose a data plan I was able to track usage from that point forward.

 

[DJRob]

I just went to att.com/porsche as is said on the card that came with the SIM (image attached) and clicked on the link to sign up. It asked me for the ICCID of the SIM card and that was pretty much it.

The site is tracking my usage- after about 10 miles around town yesterday with the SIM inserted, I used 6.99 MB. I also found that the PCM does appear to cache some of the satellite data, since I ejected the SIM and the detail remained.

 

[Gaphillipson@me.com]

SIM Card Data Usage

Please forgive me if there is a thread somewhere else which deals with SIM Card and data usage. My 2017 Macan S (White, ACC, LED, Premium Pkg, Connect+) was delivered last week, following a short delay at the Port of Houston awaiting PCM unit. My question has to do with SIM Card Data usage. I have used 1.05 Gb so far, but have only travelled about 60 miles, and about 4 hours with the PCM unit 'on'. I am wondering which application or service is using so much data. Here is what I have tried to do so far to ascertain the data usage culprits:
1. Yesterday, (first usage following Delivery) here was my configuration: Google Earth selected as a Map 'Layer', Online Traffic selected, Radio One streaming internet radio. Following a two hour trip, data used was 932 Mb.
2. Today, before driving, I switched off Internet radio and used about 7 Gb. with the other items listed still 'on'. I then switched off both internet radio and the Google Earth Map layer. After a further hour, I had used another 7Mb. I have since switched off Online Traffic as a last resort, but I have not used the car since. I will report on usage when I do.

Can anyone say which applications or functions are using so much data? I can't believe internet radio requires so much bandwidth? Maybe I'm missing something?

Thanks, Gordon.

 

[wkearney99]

Was the hotspot feature enabled? Was anyone in the vehicle using a streaming video service? We had the AT&T SIM installed after taking delivery in Atlanta. The very next morning I got a 75% used message from AT&T. Turns out the kid's watching Netflix through the hotspot really chews up data... Which should come as no surprise, of course.

How has your data consumption been since your last post?

 

[alex_c]

Was the hotspot feature enabled? Was anyone in the vehicle using a streaming video service? We had the AT&T SIM installed after taking delivery in Atlanta. The very next morning I got a 75% used message from AT&T. Turns out the kid's watching Netflix through the hotspot really chews up data... Which should come as no surprise, of course.

How has your data consumption been since your last post?

Google earth eats up a LOT of data. I keep it off unless I need something specific from it. Have had mine just one day shy of 3 months, used it daily, have had traffic on all the time and streaming music most days. Still not used all of the 3 GB.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wkearney99]

Good to know, I plan to keep the Google Earth overlays inactive. I don't see much need for the picture overlays or 3D drawing styles. Yeah, they're neat looking but largely unnecessary for most driving situations.

The hotspot feature, likewise. It's all too easy for tablets and phone devices to treat any WiFi connection as not being cost-limited. They'll be stingy with a cell connection if there's one built-into the device. But they'll put no limits on a WiFi link. Stuff like firmware and app updates can really burn through bandwidth. They'll think the Porsche hotspot is the same as an unlimited home network because they have no way of telling otherwise.

 

[wkearney99]

Have had mine just one day shy of 3 months...

Do you plan on keeping the SIM active?

Because I've got a Verizon SIM in my PCM, and it's working fine. I haven't had the AT&T SIM in there at all for the past two weeks. But the plan for the AT&T SIM is still active. I have no idea whether the AT&T SIM's account being active has any impact on the rest of the services the PCM uses. The services don't care what kind of network they're using (cell or wifi makes no difference). But the servers on Porsche's end are presumably configured to do some kind of checking to establish if the PCM is allowed to use them.

I'm using the Verizon SIM because I've got a shared data plan on it. I can spread bandwidth consumption across all our devices. If I use the AT&T SIM I'd have to set up a separate account with AT&T and then guess-timate just how much bandwidth I'd to use for it. This is less-than-ideal because I have no idea how much I'd use on a regular basis, nor would that allow for the infrequent road trips where I'd need a lot more. With my shared plan I've got more elasticity without the added expense. Not to mention the added headaches of trying to deal with a second cell carrier.

The PCM gets activated at the same time as the SIM gets activated. But there's really several things getting activated all at once. The PVTS security system (which does NOT use the SIM), the Google services, the PCM features (hotspot, apps) and then the SIM. My question is whether the other services being active are tied to the SIM. As in, if I don't renew (or cancel) the AT&T SIM, what impact (if any) will that have on the PCM?

 

[Skinsfan]

Porsche is pretty far out on a limb here.....non disclosure is pretty serious. It's not the $155.....it's the principal of how Porsche does business in the US.....first the voice feature fiasco that continues to this day....and now this "hidden" charge. As far as I know, all of the info pointed to above is new.....after ordering the car/feature. Since I have time on my hands, this might be a small claims court activity, if not a consumer protection issue....we'll see how I feel...and what the truth is.

or a Class Action lawsuit....let's get this baby going! :|

 

[Gaphillipson@me.com]

I have run several experiments on my PCM4 Connect+ equipped '17 white/red interior Macan S. With Google and Traffic layers 'OFF' in Maps, streaming music using Radio.net on the PCM appears to use more than 300 Gb/hr, which is clearly unacceptable. Compared with my iPhone 6+ using the Apple Radio.net App, Wi Fi OFF, (LTE Data only), which used about 60 GB/hr, streaming identical station, (128 bps). I should very much appreciate it if anyone with Connect+ would check and report their data usage while streaming music using Radio.net on PCM4. I have found that Google Maps with Traffic layers in Nav are not outlandish data hogs. I have them on all the time, (except for the data experiments). Thanks!

 

[RJMcInnis]

I have run several experiments on my PCM4 Connect+ equipped '17 white/red interior Macan S. With Google and Traffic layers 'OFF' in Maps, streaming music using Radio.net on the PCM appears to use more than 300 Gb/hr, which is clearly unacceptable. Compared with my iPhone 6+ using the Apple Radio.net App, Wi Fi OFF, (LTE Data only), which used about 60 GB/hr, streaming identical station, (128 bps). I should very much appreciate it if anyone with Connect+ would check and report their data usage while streaming music using Radio.net on PCM4. I have found that Google Maps with Traffic layers in Nav are not outlandish data hogs. I have them on all the time, (except for the data experiments). Thanks!

I find it nearly impossible to believe your phone on a current LTE network is even capable of processing that much data an hour. How are you making these calculations?

 

[Gaphillipson@me.com]

I meant 60 Mb/hr. for the iPhone, 300 Mb/hr for the PVM4. Sorry!

To run Radio.net on the PCM, I first open the Porsche Connect App on the iPhone, and then connect the iPhone to the PCM Hotspot. Select Radio.net under APPs on PCM screen, tune an internet radio station. The Data used is reported by AT&T under the telephone number associated with the PCM SIM Card. This is where the 300 Mb/hr figure comes from. The data usage reported for the iPhone is obtained with WiFi off, connected to AT&T LTE network, Radio.net App on iPhone enabled. Same station tuned as selected for PCM data test.

Has anyone else seen this sort of data usage while streaming an internet radio station through Radio.net?

 

[Bluestraveler]

I've had my sim card and services active for 7 days. I logged on to my account at att.com/porsche last night and is says I've used 1.85GB of my 3GB trial. All I've done is enable all the map features (google earth, traffic, etc.) and added a few POIs. The car hasn't been in use for more than 10 hours. I can't get the POIs to show up unless I connect to my car wifi. Someone on this forum suggested that (having my phone on the car wifi) might be what is burning all the data, however I normally don't consume more than 2GB a month on my phone through my normal cell billing.

Any advice on how to connect to NAV/POIs without having to have my phone on the car wifi would be appreciated. The manual says that's the way to do it an it works. however it is going to consume data at these rate$$$s then it will not get used.

 

[catastrofe]

I've had my sim card and services active for 7 days. I logged on to my account at att.com/porsche last night and is says I've used 1.85GB of my 3GB trial. All I've done is enable all the map features (google earth, traffic, etc.) and added a few POIs. The car hasn't been in use for more than 10 hours. I can't get the POIs to show up unless I connect to my car wifi. Someone on this forum suggested that (having my phone on the car wifi) might be what is burning all the data, however I normally don't consume more than 2GB a month on my phone through my normal cell billing.

Any advice on how to connect to NAV/POIs without having to have my phone on the car wifi would be appreciated. The manual says that's the way to do it an it works. however it is going to consume data at these rate$$$s then it will not get used.

I'm pretty sure Google Earth is burning your data double-time.

 

[Gaphillipson@me.com]

Bluestraveler: I had a similar experience - and that is when I decided to try to isolate the data usage of individual services afforded by the PCM4/Connect+. I am not convinced that the Google Map layer or Traffic are the big data hogs, however I since I have been trying to isolate on the internet radio service, I have not determined the data rates associated with Google Maps/Earth, and I could be very wrong.

So, what I have been doing is to turn OFF Google Map Layer, Traffic Map Layer and isolating on the Radio.net App in PCM. My iPhone 6+ is using a nominal amount of data to stream a 128 bps Radio.net internet radio station when connected to the ATT LTE network, (about 60 Mb/hr). (There is a Radio.net App for the iPhone). As you know, there is another Radio.net App provided in the PCM 'Apps'. When using that PCM App, my data usage, (reported for the SIM card telephone number) is more like 300 MB/hr. I have been wondering whether just my PCM4 is using exorbitant amounts of data. I have approached Porsche who are saying that they have had no other complaints similar to mine, but are paying attention. If you would like to pursue this issue with me offline, my email address is: gaphillipson@me.com

Gordon

 

[NewbiePorsche]

Do you plan on keeping the SIM active?

Because I've got a Verizon SIM in my PCM, and it's working fine. I haven't had the AT&T SIM in there at all for the past two weeks. But the plan for the AT&T SIM is still active. I have no idea whether the AT&T SIM's account being active has any impact on the rest of the services the PCM uses. The services don't care what kind of network they're using (cell or wifi makes no difference). But the servers on Porsche's end are presumably configured to do some kind of checking to establish if the PCM is allowed to use them.

I'm using the Verizon SIM because I've got a shared data plan on it. I can spread bandwidth consumption across all our devices. If I use the AT&T SIM I'd have to set up a separate account with AT&T and then guess-timate just how much bandwidth I'd to use for it. This is less-than-ideal because I have no idea how much I'd use on a regular basis, nor would that allow for the infrequent road trips where I'd need a lot more. With my shared plan I've got more elasticity without the added expense. Not to mention the added headaches of trying to deal with a second cell carrier.

The PCM gets activated at the same time as the SIM gets activated. But there's really several things getting activated all at once. The PVTS security system (which does NOT use the SIM), the Google services, the PCM features (hotspot, apps) and then the SIM. My question is whether the other services being active are tied to the SIM. As in, if I don't renew (or cancel) the AT&T SIM, what impact (if any) will that have on the PCM?

I am just trying to confirm that a Verizon SIM works. From what I've read here, CDMA cards won't work. I am locked into a Verizon plan but am looking at a cost effective option after I burn through my 3GB ATT trial SIM.

 

[Bluestraveler]

I'm pretty sure Google Earth is burning your data double-time.

Pretty sure you're right.

I unplugged the SIM. Rechecked the AT&T data usage and it has stopped (wasn't if that would even work, not that I'm a conspiracy theorist or anything).

I'm wondering if that exorbitant google maps number is a one time thing because it is downloading a large base dataset or if that is what it does all the time no matter what.

 

[catastrofe]

Pretty sure you're right.

I unplugged the SIM. Rechecked the AT&T data usage and it has stopped (wasn't if that would even work, not that I'm a conspiracy theorist or anything).

I'm wondering if that exorbitant google maps number is a one time thing because it is downloading a large base dataset or if that is what it does all the time no matter what.

I think there's a difference between using Google Maps vs using Google Earth. I've used Google Maps in lieu of a NAV system for years, and have found that data usage is fairly benign. Google Earth is an entirely different animal, and can quickly put you into the data poorhouse. I'm currently using Apple Maps via CarPlay as I didn't order NAV or Connect Plus. Minimal data usage this way as well.