A Wi-Fi ELM327 creates its own small network in the car, and your phone joins it to read codes. It was the only way to use an iPhone before BLE adapters arrived, and it still works, with a few quirks worth knowing first.
Last updated September 2026Join the adapter's Wi-Fi network (often named WiFi_OBDII or V-LINK), then point your app at the adapter's address, most commonly 192.168.0.10 on port 35000. It works on iPhone and Android, but the phone usually loses mobile data while connected, so a BLE adapter is the easier choice for most iPhone owners today.
A Wi-Fi ELM327 does not join your home network. It becomes a tiny access point of its own, broadcasting a network with a name like WiFi_OBDII as soon as it has power from the port. Your phone joins that network, and the app opens a connection to the adapter's address.
That design came about because of the iPhone. For years Apple did not let apps use classic Bluetooth serial links without a certified accessory, so Bluetooth ELM327s simply never showed up. Wi-Fi was the workaround, and it worked with every app that offered a network connection.
BLE changed the picture. Modern Bluetooth LE adapters connect to an iPhone from inside the app, with none of the network fiddling described below. That is why Wi-Fi models now make up a small corner of the ELM327 range.
| Setting | Common value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Network name (SSID) | WiFi_OBDII, OBDII or V-LINK | Printed in the manual; usually no password |
| Adapter IP address | 192.168.0.10 | Some models use another address; the manual has it |
| Port | 35000 | Entered in the app's Wi-Fi connection settings |
| Phone IP (if set by hand) | 192.168.0.11 or similar | Any free address on the same 192.168.0.x range |
| Subnet mask | 255.255.255.0 | Standard for this kind of network |
| Router / gateway | Leave blank | Blank helps many phones keep mobile data for other apps |
Values are the most common factory defaults for ELM327 Wi-Fi adapters. They vary by model, so the adapter's own manual takes priority.
Setup takes a few minutes the first time and is quicker afterwards. Have the adapter's manual handy, because the network name and address vary a little between models. These steps use the most common defaults, which suit the generic adapters and Vgate's Wi-Fi models alike.
Once saved, the phone rejoins the adapter's network each time you plug it in. The iPhone may flag the network as having no internet; that is expected, since the adapter only talks to the car. Tell the phone to stay on the network rather than switch away.
If the app still cannot connect, the adapter may use another address. The manual lists it, and some apps can scan the network to find it. If the adapter connects but the car stays silent, the usual ELM327 connection fixes apply to Wi-Fi models too.
|
Generic ELM327 Wi-Fi adapter |
Vgate iCar Pro Wi-Fi |
Vgate iCar2 Wi-Fi |
Veepeak OBDCheck BLE |
Vgate iCar Pro BLE 4.0 | |
| Connection | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi | Bluetooth LE | Bluetooth LE |
| iPhone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| BMW coding | — | — | — | Yes | — |
| Check it out | Check it out | Check it out | Check it out | Check it out |
This is the biggest drawback of Wi-Fi adapters. A phone joined to a Wi-Fi network tends to send its traffic that way, and the adapter's network leads nowhere. Streaming, navigation and messages can stall while the app reads the car.
There are ways round it, with varying success:
A second clash is newer. Wireless CarPlay and wireless Android Auto use the phone's Wi-Fi to reach the car's screen. On many cars that means the phone cannot hold both the head unit and a Wi-Fi OBD adapter at once.
Bluetooth adapters avoid all of this. Vgate makes the point about its own BLE models: they do not block internet access for other apps, and they use less power than its Wi-Fi readers. If you drive with navigation running, that alone can settle the choice. Parked in the driveway reading a code, the lost data hardly matters.
The Vgate iCar Pro Wi-Fi works with iOS and Android apps such as Torque, DashCommand and BimmerCode, and supports firmware upgrades. Vgate sells the same adapter with Bluetooth 4.0 for owners who would rather keep their phone's Wi-Fi free.
Check it outMost ELM327 Wi-Fi adapters broadcast an open network with no password. Anyone within range can see it, and anyone with an OBD app could connect while it is plugged in. For reading codes that risk is small, but the adapter can also send commands to the car.
Two habits remove most of the worry:
Battery drain is the other point to weigh. Wi-Fi radios draw more power than Bluetooth LE when idle. Vgate quotes about 10 mA standby for its iCar2 Wi-Fi, against about 3 mA asleep for several of its Bluetooth models.
Ten milliamps sounds tiny, and for a daily driver it is. Over a few weeks parked at an airport it adds up, and cheap unbranded Wi-Fi adapters may not sleep at all.
| Situation | Leave it plugged in? |
|---|---|
| Daily driver, branded adapter with auto-sleep | Usually fine |
| Car parked for a week or more | Unplug |
| Unbranded adapter with no sleep mode | Unplug after each use |
For most iPhone owners buying today, a Bluetooth LE adapter does everything a Wi-Fi one does, without the network setup or the lost mobile data. It connects from inside the app and leaves the phone's Wi-Fi alone.
Wi-Fi still has a place. Weigh it this way:
Budget BLE adapters sit close to Wi-Fi models in cost, so price rarely decides it. The Veepeak OBDCheck BLE and Vgate iCar Pro BLE 4.0 both cover iPhone and Android, and neither needs pairing in phone settings.
The difference between classic Bluetooth and BLE matters here, because only BLE works with an iPhone: classic Bluetooth vs BLE comes down to how Apple handles accessories. Good ELM327 apps for iPhone support both BLE and Wi-Fi.
Most commonly 192.168.0.10 on port 35000. Some models use a different address, so check the manual if the app cannot connect.
Yes. Join its Wi-Fi network in Settings, then choose Wi-Fi in an app such as Car Scanner or OBD Fusion and enter the adapter's address.
The phone sends traffic over the adapter's network, which has no internet. Setting a manual IP with the router field blank lets many phones keep mobile data.
For most iPhone owners today, BLE: no network setup, mobile data stays on and standby draw is lower. Wi-Fi suits apps or devices that only support a network link.
Not the generic Wi-Fi models, which state FORScan is unsupported. For Ford, use a switched USB cable or a Bluetooth adapter with MS-CAN support.
