Rather than lose this in the sat-nav thread, I'll ask here.
Just back from a looooooong drive from Surrey (M25 J10 - J21), I think I need a sat-nav with traffic info.
I've an old one with no traffic info, great for finding an address but not much else.
SWMBO and I have basic cell phones (Samsung GT-E2121B and Nokia225) on PAYG.
SWMBO also has a Nexus 9 tablet model 82100 (no SIM), but seems to have: 'Internal GPS antenna + GLONASS'
Is there any way we can use this tablet as a sat-nav and utilise it to re-route to avoid congestion. I've looked through available apps, but they make no sense to this dinosaur.
Please be gentle with me......................
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The Nexus 9 with GPS will be able to run a sat nav app or Google Maps if you cache the data. The problem you have us up to date traffic info needs a data connection.
Although you have basic cell phones at the moment, do you have any form of data allowance on your phone tariff? Because you could in theory connect via Bluetooth to the Internet using a GPRS connection from the tablet. You might even be able to do that with the old sat-nav you have. I used to do that when I travelled more from my old TomTom 720 and the HP iPAQ before that.
Your main problem is the data isn't it. So we need to figure out if you can manage that. If you have a limited allowance then making best use of the small allowance for traffic data and nothing else is important. Could have the tablet consume your allowance in no time.
I recently enabled my phone to backup photos to Samsung Cloud when I take photos... It's used over 2.5GB this month! My SIM only deal has 16GB so not panicking :-)
Last edited by: rtj70 on Mon 16 Oct 17 at 18:04
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>>do you have any form of data allowance on your phone tariff? Because you could in theory connect via Bluetooth to the Internet using a GPRS connection from the tablet.
SWMBO has lots of data accrued on her Nokia, as she never uses any of it.
Connecting her Nokia to the tablet by bluetooth could be challenge, we'll ask SIL, he's a website developer. Can't connect her Nokia to the car (early '14 reg Yaris) although the Samsung will with basic facilities only.
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>> SWMBO has lots of data accrued on her Nokia, as she never uses any of
>> it.
Err maybe, probably not. Most monthly data allowances do not accrue. Use it or lose it.
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Also I do not believe that phone can share its internet service. i.e. it cannot work as a hotspot.
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>> Also I do not believe that phone can share its internet service. i.e. it cannot work as a hotspot.
Your phone? Is that what you refer to here because mine supports WiFi hotspots. And previous SIMs (over and including 10 years ago) with only GPRS allowed me to use GPRS to access specific services via GPRS over Bluetooth.
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You've got a Nokia 225 as well?
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>> Also I do not believe that phone can share its internet service. i.e. it cannot
>> work as a hotspot.
>>
I was using a Sony Xperia X10i as a WiFi hotspot nearly seven years ago, as far as I know all Android and Apple phones over that period of time have been able to do the same.
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>> I was using a Sony Xperia X10i as a WiFi hotspot ,.........
So according to Cheddar there should be no problem then.
I'd still recommend a better (more modern) phone though.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Tue 17 Oct 17 at 12:02
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I also note that the 225 has no 3G or WiFi. So even if you can get bluetooth network sharing working reliably [which I doubt, because its a RPITA] it'll be depressingly slow, even more so when your tablet tries to update as it realises it is on WiFi.
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>> So according to Cheddar there should be no problem then.
>>
>> I'd still recommend a better (more modern) phone though.
>>
I was not saying that the OP's Samsung and Nokia phones would do the job, I was replying to your assertion that phones can't share their internet and operate as hotspots.
The answer is a suitable Android phone that can run Google maps etc and operate as a hotspot, the Alcatel you mention might do the job though I have no experience of it.
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>>I was replying to your assertion that phones can't share their internet and operate as hotspots.
I didn't say that.
What I said was *that* phone cannot share its internet connection reliably.
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>> I didn't say that.
>>
OK, apologies, I thought you were referring to phones in general.
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>>as far as I know all Android and Apple phones over that period of time have been able to do the same.
p.p.p.s or something.
Fairly obviously, its usually a hardware restriction, not an operating system issue.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Tue 17 Oct 17 at 12:26
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Sky let data accummulate for up to three years...!!
tinyurl.com/y6wyydl5
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I would replace your wife's phone with something like an Alcatel Pixi 4(5). There's a refurbished one on Amazon UK at the moment for about £50.
There's other phones around, in fact there are cheaper ones than the Pixi, it just happened to be the first reasonable one reasonably priced that I found.
Stick your wife's SIM in it, the phone is unlocked so it'll be no issue.
Then you can install something like Google Maps [free] or Waze [also free]. Both supply traffic info [free]. I prefer Google Maps, but people's preferences vary.
Both keep their maps updated [free] and allow you to download maps for regularly travelled areas if you wish [saves on data usage and copes with bad signal areas].
It should also make friends with your car.
I don't think you can share an internet connection from your current phones to the tablet, and even if you could it is likely to be painful to keep connected as one or other sleeps. What's more, you'll have to stop the tablet updating apps and stuff, because it would think it was on WiFi. Simply too much like hard work with not much chance of success if you ask me.
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Sat-nav alternative - rtj70
