Wireless Android

[mellobob]

I purchased a cheap(pie) wireless android auto adapter for and have been using it in my (Canadian) 2023 GT. Honestly, it works like a damn. Connects within a few seconds to my cell phone, brings up the android auto screen in the car, starts my music playing, and I'm happy.

But ...

When I come home I turn off the car and start the 220 volt charger. Go in the house and my cell phone will NOT connect to my home wifi network. And, it won't connect to the cell-phone network either since there is none at the house All the phone wants to do is connect to the wireless network the addon device has created. Unfortunately, the USB-C port remains powered while the car is charging.

When the charge is complete, my home network becomes the one the phone connects (auto-connect) and all is well.

In my attempts to get this working, I wandered into my office-studio in the house and Bingo: it connected. But, as soon as I went back into the kitchen where the phone normally sits and is used the connection is dropped and the it attempts to connect to the car again. I checked this out and the car device is doesn't show up in the office, but it does in the kitchen. So, I guess the transmit on the device is "too strong".

Apart from unplugging the device each time I get home (which sort of makes it pretty stupid 'cause I might as well just connect my phone via a cable then) does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[roussir]

I purchased a cheap(pie) wireless android auto adapter for and have been using it in my (Canadian) 2023 GT. Honestly, it works like a damn. Connects within a few seconds to my cell phone, brings up the android auto screen in the car, starts my music playing, and I'm happy.

But ...

When I come home I turn off the car and start the 220 volt charger. Go in the house and my cell phone will NOT connect to my home wifi network. And, it won't connect to the cell-phone network either since there is none at the house All the phone wants to do is connect to the wireless network the addon device has created. Unfortunately, the USB-C port remains powered while the car is charging.

When the charge is complete, my home network becomes the one the phone connects (auto-connect) and all is well.

In my attempts to get this working, I wandered into my office-studio in the house and Bingo: it connected. But, as soon as I went back into the kitchen where the phone normally sits and is used the connection is dropped and the it attempts to connect to the car again. I checked this out and the car device is doesn't show up in the office, but it does in the kitchen. So, I guess the transmit on the device is "too strong".

Apart from unplugging the device each time I get home (which sort of makes it pretty stupid 'cause I might as well just connect my phone via a cable then) does anyone have any suggestions?

I would have suggested playing with your phone wifi settings, but it is actually the bluetooth connection that controls the wifi connection. Some bluetooth devices allow setting the BT range, yours may too.

Or try varying size aluminum foil sticker on the AA device to reduce the signal to the appropriate range. Of course, this risks damaging it or excessive power consumption.

 

[DaveL59]

There was a time I'd have suggested something like Profile scheduler+ to detect the Bluetooth ID of the car and then switch the WiFi to connect to the android auto WiFi. Likewise on losing the Bluetooth ID to let it connect to your home WiFi.

There may be other products that are able to do similar, assuming they can get around the security enhancements Google made to android that blocked such actions.

 

[mellobob]

I would have suggested playing with your phone wifi settings, but it is actually the bluetooth connection that controls the wifi connection. Some bluetooth devices allow setting the BT range, yours may too.

Or try varying size aluminum foil sticker on the AA device to reduce the signal to the appropriate range. Of course, this risks damaging it or excessive power consumption.

Yes, I thought about using a tinfoil hat I will need to try that.

Actually, the *real* problem is that the usb port remains active/live while charger is on. Once charged, the usb turns off.

 

[mellobob]

There was a time I'd have suggested something like Profile scheduler+ to detect the Bluetooth ID of the car and then switch the WiFi to connect to the android auto WiFi. Likewise on losing the Bluetooth ID to let it connect to your home WiFi.

There may be other products that are able to do similar, assuming they can get around the security enhancements Google made to android that blocked such actions.

The way I understand it, Bluetooth is used for a brief moment when the car (and device) are first turned on. This is so that a connection can be set up. Once the handshake is done, a wireless connection is established. I will need to try some screening or alum. tape to make the device less sensitive.

 

[DaveL59]

The way I understand it, Bluetooth is used for a brief moment when the car (and device) are first turned on. This is so that a connection can be set up. Once the handshake is done, a wireless connection is established. I will need to try some screening or alum. tape to make the device less sensitive.

exactly. The way it used to work was you could set a rule up so that on finding the BT ID you could trigger a suitable action, etc. I used to use that so that when paired with the car the phone would not then do any oddities with screen brightness etc that it may do as a result of other rules (time of day etc) since I'd likely be using it for SatNav functions. This was some years back mind and I know that scheduler product is no longer maintained, essentially killed off by google's OS changes, which is a shame.

IIRC there's Tasker now that may work tho I've never tried it so can't vouch for its operability.

 

[IllustratedRat]

I have a similar situation with a wifi-based audio device in my truck (2005 Ford Excursion Diesel).

The phone is smart enough that it won't allow the audio device to start the BT handshake that grabs the phone away from the default WiFi unless the default building network is too weak to maintain the connection. Apparently the phone's software stack knows enough not to hijack the WiFi connection to a device that doesn't provide a default gateway IP address.

DaveL59's idea to use an action is a good one; if you try that please let us know how it works.