Review Google Nest Wifi: Mesh router is smarter

Five years ago, the router world was dominated by names like Netgear, Asus, TP-Link and Linksys. Google doesn't participate in this market and doesn't have routers for sale (or even real hardware devices).

Fast forward to 2019 and Google claims to have the best-selling router thanks to the popularity of their Google Wifi mesh system, introduced in 2016. It's even more popular than Eero, the first time in the world. Introduce mesh router better Wifi coverage in the home.

1. 10 best mesh Wi-Fi networks
2. What is Mesh Wifi? How does the Wifi Mesh system work?
3. Learn about D-Link's 5G NR router and WiFi Exo router

Now, Google is preparing to launch its next product: the Nest Wifi system is more powerful and more capable. Nest Wifi has a range of configurations starting at $ 160, promising 25% better coverage and twice the speed of the Google Wifi system. In addition, the Nest Wifi Point (accessory) placed around the house to create a mesh system is considered a voice-activated Nest Mini speaker.

Google says the $ 269 package, which includes a router and a mesh Point, provides the same coverage as Google Wifi's third package and is suitable for homes with an area of ​​3800 square feet (~ 353 m2) and up to 200 connected devices. The $ 349 option provides an additional Point and can cover up to 5400 square feet (~ 502 m2) and connect up to 300 devices.

Advantages of Google Nest Wifi:

1. Faster performance than Google Wifi
2. Easy to set up guest networks
3. Sub points are used as smart speakers
4. Integrates with a Nest smart display to manage guest networks

Disadvantages of Google Nest Wifi:

1. There are only two Ethernet jacks on the router and none on the Point
2. Two applications are required to access some advanced features

Like other mesh systems, Nest Wifi is not a modem, so it needs to be plugged into an existing modem (provided by an Internet service provider) to work. Unlike Eero and other routers, Nest Wifi does not work in a 'bridged' mode, making setup with Fios more complicated than other routers.

For example, you can plug in a Verizon Fios connection to be in the living room on the main floor. Then leave the Point in the workroom, lower level than the router. This arrangement is sufficient to provide strong Wifi anywhere in your home and provide enough bandwidth to stream 4K video. It also cleverly manages more than 50 devices connected to the Wifi network at any time and has no trouble jumping devices from the router to Point when moving indoors.

Nest Wifi provides faster speeds for devices than Google Wifi and the same speed is obtained from Eero Pro and Netgear Orbi when the device is connected to the main router, not Point. When connected to a Point, the speed halved may be due to the antenna's inability and the lack of dedicated backhaul channel for the router to communicate with the Point as on Eero Pro and Orbi systems.

In addition to the weaker signal, Point lacks an Ethernet jack, so you can't use Ethernet to connect to a router or plug devices directly into the Point.

But when Point lacks Wifi capability, it will be compensated for by performing double duty as a voice activated smart speaker. It looks similar to Nest Wifi and has a glowing ring on the stand that emits white when speaking to it and orange when mutes the mic. Point even has touch controls similar to the Nest Mini for adjusting volume or pausing playback. Google intends to place the Point outdoors, offering better wireless and smart speaker performance, so it's designed to look better than conventional routers. In addition, Point has three colors to choose from such as white, light blue and light pink, while the main router has only white.

Point supports all of the same voice commands for Google Assistant like the Nest Mini, but it also adds some voice-specific commands to the router, such as running speed tests or stopping connecting to managed device groups in the Google app. Home If you have a Hub Hub or Hub Max, you can also run speed tests from there or display login credentials for the guest network.

If you don't need another smart speaker in your home or like Amazon's Echo, Google sells two non-Point router packages for $ 299. This package also provides better coverage than routers and points, providing Ethernet jacks at both node locations with wired backhaul support.

As mentioned, Nest Wifi does not have a dedicated wireless backhaul band, instead it relies on a 2.4GHz and 5GHz dual band system for both the connection between the router and the Point as well as the device. Sanjay Noronha, connected product manager at Google Nest, said the company decided to use this method because it could manage traffic effectively with software and without the need for additional hardware and complexity. system. But in my experience, a dedicated backhaul band provides faster speeds for devices connected to the mesh point away from the main router.

Similarly, Nest Wifi does not support the newly approved Wifi 6 protocol, designed to provide a more efficient connection for WiFi 6 capable devices. Noronha says that support for Wifi 6 at this time will increase. adding a lot of cost to the system which brings little benefit to most users today. Most of the Wifi devices still do not support Wifi 6.

Setting up Nest Wifi requires a newly updated Google Account and Google Home app for iOS or Android. Home app guides users how to set up the router, set a password and new Wifi network, putting Point in the most optimal position in your home. You can run a speed test through this app, see the number of devices connected to the network and prioritize specific devices, create guest networks, and schedule Wifi interruptions on your child's devices. You can also block adult websites on devices.

But if you want to access many advanced features, such as viewing specific device buttons, or configuring port forwarding, you need to use the old, updated Google Wifi app to support Nest Wifi. Google says it will continue to support both apps until the Google Home app has all the features available in the Wifi app.

Like Google Wifi and Eero systems, Nest Wifi relies on Google's cloud services for features such as automatic channel selection, remote network management, identifying connected devices and providing data. Data consumption statistics. With the Home app, you can also disconnect the cloud, but Google says Nest Wifi won't work without them. Nest Wifi also uses Google's DNS services by default, but the company says it doesn't associate Google Public DNS information with Google accounts and that DNS providers can change it through the Google Wifi app.

Unlike Eero, Nest Wifi has no registration to block ads, filters and other security features.

At $ 269, the router and the two Points are just a bit more expensive than Eero's new affordable three-button system for $ 249 but it offers better coverage, faster speeds than Eero. It is also significantly cheaper than the Eero Pro system or the newer Wifi 6 mesh router from Linksys or Netgear. This makes Nest Wifi like Google Wifi before has its own attractive value. This is not the fastest mesh router system and if you have a very fast Internet connection at home, you cannot access most of the bandwidth through Nest Wifi, although few other Wifi routers can do better at this time.

So for the majority of people, Nest Wifi works well, looks good, offers a number of unique features, and doesn't cost much. It seems that Google has another winning router at hand.