Google Nest WiFi 4-pack review

The Good The Google Nest Wifi is a superb mesh router system with impressive top speeds, strong performance at range, easy-to-use features and stable band steering. The range-extending Nest Wifi Points are available your choice of three colors and double as Google Assistant smart speakers. Get more in Google Nest WiFi 4-Pack Review.

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The Bad Similar mesh systems with comparable coverage are often had for fewer than half the maximum amount . Unlike the range extenders, the Nest Wifi Router only comes in white, and it only includes one spare Ethernet jack. Get details in Google Nest WiFi 4-Pack Review.

The Bottom Line If you already make regular use of Google’s products and services, then the Nest Wifi may be a worthy splurge for a seamless and speedy connected home.

When I first pulled the lid off of the Google Nest Wifi box, the entire thing slipped out of my hands and therefore the hardware inside toppled right out. I could only watch in horror as Google’s marshmallowy mesh router thunked to the bottom and rolled across my living room’s hardwood floor.

Fortunately, this technique is idiot-proof — and not just when it involves sudden, spontaneous drop tests. You plug it in, you are doing what the app says, and 10 minutes later your new mesh network is up and running and spreading a Wi-Fi signal throughout your house that’s about as speedy as you’ll reasonably expect. It’s as easy as fixing a sensible speaker, because additionally to extending the Nest Wifi Router’s range, each Nest Wifi Point is, itself, a sensible speaker. You get one among each — the Google Nest Wifi Router and a Nest Wifi Point with built-in microphones and surprisingly adequate bass — for $269 (£239, AU$399).

Google Nest WiFi 4-Pack price Review

Between the presence of Google Assistant and therefore the incontrovertible fact that you’ll run everything through the Google Home app, the Nest Wifi asks you to plant a foot in Google’s smart-home garden if you haven’t done so already. And it is not cheap. For comparison, the third-gen, three-piece mesh system from Amazon-owned Eero costs $249, or 20 bucks but a Nest Wifi setup with just two devices. Meanwhile, a three-piece Netgear Orbi AC1200 mesh system costs $229 at the best Buy. That’s quite $100 but the three-piece version of Nest Wifi.

Still, the Nest Wifi proved fast, reliable and straightforward to use, and it edged out the Eero and Orbi in my speed tests (yes, even after I dropped it). It doesn’t support the newest , fastest version of Wi-Fi, called Wi-Fi 6, but that only really matters if you expect to possess an online connection that’s faster than 500 megabits per second approximately within subsequent few years (don’t hold your breath).

That all adds up to the mesh router i might tell most of the people to think about first if they were brooding about buying one immediately . The winner of our Editors’ Choice Award, the Google Nest Wifi, may be a great upgrade for anyone who’s already invested in Google’s internet ecosystem of services and devices, particularly those that would welcome the prospect to expand Google Assistant’s footprint in their home. But those that aren’t committed to Google at now would be knowing go searching , because better mesh values with comparable coverage are already available today.

The Nest Wifi Router only comes in white, but the Nest Wifi Points are available your choice of three colors.

A new design

Google is currently working to center all of its smart home offerings behind a unified Nest brand. Hence, what was Google Wifi is now Google Nest Wifi. Google marked the occasion with a fresh design, faster top speeds, and therefore the addition of Google Assistant voice controls in each each Nest Wifi Point. And, during a welcome touch for existing users, all of the new hardware is backwards-compatible with the previous-gen Google Wifi gear.

App – Google Nest WiFi 4-Pack Review

Nest branding aside, you’ll control everything via the Google Home app, which needs you to possess a Google account. The app is clean and fairly simple, and it does an excellent job of walking you thru a setup process that’s easy to start with. you only plug everything in, tell the app to attach with the router, then scan a QR code on rock bottom of every Point together with your phone’s camera. a couple of minutes later, your mesh network are going to be up and running.

The app doesn’t offer quite as many features as something sort of a dedicated gaming router, but you continue to get some useful controls over your network. you’ll view the devices connected thereto and group them together, then pause the connection to those devices at any time you wish , including with a fast voice command. That’s basically a parental superpower, but it isn’t exclusive to Google — most decent routers some sort of device-blocking functionality at now , and a number of other can sync up with Alexa or the Google Assistant to allow you to turn the connection on and off for groups of devices employing a quick voice command.

The Nest Wifi also can prioritize traffic to any of the devices on your network, which comes in handy if you’re streaming 4K video or gaming online. Speaking of gaming, the system will automatically prioritize traffic for Google Stadia, the search giant’s cloud gaming platform.

You only get one spare gigabit Ethernet port on rock bottom of Nest’s router — and therefore the Nest Wifi Point doesn’t include any Ethernet jacks in the least .

As for the hardware itself, the Nest Wifi Router and Nest Wifi Point each feature a simplistic, inoffensive design that’s built to blend into your home without having to be hidden out of sight, where they will not perform also . thereto end, the Points are available your choice of three colors, but the Router only comes in white.

One other quibble: The router only includes one spare Ethernet jack, and there are not any Ethernet jacks on the Points in the least . meaning you simply get one wired connection for something sort of a gaming console or a sensible home bridge before you will need to shop for a separate Ethernet hub. It also means you cannot run a cable to the Nest Wifi Point to daisy-chain a wired connection for faster mesh performance.

You can tap the highest of the Nest Wifi Point to pause or resume playback, or to regulate the quantity . Like with the Nest Mini, indicator lights will show you where those volume controls are located.

Voice assistant – Google Nest WiFi 4-Pack Review

Speaking of the Points, they’re functionally just like Google’s Nest Mini smart speakers. They include access to all or any of an equivalent , voice-activated Google Assistant features, also as a microphone mute switch within the back and touch controls on top. Sound quality is more or less on par with the Nest Mini and with other small smart speakers like the Amazon Echo Dot — which is to mention that it’s ideal for casual listening, but likely to underwhelm at a party .

Like the Google Wifi before (and like most other mesh networks), the dual-band Nest Wifi doesn’t separate the two .4GHz band from the faster 5GHz band. Instead, it automatically “steers” you between the 2 of them on one network as you progress throughout your home. This worked particularly well in my tests, where I moved from room to room, running speed test after speed test — I never noticed any hiccups within the signal whatsoever. Despite dropping the thing, it never once saw fit return the favor and drop my connection.

Is Nest’s mesh best?

At launch in 2019, the Nest Wifi’s top two competitors were the Eero and Netgear Orbi, two high-profile rivals who each launched new mesh systems round the same time as Google, each of them is a smaller amount expensive than Nest. With the Eero, you get a three-piece mesh setup for $249. With the most recent Netgear Orbi system, a three-piece setup costs $229. For comparison, a three-piece Nest Wifi setup costs $349.

Since then, we have seen variety of latest mesh systems hit the market, including several new systems that support next-gen Wi-Fi 6 speeds. They include a faster, fancier Netgear Orbi system and a more budget-friendly Netgear Nighthawk setup, also as a replacement Wi-Fi 6 Asus ZenWiFi mesh system.

Top speeds

We started by taking a glance at each system’s top transfer speeds. For this test, we wire each system’s router to a MacBook Pro that we use as an area server. Then, we use a second laptop connected to the router’s wireless network to download data from the MacBook. That shows us how briskly each router can transfer data with none of the additional variables that you simply get when you’re pulling data from the cloud. And, by running our speed tests at multiple distances, we get a glance at each router’s range, too.

Nest did well during this test — and better than the other Wi-Fi 5 mesh router we’ve tested so far . With top measured speeds of 612Mbps, the standalone Nest Wifi Router wasn’t quite as fast at the Netgear Orbi AC1200 router was at close range, but it had been noticeably faster within the medium- and long-range tests. That gave it a faster overall average across all three distances that we tested.

Meanwhile, one Eero was ready to transfer data at slightly below 500Mbps at close range. That’s a solid number for one mesh device, but speeds fell off considerably at medium and long range.

It’s a stimulating disparity, especially as long as Nest and Netgear each feature designated routers that are distinct from the range extenders. Eero, on the opposite hand, offers three identical devices, anybody of which may function the system’s router. do not be too quick to write down Eero off, though. At long ranges like that, these multipoint systems expect to be routing your traffic through a second device. That meant we had more testing to try to to .

And then there are the systems to the left of Nest Wifi therein chart. Each of them supports Wi-Fi 6, which explains the upper top transfer speeds. Most of them also cost $200-$400 quite Nest Wifi costs, although the Netgear Nighthawk system actually costs but Nest Wifi.

But again, we have got more tests to seem at.

Real-world speeds

Specifically, I wanted to urge an honest sense of how these mesh routers performed when used as intended in an actual home setting. So, I took each system home, set them each abreast of my network, then ran lots and much of speed tests in five different spots around my house. By the top , I ran 120 speed tests for every system — two separate sets of 15 tests each within the morning, daytime and evening hours to offer me the foremost accurate averages possible for every system, plus two more sets of 15 speed tests with just the router performing on its own.

Again, Nest did well, but during this real-world environment, it had been much closer. My home, a skinny, little shotgun-style house in Louisville, Kentucky, is merely about 1,300 total square feet, but it still has its dead zones — particularly, a back bathroom located at the very rear of the house. On their own, none of the system’s routers were ready to muster speeds much faster than 50Mbps approximately back there, and my home features a 300Mbps fiber internet connection.

These are the typical download speeds by room for Nest, Eero, and therefore the AC1200 version of Netgear Orbi after running 90 speed tests with each system during a home with a 300Mbps internet connection. Again, Nest averaged the very best overall speeds, especially at a distance, but the three were very close.

Then, I added one range extender in an adjacent bedroom — with Nest, one among the Nest Wifi Points. With the mesh kicked in, each system’s speeds were much faster at range, including average speeds of overflow 100Mbps therein back bathroom from all three. The Nest averaged the fastest download speeds throughout the house, with a powerful overall average of 222Mbps. The Eero was the runner-up with a whole-home average of 204Mbps, and therefore the budget-priced Netgear Orbi finished a good third, averaging 195Mbps.

Close because it was, Nest’s network seemed a touch more robust than the others, with a mean upload speed of 229Mbps throughout the house compared to 166Mbps and 169Mbps for Eero and Netgear, respectively. As for latency spikes, I only counted six across all 120 of the Nest tests — but the others did even better. Netgear’s ping to a server located on the opposite end of Kentucky was only noticeably above average during 5 tests out of 120. Eero’s ping only spiked twice.

Among systems that support Wi-Fi 6, the AX6000 version of Netgear Orbi and therefore the Asus ZenWifi AX sit at the highest of the leaderboard in my real-world tests, but each costs hundreds quite Nest Wifi.

That brings us to Wi-Fi 6, and as you would possibly have guessed, average speeds were just about higher across the board. The one exception was the Netgear Nighthawk system, which finished with a mean download speed of 219Mbps, slightly slower than Nest. This was largely thanks to the very fact that poor mesh performance and band-steering compromised the standard of my reference to that system as I moved throughout my house. That’s why the Nighthawk isn’t a mesh system that I’d recommend, albeit the $230 tag seems pretty tempting.

As for the remainder , our fastest mesh system of all is that the AX6000 version of Netgear Orbi, which rang in with an eye-popping average of 289Mbps throughout my entire home. Currently available for $600 at the best Buy (a sale price!), it’s a particularly expensive option, and really only worthwhile for advanced users able to take full advantage of its capabilities. unsure if that’s you? I’ve got a full breakdown of Nest Wifi vs. Netgear Orbi 6 that you simply might find helpful.

Next fastest overall at 272Mbps was the Asus ZenWiFi AX, a two-piece Wi-Fi 6 mesh system that costs $450. It’s a particularly well-rounded system that almost aced my tests, and it is the only router apart from the Nest Wifi that I’ve ever awarded Editors’ Choice. Nest Wifi is that the better overall value between the 2 , and simply strong enough for many homes, but if you’re itching for an upgrade (or if Wi-Fi 6 may be a must at this point), then the ZenWiFi AX belongs right at the highest of your list.

The verdict

A mesh router system makes for a sensible , sensible upgrade to your home’s network, particularly if you’re battling dead spots. The Google Nest Wifi is a superb option, but at $269 for a two-piece system or $349 for a three-piece system, it is not nearly as good a worth as Eero or the AC1200 version of Netgear Orbi, each of which offers a three-piece system for a minimum of $100 but Nest. The Nest system is additionally costlier to expand, since the Wifi Points cost $149 each. Each Eero device costs $99 (Netgear isn’t selling standalone AC1200 Orbi satellites yet).

Nest’s lack of Wi-Fi 6 support might offer you legitimate pause if you would like something future-proofed, especially as long as Wi-Fi 6 will only grow more and more relevant as more devices still adopt it. If you’ve reached the purpose where you’re using quite one Wi-Fi 6 device on your network, then a Wi-Fi 6 router just like the Asus ZenWiFi AX probably makes more sense.

All of that said, the Google Nest Wifi may be a terrific mesh router system in its title , and an ideal platform for the connected lives of parents who already make regular use of Google’s products and services. The software that permits it to steer your connection from band to band and node to node as you progress about your home is about nearly as good because it gets — an important strength for a mesh router. sort of a good rug, it really ties everything together. Just please, try to not drop it.

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Google Nest WiFi 4-pack review – what is the best price?

Google Nest WiFi 4-Pack price Review