Google Nest WiFi Mesh Router

So I ran into some problems with my internet recently. For whatever reason, my router appeared to be working, but devices connected to it, were not able to reach the internet. I thought it had something to do with my ISP or my modem, but both seemed fine after doing some calling and research. I ultimately decided this would be a good opportunity to try out a mesh router. Enter: Nest WiFi.

What exactly is a mesh router?

You may be wondering what the heck I’m talking about. A router is a router right? Well, the basic premise, that it creates a magical, spherical, bubble of internet, emanating from your router is true. Where a mesh router differs, is that there are little mini routers that help extend that beautiful, invisible, internet bubble. What this means is, if you have any dead spots in your home, (typically certain walls, floors, or an area that is just too far from the main router), a mesh router will help provide connectivity there, through those little mini bundles of internet joy. You may be wondering what the difference is between a mesh router and a WiFi extender. Well, the easiest way to describe it is, a WiFi extender rebroadcasts your WiFi creating a new network you need to manually connect to. A mesh router keeps you connected to the closest node, and automatically switches you, as you move about. It’s seamless to the user and lets you keep the strongest connection possible.

Some background

This is technically the second generation of Google’s attempt at a mesh router. The first generation was called Google WiFi. This second generation carries the nest branding. It’s still Google, but it sounds like the branding was changed to fall in line with home products. This second generation has two more antennas compared to the first, for a total of 4, and has a slighter higher throughput. I wont bore you with the specific numbers, but just know, that this product is supposed to be better than the first.

What comes in the box?

The box comes with the one main Nest router, two points that are similar in shape, three wall outlet plugs to power the devices, and one ethernet cable to connect the main router to your cable modem. And of course the typical documents that absolutely no one pays attention to, that get discarded with the rest of the packaging, until you realize you probably need them.

Design

My home isn’t that large, but I have a backyard, and I wouldn’t mind being connected while streaming a podcast on days where I mow my lawn. So I opted for the Mac Daddy option and got the Nest WiFi with two extension points.

Upon opening the package I was pleasantly surprised at how minimalist these look. Very clean and futuristic feeling. They have some heft and feel premium in the hand. The main router is ever so slightly larger than the two points.

The main Nest router has a very subtle Google “G.”

Set up

This product is supposed to be relatively easy to set up. Just download the Google home app on your phone, connect the device to your router and power it on. Unfortunately, at least in my experience, it wasn’t so seamless. I had to disconnect and reconnect the main device a few times. I restarted the whole process of getting it set up at least 3 times. Once I was finally set up with the main router, it was time to link up with the smaller siblings that are meant to extend my home’s wireless bubble.

The individual points are just smaller versions of the main nest router with the added bonus of being speakers.

Setting up the siblings was also a little trial and error. Not for anything software specific, but rather, they need to be a certain number of feet apart. I believe the recommended number is something like 20-30 feet. I live in a townhouse, with two floors and a basement, so I kept having to shift and move my points to make sure there was optimal distancing. One was set up upstairs, the other in the basement. Once I found the sweet-spot for both, it was relatively simple to get them hooked up and connect to the main router using the Google home app.

The Perks

Once I was up and running, I had the very tedious task of having to point all of my devices to this new network. Which leads me to think there should be some kind of easier way to shift all connected devices to a new network if you have something like a Google home app, but of course there are security considerations. Who knows? maybe some day in the future.

After all my devices were connected, I eagerly went in for a speed test. Drumroll please!

What in the Sam Hill is this shit??

I’m sorry? Good? Yeah, maybe if I wasn’t paying for 1gbps internet speeds. Let’s try that again. I promptly restart the network. No drumroll this time. Show me the numbers before I return you.

Much better. After that hiccup, things ran pretty smooth — for a time. Having a central app that lets you control the network is a huge plus. I could for instance, use the app and tap on broadcast to send a voice message to my 6 year old upstairs, to not forget to put his toys away. Well more specifically, the app transmits my voice to one of the points, which he can then hear.

Routines can also be set up for specific time of day, such as dimming lights, adjusting volume on devices, arming security systems, or even telling you about tomorrow’s weather.

The app also lets you control smart devices connected to the network. As you can see below, I have a few. It will also let you see the current connected devices and gauge how much data they are pulling. If you want, you can also prioritize bandwidth by device. Additionally, family WiFi is another perk that will allow you to pick a device, a child’s tablet for instance, and have it’s connection stop at a certain time.

Another bonus is that it will also allow you to create an entirely separate guest network. This comes in handy when you have friends or family over, and they want to connect. I know it’s a big no-no, but a lot of times folks reuse the same passwords. Having a separate network helps mitigate the risk of having your password exposed (still though, don’t reuse the same password everywhere!)

You can name your guest network whatever you want. Don’t judge me.

And possibly the biggest bonus, is that the individual network points, also act as smart speakers. You can invoke the Google assistant from any of these locations. You can also use the points as external bluetooth speakers. I have them set up and connected to my phone through which I can play my music playlists when working out.

Now for the bad side

For some unthinkable reason, Google decided not to include WiFi 6. So if you were hoping this mesh network will be future proof, I’ve got some bad news for you. I mean, it’s not that big of a deal right now, because there aren’t too many devices that actually support WiFi 6, but it would have been a good addition for the next year or two. Especially considering Google took 3 years to update this device.

Another bummer, is that the main router, has an extra ethernet port… aaaaaand that’s it. There are a total of two ethernet ports. One that connects to your modem, and an extra. The router this device replaced had a total of 5 ports. It’s not a deal breaker, but c’mon Google. It might’ve been ok, if the mesh points had an ethernet port, but none of them do. So, if you want to hardwire devices, you’re going to need a switch.

Another gripe I have, may or may not be considered a con to some. The Nest Wifi is designed to help your devices connect to the most optimal band, off the closest point. Theoretically, this should make it very efficient. However, this also means that you have no way of separating the 2.4ghz and 5ghz band. For the unintitated, modern routers have two bands, or lanes that they broadcast. You can think of 2.4ghz as the right lane, a little slower and more reliable. It has greater distance in reaching devices. 5Ghz is faster, but you aren’t on it as long (don’t want to get pulled over do you?), it doesn’t reach as far as 2.4ghz. Google wants to keep this as simple as possible, and a lot of times, giving people fewer options simplifies things, much to the dismay of us folks who like tinkering. So there is no way to differentiate between the two bands.

And now finally for my biggest issue with this mesh network. I’ve had this for a month now. And without fail, my speeds drop down to under 30mbps every day. Once I restart, the issue rectifies itself for several hours. I have a friend who has the last generation mesh network, and he has the same issue with speeds. So it may not be an issue specific to my hardware. I’ve reached out to both my ISP and Google support, but both offer little insight on what could be the issue. For now, the pros outweigh the cons for me. So I will keep restarting it when I see issues. Hopefully I can automate it with a future software update from Google.

Conclusion

The price of the Nest WiFi with 2 points is $349, and covers roughly 5400 square feet. It drops to $269 for the router with 1 point, and that covers 3800 square feet. And finally the router by itself is $169, and covers 2200 square feet. For all that, I still think it’s worth it for the added benefits. My one hesitation in recommending it, is the speed issues I keep facing. It’s more an annoyance than anything else, since a restart fixes it temporarily. But being able to regulate my son’s internet usage, being able to broadcast a message from the basement to the other areas of my home, not having to worry about deadspots, and having smart speakers on every floor is too good to pass up for me.