3 sim - internet without legs

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Dermottdog
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Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2019 7:39 pm
Location: Orpington, Kent

Post by Dermottdog »

Hey everyone

My Vodafone sim deal ran out last month. So I decided, as many have, to go with the sim from the 3 network. Ever since the sim change, my remote start, flash headlights and horn have stopped working.

Now I’ve been talking with another member on this. His knowledge has been most welcome but I’ve still having issues and wondered if anyone has had remote issues if since they changed to 3.

It’s difficult to know if this is a sim coverage issue or a car issue. In the area where I live, coverage is on the low side. Today, I drove 8 miles away and still couldn’t flash the lights remotely. The problem that it’s a sim issue is screaming at me but it’s difficult to be sure.

To be clear, if you start and run the car normally for a few minutes and switch off and lock the car, you can remote start and flash the lights. However, I’m led to believe that this function would now becoming through the embedded sim which stays ‘active’ for an unknown time period after the car is locked. When that time period expires, the system switches over to the data sim. Obviously, if the sim is in a poor area, the sim won’t be able to pick up the remote command.

Also, not long after taking delivery, I was able to remote start the car. At that point in time, the dealership hadn’t yet provided me with the free Vodafone sim. The remote function must have come via the embedded VOC sim.

So, I’m left with a problem of diagnosis.
Is it a simple SIM card with zero coverage issues?
Is it a car issue?
Is it a embedded sim not switching over to the data sim?
Is it a configuration issue?

Last week, I drove to another area and was able to hook up my Mother in laws iPad and downloaded a program from the BBC iplayer app. The iPad was connected to the car and the program downloaded ok so it must have been using data from the 3 sim.

Any comments would be most welcome. I use remote start for heating and cooling the car a lot. If I’ve got to shell out for a Vodafone sim, then so be it. However, I don’t want to part with £100 and still find I have an issue.

Thanks - Rob
R Design Pro T5 AWD in Crystal White. Convenience Pack, Front Parking and Apple Car. Couldn’t afford anything else!! Arriving late September 2019.

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m@rk
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Location: Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

Post by m@rk »

So Volvo On Call uses its own SIM which is separate to the pSIM which is what you have replaced so moving from Vodafone to Three should not make any difference to the service
But somebody suggested the other day that when there is a pSIM installed, Volvo On Call uses that instead. I don’t know if this is actually the case but it’s worth mentioning
I suppose the simple check to see if it’s a coverage issue is to try connecting to the internet (like you did with the iPad) to prove the connection and then test the app (lights flashing etc) whilst in the same location. Likewise, with the car in the location where the app doesn’t work, try with the iPad and see if that works or not. I know this is a bit of a faf but it rules out connection issues.
Also
It might be worth double checking the settings for the in car modem (they should all be set to auto). Just in case
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Dermottdog
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Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2019 7:39 pm
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Post by Dermottdog »

m@rk wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:48 pm So Volvo On Call uses its own SIM which is separate to the pSIM which is what you have replaced so moving from Vodafone to Three should not make any difference to the service
But somebody suggested the other day that when there is a pSIM installed, Volvo On Call uses that instead. I don’t know if this is actually the case but it’s worth mentioning
I suppose the simple check to see if it’s a coverage issue is to try connecting to the internet (like you did with the iPad) to prove the connection and then test the app (lights flashing etc) whilst in the same location. Likewise, with the car in the location where the app doesn’t work, try with the iPad and see if that works or not. I know this is a bit of a faf but it rules out connection issues.
Also
It might be worth double checking the settings for the in car modem (they should all be set to auto). Just in case
Thanks
R Design Pro T5 AWD in Crystal White. Convenience Pack, Front Parking and Apple Car. Couldn’t afford anything else!! Arriving late September 2019.
Dermottdog
Posts: 768
Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2019 7:39 pm
Location: Orpington, Kent

Post by Dermottdog »

m@rk wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:48 pm So Volvo On Call uses its own SIM which is separate to the pSIM which is what you have replaced so moving from Vodafone to Three should not make any difference to the service
But somebody suggested the other day that when there is a pSIM installed, Volvo On Call uses that instead. I don’t know if this is actually the case but it’s worth mentioning
I suppose the simple check to see if it’s a coverage issue is to try connecting to the internet (like you did with the iPad) to prove the connection and then test the app (lights flashing etc) whilst in the same location. Likewise, with the car in the location where the app doesn’t work, try with the iPad and see if that works or not. I know this is a bit of a faf but it rules out connection issues.
Also
It might be worth double checking the settings for the in car modem (they should all be set to auto). Just in case

So, I’m starting to think this is either a car problem or configuration problem. Parked up after short journey. Tried to remote flash the lights and received a failure message. I’ll look into the settings but the car is obviously connected. Before started out this morning, I had no bars on the sim icon. When I reached my destination, I had good signal????

66E0B6A3-B757-4B3A-9F88-CE1514FE4F28.png

CEE38AAA-E864-4AEF-87C5-6F02A805180E.jpeg

C35251D0-D328-4257-8B5F-22B6221D228F.jpeg

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blastpipe
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Post by blastpipe »

Have I read that others have had problems when the car has only recently been switched off?
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Dermottdog
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Location: Orpington, Kent

Post by Dermottdog »

blastpipe wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 10:43 am Have I read that others have had problems when the car has only recently been switched off?
Blastpipe, yes I heard that as well. Thing is, others have said that the 3 sim works straight out of the box. This is correct, it does. But people either don’t use remote start or haven’t tested the function with the 3 sim fitted. Eugen61, who seems to have a finger on all the right pulses, has been giving me a few pointers too. I might need to buy a Vodafone sim again. Not ideal but we use remote start a hell of a lot last year. I’m just one of those odd people that need stuff to work if it’s fitted 🤪
R Design Pro T5 AWD in Crystal White. Convenience Pack, Front Parking and Apple Car. Couldn’t afford anything else!! Arriving late September 2019.
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m@rk
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Post by m@rk »

Dermottdog wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 11:07 am
blastpipe wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 10:43 am Have I read that others have had problems when the car has only recently been switched off?
Blastpipe, yes I heard that as well. Thing is, others have said that the 3 sim works straight out of the box. This is correct, it does. But people either don’t use remote start or haven’t tested the function with the 3 sim fitted. Eugen61, who seems to have a finger on all the right pulses, has been giving me a few pointers too. I might need to buy a Vodafone sim again. Not ideal but we use remote start a hell of a lot last year. I’m just one of those odd people that need stuff to work if it’s fitted 🤪
There is no reason to go back to Vodafone (unless you want to).

My suspicion is a rogue APN setting as I noticed the APN settings in my car when I first set it up looked unusual thus my comment that having everything set to auto would be the right thing to do.

But the fact the car is being seen in the app (as per the pictures) shows that the car is clearly communicating with the Volvo On Call app so this looks more fundamental. The change of provider MIGHT be coincidental but proving that is difficult via the internet

Note the little SIM picture is showing no signal on that 2nd image

Screenshot 2021-03-23 at 10.32.17.png

Sometimes, it can take the car a few minutes to turn on the modem and then register with the network (a bit like turning on a phone) so again it is difficult to figure out.
I suppose one question is that when you get back from a drive where you did get coverage and pull up outside your house, before you turn off the car, are you showing no (or little) signal again
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Dermottdog
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Post by Dermottdog »

m@rk wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 11:30 am
Dermottdog wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 11:07 am
blastpipe wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 10:43 am Have I read that others have had problems when the car has only recently been switched off?
Blastpipe, yes I heard that as well. Thing is, others have said that the 3 sim works straight out of the box. This is correct, it does. But people either don’t use remote start or haven’t tested the function with the 3 sim fitted. Eugen61, who seems to have a finger on all the right pulses, has been giving me a few pointers too. I might need to buy a Vodafone sim again. Not ideal but we use remote start a hell of a lot last year. I’m just one of those odd people that need stuff to work if it’s fitted 🤪
There is no reason to go back to Vodafone (unless you want to).

My suspicion is a rogue APN setting as I noticed the APN settings in my car when I first set it up looked unusual thus my comment that having everything set to auto would be the right thing to do.

But the fact the car is being seen in the app (as per the pictures) shows that the car is clearly communicating with the Volvo On Call app so this looks more fundamental. The change of provider MIGHT be coincidental but proving that is difficult via the internet

Note the little SIM picture is showing no signal on that 2nd image
Screenshot 2021-03-23 at 10.32.17.png
Sometimes, it can take the car a few minutes to turn on the modem and then register with the network (a bit like turning on a phone) so again it is difficult to figure out.
I suppose one question is that when you get back from a drive where you did get coverage and pull up outside your house, before you turn off the car, are you showing no (or little) signal again
M@rk
Thanks for your reply. I’m really confused by all this (doesn’t take a lot).

So, my first picture is when the car is outside my house. I can’t remote start or flash headlights or sound horn. As you say, the sim shows zero signal.

The 2nd picture is when we drove to my daughters house. The signal strength shows as high. But I still can’t remote start or flash the lights.

Just for my clarity AND sanity, can you or anybody confirm the settings I’m meant to have. I just plugged the 3 sim in and the globe appeared. I didn’t touch anything else. As you might know, setting up the Vodafone sim is a bit of a chore. It took me a few attempts to get the globe to appear.

From what Eugen61 has said, the embedded VOC sim switches off on start up if you have a p-sim fitted. If you don’t fit the p-sim, I can only assume the VOC either stays active or switches back on.

As i understand it, the VOC embedded sim stays active for a few minutes after switch off - hence why I can remote start and flash the lights for a small window of time.
R Design Pro T5 AWD in Crystal White. Convenience Pack, Front Parking and Apple Car. Couldn’t afford anything else!! Arriving late September 2019.
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