Google - Nest Wifi Router+Point Bundle

Product Information

Gone are the glossy, white plastic cylinders in favor of some even more innocuous matte plastic domes that round off in comfortable corners at either end. Setting up the Nest Wifi router and Point took me under 15 minutes, including a few software updates it had to apply. We’ve updated this review to make mention pricing changes, newer hardware available, a rumored new model, and a few other tweaks. The winner of our Editors' Choice Award, the Google Nest Wifi, is a great upgrade for anyone who's already invested in Google's internet ecosystem of services and devices, particularly those who would welcome the chance to expand Google Assistant's footprint in their home. Still, the Nest Wifi proved fast, reliable and easy to use, and it edged out the Eero and Orbi in my speed tests (yes, even after I dropped it).

There are a few options depending on whether you want to add a Google Wifi device to a Nest Wifi network, or a Nest Wifi device to a Google Wifi network. Each point expands coverage, so consider the placement of your Wifi devices to increase the reliability of your Wi-Fi network throughout your home. Although Google Wifi was one of our favorite mesh routers at the time, the company released a new mesh Wi-Fi system under the Nest brand name in 2019. Nest Wifi and even Nest Wifi Pro continue to use the Google Home app to set up and make changes to your network as well as QR codes to pair new devices. Overall I still got reasonably good speeds near the Points, but it still seems like a strange decision.The app is clean and fairly simple, and it does a great job of walking you through a setup process that's easy to begin with. As for latency spikes, I only counted six across all 120 of the Nest tests -- but the others did even better. For the best possible Wi-Fi range and network speed, we recommend that you use your Nest Wifi router as the primary point in your combined Wi-Fi network. With the mesh kicked in, each system's speeds were much faster at range, including average speeds of well over 100Mbps in that back bathroom from all three. Google Wifi will still exist for those who stick with the original model or opt to just add a Nest Wifi point to their original model.

If you have multiple devices available for set-up, select the Nest Wifi point that you'd like to set up. If you want something that does a little bit more than duplicate your signal, such as improve wireless performance, offer better speeds at long range and cope with lots of people online at once, a mesh is the best choice. We have also embraced Google Assistant - no more shouting up the stairs to announce meals, we just ask Google to make the announcement! On the bottom, you’ll find a tough rubber base hiding two Ethernet ports (one WAN and one LAN) as well as a standard AC charging port.For those wondering, I elected to test the Google Nest Wifi primarily at the co-working space because of its great internet connection, as my home’s sub-50Mbps connection wouldn’t have put the Nest Wifi to the test nearly as well. If you'd like to add another Wi-Fi device, tap Yes in the app to continue or follow the steps to add an additional point or router at a later time.

Google launched the Nest Wifi Pro in 2022, which offers Wi-Fi 6e support and a few other tweaks to the familiar formula. If you’re tired of manipulating things like port forwarding or radio frequencies – or changing something as simple as your password – via your web browser, then Nest Wifi is for you.The Nest Wifi point has a speaker with the Google Assistant, so you can play music, manage your Wi‑Fi network, find answers, control your connected devices and more using your voice.

Honestly, I’d say this space reasonably simulates the average family home in terms of the bandwidth people are using. Port forwarding is a technique you’ll need to use to enable certain services if you’re using a router. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the promotional balance is not paid in full within 6 months. Adding a Wifi Point after the main Router is done in exactly the same way, and can be just as … start-and-stop. One other quibble: The router only includes a single spare Ethernet jack, and there aren't any Ethernet jacks on the Points at all.Of course, if you already have your quota of smart speakers and own a solid mesh system such as Google Wifi, making the jump to the Google Nest Wifi makes little sense. The Nest Wifi can also prioritize traffic to any of the devices on your network, which comes in handy if you're streaming 4K video or gaming online.