Documentation

If you are still using the wifi router provided to you by your internet service provider, chances are (unless you live in a very small house or apartment), that you are not completely happy with your wifi performance. Your signal can be strong in one room, and non-existent in the next. You may wish to sit “here”, but you can’t get a signal unless you move a few feet over “there”, where you don’t want to sit. You may have tried wifi repeaters or extenders in the past, but they basically just create a second network in your home with slow speeds and similar dead zones, forcing you to switch back and forth. Enter the Google Nest wifi router and “point” (what they call an extender). These small, semi/almost round devices that can fit in your hand create what’s called a “mesh” system where by connecting the Google router to your existing router, you can transfer the wifi functions to it, allowing it to send out stronger signals in both the 2.4 ghz and 5 ghz frequencies simultaneously. The “point(s)” (very slightly smaller than the router itself) are set in other areas of your home, picking up the signal from the main Google router, and boosting them even further. Nicer still, they do not create a separate network in the same way older models do, but instead, extend the one you have. If you buy a pair (one being the main router and the other the point device), you have three choices of colors, but the router is always white – the point comes in three colors… Mist (a very pale blueish color), Sand (which to me looks Pink), and Snow (white). For large homes, you can also get a router and two points sets. You need to install the appropriate Google Home app to set the system up, and instructions for doing so are simple and included in the app, which works on Apple devices and Android. Provided there are no unforeseen hiccups, you should be up and running within minutes. I know a couple of other people with these devices aside from myself, and one of them did not even need the extra access point – the Google router alone provided stronger and faster wifi than their older one did. One of them has a multi-level home and they did use the point on another level, which did boost speeds and reliability in that area. For myself, the router speed dropped off once it reached the other side of the single level ranch style house, but the overall STRENGTH of it was stronger than my older model… no dead spots. Side-note: Your access point should you decide to use it, also doubles as a Google Assistant device, where you can ask it a variety of questions, control lights, and more with the appropriate equipment. I do recommend this system, but there is one warning involved – if you have some types of security cameras, doorbells, and devices that ONLY run on a 2.4 ghz frequency, some people can have an issue where they won’t connect, or they won’t stay connected, to a mesh system like this because it transmits on both 2.4 ghz and 5 ghz at the same time. They get confused it seems. Now, RING (doorbells, cameras, etc) tech support can walk you through how to get around this. If you are lucky (very lucky) you can get a tech at ARLO to do this, too. Your success will vary and you may have to make more than one call if you do run into this issue, so just be prepared knowing that you MIGHT have to do this to ensure all of your devices work with it. Waving a finger at these other device makers though, they need to get with it and update their devices to work on all wifi frequencies, and better be able to detect, connect to, and maintain connection to, mesh networks. It’s not always the router’s fault – many times it’s the device makers not keeping their devices updated, and one rep with one of these companies even admitted to me they are behind in catching up to working with mesh networks. My one big complaint about the router itself, and it is a big one as others have pointed out, is that the Google router only has one “out” ethernet port on the back for extra devices. That’s it. Camera systems like Arlo require you plug their own hub into one of these. Perhaps you have smart bulbs that come with a small hub as well that need a port, or home phone service, etc. In my opinion, there really is NO excuse for Google only putting one extra ethernet port on this device. Just be aware of this because if you have various things that you currently have plugged directly into your old modem, you may need extra equipment if you are going to use this one to replace it entirely – and the point device has NO ethernet ports. It’s for this reason I won’t give this 5 stars, and really, would drop it to 3 ½ if I could. Yeah – big booboo, Google. Otherwise, yes, it’s a reliable system for those willing to do the tech call work to perhaps get some of their devices to work with it. But you will most likely be rewarded with a stronger wifi signal over greater ranges.