I don't even need to write a review : here is the transcript of the conversation I had with the google technical rep explaining that basically I have to reset a 8 node network and that there are a bunch of known issues :Google SupportYou’re connected with agent Romeo.3:44 PMRHi Christian.I see here that you are having issue about the ping?Romeo · 3:45 PMyesand just general connection degredation after about 2-3 hoursthis is pinging the router IPso its a LAN problem not outside the network3:46 PMRLet's check what causes that one so that we can fix and make it stable. Before we start is this the email
[email protected] that you used in the app?Romeo · 3:46 PM192.168.86.1yup3:47 PMRThanks! Looks like the connection got time out. May i have as well your best callback number, in case the call got disconnected?Romeo · 3:48 PM53032172773:48 PMRThanks! You try to ping the Nest router. Have you tried to ping as well the connection from your modem?Romeo · 3:49 PMyeseverythiung works finefor like 2-3 hoursthen ping goes to lik 2500msthis happens on all devices in the housemy wifes laptop and phonetried resetting WIFI connectionsno luckonly corrects if I power cycle the routersif I unplug nad plug in, normal 5ms ping resumes.3:50 PMRI understand that.Usually it happened every 2-3 hours?Romeo · 3:50 PMcorrect3:51 PMRI see. And when you run the ping from your computer. Is that connected from the modem or the Nest router?Romeo · 3:52 PMthe only device connected to the modem is the nest router by etherent cableall other devices are connected through 1 of the 8 hubsim currently on my laptop pinging the router connected wirelessly3:52 PMRI see. And when the ping got 2500ms the connection drops or getting slow?Romeo · 3:53 PMvirtualyl dropsgets extremely slowlike 200kbps-1pmbsfrom 300mbps3:54 PMRI understand that. Let's me check your network connection here first using the email address that you used in the app. One moment please.Romeo · 3:55 PMthx3:55 PMRWhat WiFi name are we working on this one?Romeo · 3:57 PMdoradosecure3:57 PMRThank you. Let me check that one first.It show here that you priorities a device here and got stuck. That was yesterday. It might affect the speed of your network.Romeo · 4:00 PMI kept having to prioritise itto keep it from going slow during videocalls4:01 PMRI understand that. And it shows as well that you are using a modem/router combo. That might affect the connection of your mesh system that is because of the firewall of it. It might block the cloud service of the Nest Wifi router.Romeo · 4:03 PMwhat do you need me to do?4:04 PMRLet's check as well the diagnostic report of the network to check more what causes this issue.I will send you an email with the link for the diagnostic report. One moment please.Romeo · 4:04 PMok4:04 PMRI just send out the email. All you need to do is to click the link to download the file and reply back to my email and attach the file.Romeo · 4:06 PMemail?or attach here?4:07 PMRTo the email.We can't send a file here from this chat.Romeo · 4:07 PMkjust sent it back4:08 PMRGot it. Let me check the reports here.It shows here that the mesh system is having issue with. Since you have a total of 8. How far are they from each other?Romeo · 4:12 PMall connected through ethernet backbone4:13 PMROh i see. They are all connected with the ethernet cable.The errors shows up here is about the sync of the Nest router as a Wifi point.It goes out of sync that causes this dropping.Romeo · 4:18 PMokso?4:19 PMRWe need to update the cloud service for this one. To sync again all your devices.Romeo · 4:19 PMthen it will work properly? How do we do that?4:20 PMRAnd to do that we need to paused one device from the Google Home app and un paused it after 1 minute.Romeo · 4:20 PMso just pause and unpause one device?4:21 PMRThis will help to trigger the update for the cloud service and to sync back the Nest routers.Yes. From the list of devices. Just select one device.Romeo · 4:21 PMok just paused for one minutenow unpausing the same device4:22 PMRYes, And let's try to remove the device that is set to priority and got stuck,Romeo · 4:23 PMpause or remove?I'm on that device nowtalking to youjust disconnect and reconnect wifi?4:23 PMRJust go to the priority device and select other device and set it as priority.Romeo · 4:23 PMdone4:24 PMRLet me check if the stuck in priority got remove.Have you ended it also?Romeo · 4:25 PMill end it4:26 PMRIt shows here it is still active.Romeo · 4:26 PMended it4:26 PMRStill showing up here in the system.Romeo · 4:28 PMshows off in the app4:28 PMRYes. It was stuck only on the network and it is still showing here.Can we try to select a different device and set as priority again and end after.Romeo · 4:30 PMsure will try anotherjust did4:32 PMRYes. And let me refresh here.Have you already ended it?Romeo · 4:34 PMnodo you want me to end it?4:34 PMRYes please. So that we can check if that one will be remove.Romeo · 4:34 PMended4:35 PMRI just refresh here and it is still shows up. It might affect the connectivity for this one. The other thing that we can do is to reset the network and re setup up again.Romeo · 4:36 PMI don't need priority device4:36 PMRYes. But the priority got stuck on it. And not able to remove. It might affect the speed of your internet connection.Romeo · 4:38 PMbut all the connections are problematicits not just that oneafter a few hours many go wrong4:42 PMRYes. It is not just one. We are talking about the whole network here.Romeo · 4:43 PMthen I won't prioritize anthing but the problem was before I started doing that4:44 PMRYes i understand that. We already figure out what causes that dropping and that is because of the other Nest router devices got out of sync to the main Nest router and that's why we push the update of the cloud service by pausing and unpausing of the device.And we are looking for the other issue which is the cloud service.Im sorry what i mean is the stuck in priority.Romeo · 4:46 PMokwhat do i need to do4:50 PMRSince the stuck in priority still not able to remove in the network even if we manually ended it. Next thing that we can do is to reset the whole network and re set it up again. To remove the stuck in priority.Hey, are you still there?Checking in -- are you still there?Romeo · 5:02 PMyesreset and start over?The whole network?That will take hours?Cant I just reboot it or remove that device?I already tried that 2 days agodoing it again would be frustrating to do over and over again5:04 PMRFor that one it just stuck in the network and even if we remove the device it is will still stuck on it.Romeo · 5:04 PMThis is my second attempt at resetting the whole networkI just reset it the other day5:04 PMRI understand that. Even me if i have a 8 device and re setup again i will feel the same way.Romeo · 5:04 PMIf this is going to just keep happening, I should just return the products then?this is the second reset attempt5:05 PMRI understand that. What we can do is to observe the connection first. And check if the connectivity will become stable. And if the speed is still affected that is the time that we need to remove the priority device then.Romeo · 5:06 PMI don't need a priority deviceI won't prioritize anything anymoreI just need stability5:06 PMRYes. For the pauses and unpauses that we made that is for the connectivity of all your Nest Wifi router and Google Wifi device. It will make stable your connection. The Stuck in priority is just for the speed. Since the network still prioritizing the device for the speed. Other device might experience slow speed at the time.Romeo · 5:08 PMso how about a reboot??5:10 PMRIt will not remove the stuck in priority by rebooting.Romeo · 5:10 PMso this is a known bug??so don't ever set priority again5:11 PMRSome times it happened in the network and got stuck. Some times it is not.Romeo · 5:12 PMso it sounds like its a defective networkif this is a known issue that just pops up and requires a full reset5:16 PMRThis issue happen in some network as well. And since we are not able to remove it from the settings in the app.Romeo · 5:20 PMSo if I don't do a full resetI'm going to keep having this proble,and don't ever use the priority feature right?5:20 PMRYou can still used it. But it might still happened again to stuck a device in priority.Romeo · 5:21 PMthis is not what I expect from a company liek google.to release a device with these sorts of problemsGet a drink and your reading glasses. This is a long review, but it is the most honest one you will read about this product. If you are seriously not sure whether to purchase this, read this review. I am not an IT professional, but I am very experienced with ICT and networking, so this is going to be a (sometimes sarcastic), down-to-earth review that explains why you should probably avoid this product.The Google Nest WiFi routers in question are best for these types of people:- Those living in a one-story house that has ethernet ports in several rooms to maximize the router connection options.- Those who live in glass houses.- Those who are divinely charmed and have never had problems with any technology in their entire lives.- Those who employ a fulltime IT person who will handle any problems.- Those who are happiest when they have a problem to fix. This product is BOON for someone with this mindset. It really will be the gift that keeps on giving.- Those who are fulfilled when they have a problem to fix. You will never feel more enriched than after your third factory reset that resolves the issue for another month.- Those who enjoy mundane, repetitive tasks that include unexpected glitches and unpredictable failures that necessitate starting the task again.I have had the Google Nest Wifi (four routers in all) for eight months now (I have had three routers for almost a year, and added one in April), so this is not a reactionary review or one with limited time to evaluate the system. I reserve those for the feedback I send to Google regularly. This is the worst router and worst mesh system I have ever used or that I have installed for someone else (I have done four installs of other systems for friends and family). I NEVER recommend the Google Nest WiFi when someone asks me what to get. When people come over and they comment on the fantastic WiFi in our house (which is spread out with a full basement) and ask what system we use, I tell them and add "but if you consider getting mesh, there's a lot of drawbacks to mine that we need to talk about."Before the drawbacks, let me preemptively assure you that this is not "my problem". Here's how I know:- I have been on computers since 1984 and using the internet since 1988. I have set up multiple systems for myself and my friends or family since I was 18 years old. People call me to troubleshoot their technology. I can talk network switches and cabling and WiFi well enough that our building IT guy often calls me if he's out and we have a problem.- Before I started blaming Google's poor product, I examined every ethernet cable. I hooked them into multiple types of ICT to ensure the connection itself was not the problem. Even then, I ran new lines where it wasn't onerous. I cut and installed new ends for the cables if the line itself had been installed when we built the house. I purchased a new network switch. The common denominator in the problem was always Google Nest WiFi.- When one of the routers goes down, nothing has changed. I did not switch the connection to a new port. The power did not go out. No one lost internet access for even a second (and the app itself shows nothing). We have not moved furniture or installed titanium sheets between our walls or stuck a fork in a power outlet. It just happens.So why is this product so bad? In short: It consumes your time. Its failures are unpredictable and unexplainable in hindsight. What it offers can be had for less money or beaten by spending more money.- FULL FACTORY RESETS: In the last eight months, I have had to do a factory reset of the routers THREE times (I know it was three times because, for whatever reason, I cannot use the same network name after the reset... true story). This involves resetting the entire network, then restarting each device, creating a new network, etc. I never had to completely reset the Orbi system during the five years we had it.- UNIT RESETS: I have had to factory reset individual units an average of once a month because they inexplicably go from "great connection" to "weak connection" OR (as happened when my wife and I said "Happy New Year!" as we clinked champagne glasses last night) the unit simply goes offline. Nothing changed in our system-- no power blink or surge, no brief disruption of the network.- RESETS ARE TIME-CONSUMING: It takes about ten minutes to set up a unit and the setup often fails (unable to locate the device, timeout, unable to join device broadcast internet). Also, you will have to factor in what is lost in reconnecting ICT in your home when you reset your network.Maybe this does not sound so bad for great WiFi when it works properly. If you have 30-40 minutes you would like to spend doing this every couple of months, plus 10-20 minutes every month with individual units, that is your decision to make.IF YOU ARE STILL CONSIDERING PURCHASING THIS OR IF YOU ALREADY PURCHASED IT... SOME ADVICE:1. Be prepared to stand over your phone, next to the device, and not let your phone black out or be interrupted by a phone call during the setup process. I'm serious. Tell anyone who is likely to call you that they need to wait an hour. If those things happen, you may as well start over with the setup process. This is like playing some old-school Nintendo games: NO SAVES.2. Some people seem to think that, because each unit is wired to the modem, the units themselves do not have to be near each other. That is untrue. You will want full WiFi strength at each unit. Select your "base router" location, set it up, and then go to your second location. If you do not have a full WiFi signal, consider a different location. I'm not saying it will not work if you lose a WiFi bar, but if you get "weak connection" messages from the start, you will almost certainly be doing this all over again in the future.3. If you are not patient and intuitive with technology and apps, this may become frustrating for you. Well, it probably will anyway, but the Google Home app is not the friendliest for setting things up because it wants to do everything for you, so all you see are some weird little shape animations that tell you nothing about what is happening. Patience is important here... if you walk away and your phone blacks out or the process completes and you do not move to the next step, you will probably have to start over.4. Do not expect support from Google. Their support pages are not informative-- they seem to post mostly generic solutions (e.g., "Did you plug it in?"; "Is your internet connection working?"; "Are you on Earth?"; "Are you SURE this isn't your fault?"). You will probably never speak to someone in support. They have been experiencing higher than average complaints since at least April of 2021, so I don't know who is doing the math on their call volume, but they aren't doing the math correctly OR more and more people keep calling to complain. That latter option is actually more likely.The original review (four stars) that I wrote after having the product for a month or so:I purchased three routers for my house to replace an old Orbi with one extender.This is a very good system, especially if you have other Google products in the home (such as the Nest thermostat). The setup is not effortless, but as long as you pay attention to the app cues and instructions, it is not a big deal. What is a big deal, for me anyway, is that these routers seem to struggle sending a signal downward. Maybe my house's construction (2400 square feet with a full basement) is to blame. I get excellent coverage and speeds on the main floor and bonus room. However, in the basement, even directly below a router, the speed dips to around 25 Mbps (which is fine). I did not have this problem with Orbi (although I like the router-mesh setup much more overall compared to Orbi's router + extender setup).I bought the old google wifi in 2017, and it’s served me well in apartments. But it was pretty spotty in my house. So I decided to upgrade to the google nest wifi router + point. My house is 2000 sqft so 2 devices would’ve been good enough. 3 is overkill. I was planning to toss the old router but I couldn’t get the nest router to connect even after turning both my cable modem and router on/off as suggested by the Google Home setup instructions. So I reconnected the old router and set up the 2 nest devices as extra wifi points. It was successful but I still had to repeat a few steps before it fully worked. Overall, I’d say the setup is pretty frustrating but if you persist then it’ll eventually work. 5 stars because the mesh network fixed the problem. I have fast wifi everywhere in the house now.Side note: The wifi point comes with Google Assistant, so it has a mic that will listen to you. Some might call that a feature but I personally think it’s creepy so I turned off the mic (there’s a switch on the device) and skipped the voice setup. Google knows everything about me regardless so it’s most likely pointless to do this but gives me peace of mind. The router doesn’t have this feature so maybe just get all routers if you don’t want the mic.1. Ridiculously overpriced for the performance. My Netgear R7000P works much better.2. "intelligent" switching between 2.4GHz and 5GHz means you *cannot* choose it yourself.3. Meshing between levels probably works in countries with wooden floors, but with concrete in India, it doesn't work well - horizontal range is less 50 ft between two levels.4. Doesn't show devices connected unless you agree to the "cloud" option where it will log every single device and probably its activity.5. No configuration options for power (of the radio), access-control using MAC, etc.Please don't buy this if you're in India.Constantemente tengo que estar reseteando el equipo, pues si bien la cobertura es general en toda mu casa, de un día a otro tengo zonas donde no tengo wifi, que al dar reset al equipo vuelvo a tener en cobertura. Pero es molesto estar haciendo este resetSolo funciona 1. A la hora de conectar el segundo dice que está fuera de Linia. Me comunique con Google. Dicen que es porque tengo doble nat. Uso telmex con modo óptico y eso no lo puedo cambiar. Esperaba una mejor experiencia siendo Google. Antes tenía un mesh tenda y funciona mucho mejorMuy buena opción para instalar una red Mesh en casa y en pocos pasos. Ojo, Amazon suele vender paquete de dos routers y no el paquete router/access point. La bocina con asistente solo viene con El access point.This remedied my signal loss in various areas of my home. I get the same download speed as do right beside my main router. This was so easy to set up. Google made it ridiculously easy. I highly recommend these units.
