I saw that the Routan now comes with the option to add in WiFi .... does anyone know if this is going to be an option for ALL VW vehicles soon?

I looked all over the www.autonetmobile.com website and could not find anything about it.

WiFi in my VW ... that would be like peanut butter and jelly

 

doubtful. Routan is a Chrysler based product that doesnt share any tech with the rest of the lineup.

Sorry.

 

Still I did find this Cnet review by Brian Cooley...

http://cnettv.cnet.com/autonet-mobil...-50074938.html

 

I just got an email back from Autonetmobile.com and they said..... "Currently only the Routan has gone through the necessary EMC certification but once EMC has been completed for other VW vehicles it will be made available through your VW dealership"

 

If you're that concerned about WiFi in yoru vehicle.... you might want to check out something like Verizon Mi Fi, which you could also take other places.

 

The problem with the Verizon MiFi is... it's not made specifically for your car... ie:while in motion .... a friend of mine has the MiFi and streaming audio while going down the road is not something it can do.

The autonet router is actually built for the car and has undergone auto industry testing.... they have some sort of special technology built in that manages the data and the connection between towers .. that MiFi dealio does not.

I also just realized that you can buy it directly from Amazon and have it installed yourself Which I'm planning on doing this week.... so no need to wait till it comes to the dealership or built into the dash.

 

Ok so ... I got my router installed and working! Here is my review with the experience so far.

Delivery- Came fast and easy.. I ordered from Amazon.com and the cost after rebate was a little over $200.00 ! $386.94 plus tax with a $200 rebate!

Installation- I had my local stereo store install it under my seat for $50! They told me it took about 30 min!

Performance- I would say Autonet is pretty spot on with what they claim. It seems to work seemlessly while in motion.... MUCH better than my cell card did. I am able to stream pandora without choppyness or lag ... I will say that every now and then you may get a second of hiccup but it's not enough to annoy you.... like once every 30 minutes.
Video streaming also works pretty good... granted it's still a 3g connection so the loading can be a little cumbersome but once it's starts streaming I have noticed very little hiccuping. It's for sure better than a cell card.

Range-Autonetmobile claims you can use it up to 150 ft from the vehicle and I would say this is accurate. I didn't bust out a tape measure but I was about 120-140 ft away with no problems.

All in all I would say I feel really good about the price and the performance... in the long run it will save me money for sure ... my cell card was costing me about $80 per month on average and Autonet is $29 FLAT rate. No taxes, no overages, no roaming.

I am definitely excited to road trip it up now!!!!