What purpose does the SIM perform when inserted into the CRN ?

[JoeBiff]

Hoping some can give me an idea of the best way forward

Aquired a Connected Nav and would like to utilise the live traffic updates etc. I have tethered it to my phone...at least I think I have
Map & Device updates would be done at home on wifi

Apologies for the thread hijack.
What purpose does the SIM perform when inserted into the CRN ?

If your phone is tethered to the CRN, can't that link be used for live traffic data, calls, muzak and the likes?
It appears to me that it's unnecessary....

BTW - I'm looking at a data-only Lebara SIM card for the CRN if I do see a benefit (£1.20 for six months PAYG then £4.90 monthly thereafter)

======

I have saved you the trouble of starting a fresh thread, thereby avoiding the hijack.

Richard

 

[MadIrish]

Apologies for the thread hijack.
What purpose does the SIM perform when inserted into the CRN ?

If your phone is tethered to the CRN, can't that link be used for live traffic data, calls, muzak and the likes?
It appears to me that it's unnecessary....

BTW - I'm looking at a data-only Lebara SIM card for the CRN if I do see a benefit (£1.20 for six months PAYG then £4.90 monthly thereafter)

======

I have saved you the trouble of starting a fresh thread, thereby avoiding the hijack.

Richard

I have an iphone 13 mini & when the personal hotspot is on to connect to my CRN it drains the battery quite quickly. Before I used a sim in my CRN I would have to add a powerbank to my phone for all day riding. For the sake of just over £1 a month it seems like a more convenient option. My phone is still connected via Bluetooth so I have all the other stuff I need, just traffic is taken care of by the sim in my CRN.

 

[JoeBiff]

I have an iphone 13 mini & when the personal hotspot is on to connect to my CRN it drains the battery quite quickly. Before I used a sim in my CRN I would have to add a powerbank to my phone for all day riding. For the sake of just over £1 a month it seems like a more convenient option. My phone is still connected via Bluetooth so I have all the other stuff I need, just traffic is taken care of by the sim in my CRN.

Thank you.
I thought the live traffic would have been transferred (iPhone > CRN) via Bluetooth - using the iPhone’s Connected Ride App.

 

[HGS]

Live traffic updates
For the cost of the rolling monthly Lebara sim it saves tethering to my phone
Can cancel after the summer euro trips
Also with Lebara it gives you roaming data
I'll never use the unlimited minutes or texts
The 100 minutes per month international calls could come in handy

Noticed it does give little indicators on the map with time delays in minutes as you travel

 

[MadIrish]

From the connected ride article at BMW, I quote:

What's the benefit of installing a SIM card in the ConnectedRide Navigator?​

The SIM card permanently inserted in the Navigator allows you to always be online without having to use your smartphone as a mobile hotspot.


If you have a data SIM card (Micro-SIM, compatible up to 4G / LTE) inserted in the ConnectedRide Navigator, you can activate the "Take traffic into account" function at any time and also receive "over-the-air updates", such as new maps or download the latest software update.

Personally I think it's all a bit of a faff as my Garmin XT on my old Versys did everything by Bluetooth.

 

[JoeBiff]

From the connected ride article at BMW, I quote:

What's the benefit of installing a SIM card in the ConnectedRide Navigator?​

The SIM card permanently inserted in the Navigator allows you to always be online without having to use your smartphone as a mobile hotspot.


If you have a data SIM card (Micro-SIM, compatible up to 4G / LTE) inserted in the ConnectedRide Navigator, you can activate the "Take traffic into account" function at any time and also receive "over-the-air updates", such as new maps or download the latest software update.

Personally I think it's all a bit of a faff as my Garmin XT on my old Versys did everything by Bluetooth.

Thank you, I did see that but continued to wonder if there was anything more to it.
Likewise, same experience with my XT which pulled traffic data through my phone.

I'm not really a huge fan of updating maps/software 'on-the-fly' when away on a trip; Garmin had the unenviable trick of new maps spoiling pre-determined routes ...

 

[Victor c]

With a SIM card installed, I found the cloud sync was also more reliable. If setting up a route via the Connectedride app, it would sync instantly providing both phone and CRN had good signal. If Wi-Fi hotspot tethered, I always have to wait a while.

 

[Victor c]

It will be really interesting to see if those using a UK Lebara SIM cards can get them to work in Europe. I couldn’t get the Smarty one to work. It worked fine in my phone.

 

[HGS]

It will be really interesting to see if those using a UK Lebara SIM cards can get them to work in Europe. I couldn’t get the Smarty one to work. It worked fine in my phone.

I'll tell you in June

 

[HGS]

You can turn off map updates via sim
If you need to update whilst away either tether or do it over WiFi
Its a learning curve for me....only had it 2 weeks

 

[JoeBiff]

Lebara SIM incoming tomorrow.
Let’s see how well it tethers with the phone’s CR app.

 

[JoeBiff]

It will be really interesting to see if those using a UK Lebara SIM cards can get them to work in Europe. I couldn’t get the Smarty one to work. It worked fine in my phone.

Quick update to your question about Lebara SIM.
No problems in Europe recently with the SIM and a reliable experience with the CRN mapping & routeing overall.

 

[HGS]

Did you have to do anything with the lebara sim, like set it up for roaming in a phone first or did it work in the crn in europe straight off?
Ta

 

[JoeBiff]

Did you have to do anything with the lebara sim, like set it up for roaming in a phone first or did it work in the crn in europe straight off?
Ta

Worked straightaway from its insertion into the CRN.
It’s for data-only and the SIM hasn’t been near a mobile phone for setup, etc.

I purchased the MSE 10GB Exclusive Monthly Plan (£1.27 month) which included roaming.

 

[HGS]

Same for me....data only in the crn
Also via MSE
Lebara sent me a few emails regarding setting up roaming but referred to phone settings....didn't bother
Been fine using it in uk but off to europe next week
I will leave well alone
Thanks

 

[Oldrat]

I use a Lebara Sim in my Iphone, and it works well all over Europe plus a number of other places.

Be aware though, that strangely, you need to buy a ‘bolt on’ to use it in the Isle of Man as I found out last week!

 

[Victor c]

Worked straightaway from its insertion into the CRN.
It’s for data-only and the SIM hasn’t been near a mobile phone for setup, etc.

I purchased the MSE 10GB Exclusive Monthly Plan (£1.27 month) which included roaming.

Great news. I have the MSE deal, but went with a standard phone sim, which I’ve pre set up in my iPhone. It’s working fine in the CRN here in the UK, soit works ok in Europe.

 

[Victor c]

Same for me....data only in the crn
Also via MSE
Lebara sent me a few emails regarding setting up roaming but referred to phone settings....didn't bother
Been fine using it in uk but off to europe next week
I will leave well alone
Thanks

I checked the sim data settings in my crn after inserting the Lebara sim. It has preset the APN setting to UK.LEBARA.Mobi, which the Smarty sim didn’t. We are off on the 21st, soit works.