What are these network devices?

Jimrpa

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Has anyone figured out the purpose of the different Network devices from the Mustang Mach E?
On Bluetooth, I have two devices:
XXXXX MACH E (where XXXXX is the last 5 of my VIN)
Mustang Mach E
Sometimes the VIN device is connected, but the other device is never connected.
On WiFi, I have two devices:
SYNC
mdm9650-tcu
It’s very rare to see either of these devices actually connected to my home WiFi. mdm9650-tcu will be on for a few minutes after I park and that’s it.
Any idea what these devices are? I’d expect one Bluetooth and one WiFi, but I’m puzzled about 2, and I’m puzzled that the WiFi is never connected. (Rock solid WiFi in the garage and the FCCS is always on the network.)
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Do both of those devices join your wifi, or are you seeing them in a wifi scanner?

The car is both a wifi client and (multiple) wifi hotspots. It serves as a wifi hotspot for android auto/carplay, and of course has an actual AT&T hotspot in the car. And, it can join your home wifi as a client

Multiple bluetooth devices are probably one for the infotainment system and then another separate one for PaaK if I had to guess. My former Tesla had 3 different Bluetooth devices it would show up connected to for PaaK
 
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Jimrpa

Jimrpa

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Do both of those devices join your wifi, or are you seeing them in a wifi scanner?

The car is both a wifi client and (multiple) wifi hotspots. It serves as a wifi hotspot for android auto/carplay, and of course has an actual AT&T hotspot in the car. And, it can join your home wifi as a client

Multiple bluetooth devices are probably one for the infotainment system and then another separate one for PaaK if I had to guess. My former Tesla had 3 different Bluetooth devices it would show up connected to for PaaK
I’m looking at WiFi devices from my router management screen. I’m looking at Bluetooth from my iPhone.
 

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I can confirm that the car does connect with two clients to your Wi-Fi (SYNC and mdm9650-tcu). Here are my network traces for those two devices. They both seem to connect when you park the car for a few minutes, do their things, then turn off.

Sync seems to be getting map updates maybe? Connected to tomtom. mdm seems more like diagnostic uploads?

For the SYNC:
Ford Mustang Mach-E What are these network devices? Screenshot_20210409-122431_Firewalla


MDM9650-TCU:
Ford Mustang Mach-E What are these network devices? Screenshot_20210409-122413_Firewalla
 

CHeil402

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Also, the two Bluetooth devices are for the typical phone/media connection and the second connection is for PaaK.
 


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Jimrpa

Jimrpa

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Hmmm. I tried to pair my phone via Bluetooth AFTER enabling CarPlay by turning on the Bluetooth slider in Sync and sync warned me that doing so would drop the CarPlay connection to my phone, so I left the Bluetooth slider off?
 

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Hmmm. I tried to pair my phone via Bluetooth AFTER enabling CarPlay by turning on the Bluetooth slider in Sync and sync warned me that doing so would drop the CarPlay connection to my phone, so I left the Bluetooth slider off?
I can't speak to CarPlay, but at least with Android Auto, Bluetooth is used to establish the connection, but then it switches over to Wi-Fi Direct to actually run the system as it needs the higher bandwidth. However, I once had Android Auto running and it wouldn't let me make a call on my phone. I haven't tried it again, so I don't know if that was a 1-off. If not, that would seem like a major oversight. In my Audi there were no issues with Android Auto and Bluetooth going at the same time, although that was wired Android Auto, so who knows... but there is no technical reason why Bluetooth and Wi-Fi can't run at the same time as they use separate radios in the phone.
 

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I bet some of t his is also "Journey" and driver stat info being uploaded to the Analysis mother-ship
 
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Jimrpa

Jimrpa

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I have no problems making or receiving phone calls or sending and receiving texts while connected to the car via CarPlay. I’m still at a loss.
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