Vehicle access point scanning for acquiring network access via an external access point

A method of operating a vehicle wireless access point (WAP), including the steps of establishing short range wireless communication between a vehicle WAP and one or more wireless devices over one or more corresponding communication channels operating over a first frequency band; suspending the communication between the vehicle WAP and the wireless device(s); scanning for another non-vehicle WAP using the first frequency band; connecting the vehicle WAP as a client device to the non-vehicle WAP; resuming the communication with at least some of the wireless device(s) over the wireless communication channel(s); and providing the wireless device(s) with data access to remote networks sequentially via both the vehicle WAP and the non-vehicle WAP.