q1n3fer 1st Gear September 1, 2020 Share September 1, 2020 Has anyone tried connecting a 4g dongle to the usb slot of a android head unit? does it work? Hope to get some answers before i go ahead and purchase a dongle... ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1fast1 Supersonic September 1, 2020 Share September 1, 2020 (edited) Never done it before, never would unless I was sure it was an intended use case. Note that USB devices are not harmless. Worst case scenario is catastrophic hardware failure. If you connect the wrong thing to the wrong thing, you can f*** everything up, not just your HU but your entire car electrical system. I've messed up an old laptop by connecting a cheap China electronic toy dongle with a USB jack, but I did it intentionally, just to see what would happen. Well, motherboard fried, laptop in the trash. There are also dedicated USB killer devices you can purchase (although you really shouldn't). They work. https://usbkill.com/ Edited September 1, 2020 by Turboflat4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kobayashiGT Internal Moderator September 1, 2020 Share September 1, 2020 3 hours ago, q1n3fer said: Has anyone tried connecting a 4g dongle to the usb slot of a android head unit? does it work? Hope to get some answers before i go ahead and purchase a dongle... Why so mafan, you just on your tethering of your phone all the way lor. When you are inside the car, it can connect le. Rather than you spend 70 bucks on a dongle. Might as well just use that money for the data. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallaw819 4th Gear September 1, 2020 Share September 1, 2020 if need 4G should have gotten HU with sim slot. most of the usb does not support dongle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
q1n3fer 1st Gear September 2, 2020 Author Share September 2, 2020 (edited) 13 hours ago, Wallaw819 said: if need 4G should have gotten HU with sim slot. most of the usb does not support dongle. yea.. should have gotten 1 with sim card slot Edited September 2, 2020 by q1n3fer 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
q1n3fer 1st Gear September 2, 2020 Author Share September 2, 2020 18 hours ago, kobayashiGT said: Why so mafan, you just on your tethering of your phone all the way lor. When you are inside the car, it can connect le. Rather than you spend 70 bucks on a dongle. Might as well just use that money for the data. that is what i'm doing now.. just thinking is there anyway to save that step. coz if dongle works, everytime the head unit turns on.. there is connection already. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lotr 6th Gear September 2, 2020 Share September 2, 2020 Just wondering if we really need a separate data connection in a car. There's already apple carplay and android auto which would take care of the key functions like navigation, music, calls and messaging. And if hotspot is needed to share with the car itself, the car cam and passengers, the phone can also be used. But I just a noob in this area, and would be more than happy to be enlightened. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lala81 Hypersonic September 2, 2020 Share September 2, 2020 if i need google maps. I just put my phone in in front of my odometer. haha I listen to radio. So don't need spotify lol. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kobayashiGT Internal Moderator September 2, 2020 Share September 2, 2020 1 hour ago, q1n3fer said: that is what i'm doing now.. just thinking is there anyway to save that step. coz if dongle works, everytime the head unit turns on.. there is connection already. hahha. You sell your existing one and buy one with sim slot lor! Some fools buy some fools sell! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
q1n3fer 1st Gear September 2, 2020 Author Share September 2, 2020 23 minutes ago, kobayashiGT said: hahha. You sell your existing one and buy one with sim slot lor! Some fools buy some fools sell! too troublesome for that.. shall just live with it 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
q1n3fer 1st Gear September 2, 2020 Author Share September 2, 2020 1 hour ago, Lotr said: Just wondering if we really need a separate data connection in a car. There's already apple carplay and android auto which would take care of the key functions like navigation, music, calls and messaging. And if hotspot is needed to share with the car itself, the car cam and passengers, the phone can also be used. But I just a noob in this area, and would be more than happy to be enlightened. that is if you are driving a fairly new car.. which supports apple carplay and android auto. There are those who are driving older cars that don't even have a physical screen, and will need to upgrade their head unit.. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lotr 6th Gear September 2, 2020 Share September 2, 2020 5 minutes ago, q1n3fer said: that is if you are driving a fairly new car.. which supports apple carplay and android auto. There are those who are driving older cars that don't even have a physical screen, and will need to upgrade their head unit.. I see. But even with upgrade, all the key functions can be accessed using carplay or Android auto. So, what is the need for a separate 4G dongle? Just turn on the hotspot and the phone is the dongle. Unless you want internet connection at all times even when car is parked. My car has a physical screen but no carplay or android auto. Normally, I would use my phone for Waze and messaging. My head unit is only used for radio and calls (BT connection). Otherwise, the screen is off. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
q1n3fer 1st Gear September 2, 2020 Author Share September 2, 2020 2 minutes ago, Lotr said: I see. But even with upgrade, all the key functions can be accessed using carplay or Android auto. So, what is the need for a separate 4G dongle? Just turn on the hotspot and the phone is the dongle. Unless you want internet connection at all times even when car is parked. My car has a physical screen but no carplay or android auto. Normally, I would use my phone for Waze and messaging. My head unit is only used for radio and calls (BT connection). Otherwise, the screen is off. yea, like i mentioned earlier.. i'm using the hotspot option now. just asking if dongle is possible. that way, i can skip turning on hotspot from my phone. reason being, if my dad happens to drive my car, he will not know hw to turn on hotspot from his phone.. but if dongle option was possible, he'll be able to use map as soon as the headunit is turned on 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jman888 Moderator September 2, 2020 Share September 2, 2020 3 minutes ago, q1n3fer said: yea, like i mentioned earlier.. i'm using the hotspot option now. just asking if dongle is possible. that way, i can skip turning on hotspot from my phone. reason being, if my dad happens to drive my car, he will not know hw to turn on hotspot from his phone.. but if dongle option was possible, he'll be able to use map as soon as the headunit is turned on then just get a portable wifi router and leave it in the car, just remember to plug in the usb charging when low batt. but why need network in the car if everyone has a phone? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiLangKia Supersonic September 2, 2020 Share September 2, 2020 (edited) 18 minutes ago, q1n3fer said: yea, like i mentioned earlier.. i'm using the hotspot option now. just asking if dongle is possible. that way, i can skip turning on hotspot from my phone. reason being, if my dad happens to drive my car, he will not know hw to turn on hotspot from his phone.. but if dongle option was possible, he'll be able to use map as soon as the headunit is turned on why not just teach him how to turn on the hotspot ? 😏 Edited September 2, 2020 by SiLangKia 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
q1n3fer 1st Gear September 2, 2020 Author Share September 2, 2020 17 minutes ago, SiLangKia said: why not just teach him how to turn on the hotspot ? 😏 yea.. gd idea! will try to do that 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
q1n3fer 1st Gear September 2, 2020 Author Share September 2, 2020 thanks for all the replies guys! found the solution though.. seems like usb dongle is feasible. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopites Supersonic September 2, 2020 Share September 2, 2020 21 hours ago, kobayashiGT said: Why so mafan, you just on your tethering of your phone all the way lor. When you are inside the car, it can connect le. Rather than you spend 70 bucks on a dongle. Might as well just use that money for the data. Dongle cost around $10 plus only. ↡ Advertisement 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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