Do Car Trackers Work Without The Internet?
The internet has given us many wondrous, and not so wondrous things since it burst into our lives. It’s impacted our society and culture in ways few of us ever thought possible just a few short decades ago. It’s become so ubiquitous that we barely even think about it, unless it goes down and we can’t access our Facebook or Twitter feed for 5 minutes, then it feels like the world is going to end!
Seriously though, car trackers couldn’t exist without many of the same technologies that we use every day, especially on our smartphones, but how does the internet impact car trackers and do car trackers even work without the internet? Let’s take a look.
It’s true to say that car trackers need a data connection to work effectively, but that data doesn’t need to come via the internet. In fact, car trackers don’t need the internet to work at all, at least in terms of what we think of when we hear the term ‘internet’.
At its core, for all the bells and whistles that come with what we think of as the ‘internet’, it’s all basically just a stream of data. It’s that same data that powers car trackers, but that data doesn’t come from an internet, or even Wi-Fi connection. It comes via the same networks your mobile phone, sat nav and many other devices use to find their place in the world, GPS.
GPS System:
GPS, or the Global Positioning System, utilises a network of satellites orbiting way above the Earth to pinpoint a receiver’s location. By connecting to a number of available satellites and calculating how long the signal takes to travel back and forth, the device on the ground, whether it’s in your phone or car, is able to understand where on the planet it is.
That said, many trackers don’t just rely on one network. A number of the trackers in our store are able to enhance and, in turn, more accurately locate their position by utilising additional technologies.
These include GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), GLONASS (a Russian alternative to GPS), Galileo (an EU navigation satellite system), LBS (Location-Based Services) and even VHF (Very High Frequency), but none of which need an internet connection to work.
It’s also worth pointing out that, because trackers use, at the very least, a GPS signal, they will work even when you don’t have a cellular, or mobile phone, signal around you.
Internet & Car Trackers:
Whilst an internet connection isn’t necessary to make a car tracker work, it’s not completely disconnected from playing a part in how you use it. Almost all the systems we sell, come with a dedicated smartphone app to help you keep track of things like journey history, and the alerts you will receive in relation to situations that occur on or around your vehicle.
Everything from low battery, tow-away, tamper and geo-fencing will all come to you through the app on your iOS or Android phone. The app will work whilst you’re out and about, but works just as well when you’re at home connected to your own Wi-Fi network. You’re never going to be out of touch for everything you need to know.
We hope this has helped answer some of your questions about car trackers, but if not, you can always get in touch with our amazing team here at Infiniti and ask them. We’re always on-hand to help you pick the right car tracker for you and your own personal circumstances. Get in touch and let’s get you connected today.
