Dealer Service Center Wireless Networking

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The Challenge

Today, electronic diagnostics form the core of the information systems linking automotive manufacturers to their after-sales networks. Citroën’s Lexia 3 and Proxia 3 tablet PC diagnostics solutions for dealer networks are used not only to prepare, maintain and repair all of the manufacturers models, but also to organise information exchange between the manufacturer and the garages.

Engineers at the Citroën headquarters in Brussels have the ability to remotely control the Lexia 3 and Proxia 3 devices, using PC Anywhere software, and Internet connections. Their existing ISDN connections in the garages were found too slow for this application, so a decision was made to upgrade to ADSL.

The Solution

Citroën worked with GES (Garage Equipment Service) to install a wireless ADSL solution in about 300 garages accross the country. To take advantage of the flexibility offered by wireless connections, the USRobotics Wireless MAXg ADSL2+ Gateway was selected to connect the Lexia 3 and Proxia 3 devices wirelessly to the Internet.

The Gateway worked perfectly with the built-in WiFi module of the Lexia 3 and Proxia 3. Because of the advanced digital signal processing techniques incorporated into the the Gateway, a significantly better reception sensitivity was achieved over other 802.11g products. The always-on character of ADSL allows the Citroën engineers to connect to any Lexia, at any time, using PC Anywhere.

The Benefits

Previously, accessing the Lexia 3 and Proxia 3 diagnostic equipment for remote analysis required the devices be physically connected to the ISDN connection. This was both awkward and time consuming. The USRobotics solution now allows the Lexia 3 and Proxia 3 to connect to the Internet using a wireless signal anywhere in the workshop. Moreover, through the use of ADSL, the devices are connected to the Internet continuously, and at a much higher speed. This has resulted in faster and more efficient operations.

The enhanced range of the MAXg ADSL2+ Gateway also allows the devices to typically cover an entire garage. In situations where coverage was not sufficient, GES installed a MAXg Range Extender to expand the range of the wireless network.

To provide a uniform solution across the Citroën network and guarantee a quick response to any problems, it was decided to extend the solution across the entire Citroën chain of garages. This roll out incorporated hardware, the Internet Service Provider and even the antivirus solution. Citroën now has a common infrastructure within their dealer network, helping to deliver the service their technicians and customers require.

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