Can You Get Wi-Fi in Your Car?

👤 Diwas Poudel 🕒 01 Jan 2023 📁 TECH

Yes, you most definitely can! You don’t have to leave behind the good internet connection that you enjoy at home, while you are on the road. In fact, you can carry it around with you in your car.

Wi-Fi technology is everywhere now. There is public Wi-Fi in libraries, malls, or cafes that are open for everyone to use. While there are others that are restricted to users of certain service providers. For instance, if you subscribe to the Comcast internet plans, you can connect to any of the public Comcast hotspots in the country, 8 million and counting. This public Wi-Fi are meant to provide you access outside your home so that you are always connected.

Car Wifi

When it comes to cars, you are always on the move, which means you can’t stop your car on the side of the road just to use public Wi-Fi. Your car needs its own internet connection. And, the process of making that happen is the same as getting a Wi-Fi connection for your home.

There are two ways, which we have discussed in this article.

Cars with Built-In Wi-Fi

Most of the newest cars nowadays have a built-in Wi-Fi connection installed that is capable of creating a Wi-Fi network. That’s right, they don’t need any additional equipment needed and are ready to be used for service with full control by the owner of the car.

Some of the cars have built-in Wi-Fi routers;
• Chevrolet’s Cruze, Sonic, Malibu, Spark, Trax
• Chrysler 200
• Dodge Dart
• Mercedes’s Benz C-Class
• Audi A3
• Toyota’s Camry, Corolla, Prius C, Rav4, Yaris

All you need to do is subscribe to internet service and then your car and smartphone devices are ready to connect.

However, you might only have access to a select few features, and you might also be locked into a particular data plan. Therefore, make a wise decision before purchasing a car with wifi.

Also read: Can Phones/Tablets use WIFI without SIM?

Cars Without Built-In Wi-Fi

Then there are cars that involve using traditional methods of connecting to the internet i.e. they don’t already have a Wi-Fi router installed. But, you can still get the Wi-Fi connection in there, and it has been discussed below;

Smartphone/Tablet

This is the easiest way to get a Wi-Fi connection in your car. You can already connect to the internet by using the mobile service on your smartphone or tablet. What if you could share this connection with other Wi-Fi-enabled devices in the range? That’s where using the car’s Wi-Fi comes in.

Turn on the personal hotspot on your smartphone or tablet. This will allow other Wi-Fi-enabled devices to be able to connect to the mobile internet provided by your smartphone or tablet. Whether it’s a 4G connection or 5G, you can perform your online activities in your car.

Mobile Hotspot Devices

There are also dedicated mobile hotspot devices that your car’s Wi-Fi can connect to. These devices use the same type of mobile service as your smartphone or tablet. They also have the same ability to create a wireless connection that any Wi-Fi-enabled device can connect to. They are basically portable modems and routers.

There are two types of mobile hotspot devices; dongles and self-contained devices. Dongles are USB devices that can be plugged into laptops or computers for creating a wireless connection. Self-contained, as the same suggests, are portable devices with a built-in battery that create a wireless connection as long as it is turned on. Both need devices to need mobile data service to create a working internet connection.

Also read: Windows 10 Internet Connection Sharing

Install a Router

You can also have the router installed in your car permanently. It might be an expensive option than dongles or hotspot devices, but it is as portable as your car. One plus point is that the radio signals will be stronger than what you typically get.

Have a router set up in your car and then you can connect your smartphones and laptops to the Wi-Fi signal while you are moving.

Also read: Can parents see my internet browsing history in the router?

Other Options

Another way you can have an internet connection in your car is by using old hardware. For instance, you might have an old phone that hasn’t been used in years. Turn on the mobile data service in that phone and connect your car’s Wi-Fi to that mobile phone’s hotspot. Also, plug in that phone to the car so it remands charged for as long as the car is running. That saves you from the hassle of turning on the hotspot on your primary mobile phone and using up its battery.

Wrapping Up

In summary, modern cars now come with a Wi-Fi router built in. Or, you can also find ways to get a Wi-Fi connection in your car. Being able to stream Netflix on a long drive is a great way to keep your kids entertained. Or, to keep yourself occupied with streaming music while you are driving. So, if you have been thinking of getting a Wi-Fi connection for your car, now is a good time!