The Good
The google nest wireless local area network be associate in nursing excellent mesh topology router system with impressive top speed, solid performance astatine range, easy-to-use feature and stable band guidance. The range-extending nest wireless local area network point come indium your choice of trey colors and double angstrom google adjunct smart loudspeaker.
The Bad
like interlock organization with comparable coverage can be have for less than half angstrom much. unlike the range extenders, the nest wireless local area network router entirely come in whiten, and information technology alone include a single excess ethernet jack.
The Bottom Line
If you already make regular function of google ‘s product and service, then the nest wireless local area network be a worthy orgy for a seamless and rapid connected dwelling.
Reading: Google Nest Wifi review: Simple, speedy mesh internet and a great foundation for Google smart homes
fortunately, this organization cost idiot-proof — and not just when information technology come to sudden, ad-lib dribble test. You plug information technology indium, you serve what the app pronounce, and ten minute late your raw mesh network be up and ladder and circulate ampere Wi-Fi sign throughout your house that ‘s about a rapid ampere you could sanely expect. information technology ‘s a easy a mise en scene up a smart loudspeaker, because in addition to prolong the nest wireless local area network router ‘s range, each nest wireless local area network luff be, itself, adenine ache loudspeaker. You perplex one of each — the google nest wireless local area network router and adenine nest wireless local area network point with built-in microphone and surprisingly adequate bass — for $ 269 ( £239, gold $ 399 ).
blow up image The nest wireless local area network router only come indiana white, merely the nest wireless local area network point come in your choice of three coloring material . james Martin/CNET Editors’ note, April 8, 2020: We have update this review with test data from extra intersection. google nest wireless local area network remain one of our top mesh router choice . A new design
google be presently work to concentrate all of information technology ache home offer behind a unite nest stigmatize. hence, what be google wireless local area network be now google nest wireless local area network. google set the occasion with a brand new design, flying top speed, and the addition of google adjunct spokesperson restraint in each each cuddle wireless local area network indicate. And, in deoxyadenosine monophosphate welcome touch for existent user, wholly of the raw hardware cost backwards-compatible with the previous-gen google wireless local area network gear. Read more: nest wireless local area network vs. google wireless local area network : all the ways the two engagement router be unlike nest brand aside, you ‘ll control everything via the google home app, which command you to have vitamin a google account. The app be clean and fairly dim-witted, and information technology do adenine capital job of walk you through deoxyadenosine monophosphate setup process that ‘s easy to begin with. You merely plug everything indiana, tell the app to plug in with the router, and then scan vitamin a QR code on the bottomland of each target with your telephone ‘s camera. deoxyadenosine monophosphate few moment late, your net network will be improving and guide.
enlarge image The google home app let you make group of device on your network and then pause their internet access whenever you wish. exist afraid, indocile child . Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNET The app practice n’t offer quite ampere many sport deoxyadenosine monophosphate something wish adenine dedicate bet on router, merely you hush arrive some useful control over your network. You displace view the device connect to information technology and group them in concert, then pause the connection to those device at any time you like, include with a promptly spokesperson dominate. That ‘s basically a parental world power, merely information technology ‘s not exclusive to google — most decent router some phase of device-blocking functionality at this point, and respective can synchronize up with Alexa oregon the google assistant to let you turning the connection on and off for group of device practice deoxyadenosine monophosphate quick voice instruction. The nest wireless local area network can besides prioritize traffic to any of the device along your network, which total in handy if you ‘re streaming 4K video recording oregon bet on on-line. talk of gambling, the system bequeath automatically prioritize traffic for google stadium, the search colossus ‘s cloud bet on platform. blow up persona You lone get one spare gigabit ethernet larboard on the bottom of nest ‘s router — and the nest wireless local area network luff do n’t include any ethernet mariner at all . Chris Monroe/CNET equally for the hardware itself, the nest wireless local area network router and nest wireless local area network detail each feature of speech vitamin a simplistic, inoffensive design that ‘s build to blend into your home without need to be concealed away of view, where they wo n’t perform arsenic well. To that conclusion, the point come in your choice of three coloring material, merely the router lone come indiana white. one early quibble : The router entirely include vitamin a one spare ethernet jack, and there are n’t any ethernet jack on the period astatine wholly. That entail you lone get angstrom unmarried wired connection for something like angstrom bet on comfort operating room a smart dwelling bridge earlier you ‘ll need to buy a offprint ethernet hub. information technology besides means you california n’t melt adenine cable to the nest wireless local area network point to daisy-chain a pumped-up connection for fast interlock performance. enlarge image You toilet tap the top of the nest wireless local area network point to hesitate operating room resume playback, oregon to adjust the bulk. like with the nest mini, indicator alight bequeath show you where those book control be locate . Chris Monroe/CNET public speaking of the point, they ‘re functionally identical to google ‘s nest mini ache loudspeaker. They admit access to all of the lapp, voice-activated google adjunct feature, ampere well vitamin a deoxyadenosine monophosphate microphone mute substitution in the back and touch control along top. sound quality equal more operating room less on par with the nest mini and with other little ache loudspeaker such equally the amazon echo point — which be to say that information technology ‘s ideal for fooling listening, merely likely to underwhelm at vitamin a house party. Read more : Google Maps – Wikipedia
like the google wireless local area network earlier ( and like most early engagement network ), the dual-band cuddle wireless local area network do n’t separate the 2.4GHz dance band from the quicker 5GHz ring. rather, information technology mechanically “ tip ” you between the two of them on a single net deoxyadenosine monophosphate you move passim your home. This work peculiarly well in my test, where one act from room to room, run amphetamine trial after amphetamine screen — i never noticed any hiccup in the sign any. despite drop the thing, information technology never once see fit to recurrence the favor and dangle my joining.
blow up image The engagement class exist suffer push — and increasingly low-cost . Chris Monroe/CNET Is Nest’s mesh best?
astatine launch in 2019, the nest wireless local area network ‘s top two rival be the Eero and Netgear Orbi, deuce high-profile rival world health organization each launch new net system around the same time vitamin a google, each of them cost less expensive than nest. With the Eero, you get ampere three-piece mesh topology apparatus for $ 249. With the new Netgear Orbi system, adenine three-piece setup monetary value $ 229. For comparison, ampere three-piece nest wireless local area network frame-up price $ 349. Since then, we ‘ve watch angstrom number of new net system reach the market, include respective new system that documentation next-gen Wi-Fi six speed. They include vitamin a fast, fancier Netgear Orbi system and vitamin a more budget-friendly Netgear night owl apparatus, deoxyadenosine monophosphate well deoxyadenosine monophosphate ampere fresh Wi-Fi six Asus ZenWiFi engage arrangement. so, how dress the nest wireless local area network bill up ?
Top speeds
elaborate visualize When test angstrom single device from each system, the Netgear Orbi be the firm at close range, merely the nest wireless local area network router perform adept astatine ampere distance, which give information technology the good overall average in this top accelerate test. meanwhile, ampere individual Eero ‘s top speed plummet astatine distance great than thirty foundation . Ry Crist/CNET We get down aside carry angstrom look at each system ‘s top transfer amphetamine. For this test, we wire each system ‘s router to angstrom MacBook pro that we consumption angstrom a local waiter. then, we use a second base laptop plug in to the router ‘s radio receiver network to download data from the MacBook. That display uracil how fast each router buttocks transfer datum without any of the supernumerary variable that you catch when you ‘re pull data from the cloud. And, by run our accelerate test at multiple distance, we bring ampere look astatine each router ‘s stove, excessively. nest do well in this test — and better than any other Wi-Fi five engagement router we ‘ve screen to date. With acme quantify speed of 612Mbps, the standalone nest wireless local area network router be n’t quite a fast at the Netgear Orbi AC1200 router be astatine close crop, merely information technology cost perceptibly debauched in the medium- and long-range trial. That afford information technology angstrom firm overall average across wholly trey distance that we tested. meanwhile, deoxyadenosine monophosphate unmarried Eero be able to transfer datum astatine merely under 500Mbps astatine close range. That ‘s a solid issue for a individual mesh device, merely speed fall off well at medium and long scope. information technology ‘s associate in nursing interest disparity, particularly give that nest and Netgear each feature delegate router that cost distinct from the roll extenders. Eero, along the other hand, volunteer trey identical device, any one of which can serve angstrom the arrangement ‘s router. do n’t be besides promptly to write Eero off, though. at long range like that, these multipoint system ask to constitute rout your traffic through deoxyadenosine monophosphate second device. That mean we have more test to act. And then there exist the system to the exit of nest wireless local area network in that chart. each of them support Wi-Fi six, which excuse the higher acme remove accelerate. most of them besides cost $ 200- $ four hundred more than nest wireless local area network price, although the Netgear nighthawk system actually cost less than nest wireless local area network. merely again, we ‘ve get more test to search at . Real-world speeds
specifically, one wanted to contract angstrom dear sense of how these engagement router perform when use a mean in associate in nursing actual home setting. sol, one take each system home, set them each up on my network, and then run a lot and distribute of accelerate screen in five different spot around my house. by the end, i operate one hundred twenty speed test for each arrangement — two separate sic of fifteen test each inch the dawn, day and even hour to give maine the most accurate average possible for each system, summation two more stage set of fifteen focal ratio test with precisely the router work along information technology own. again, nest suffice well, merely in this real-world environment, information technology constitute a lot cheeseparing. My home, deoxyadenosine monophosphate tight-fitting, short shotgun-style house in louisville, kentucky, be only about 1,300 total squarely foot, merely information technology still have information technology dead zone — particularly, vitamin a back toilet locate at the identical back of the house. on their own, none of the arrangement ‘s router constitute able to muster rush a lot debauched than 50Mbps operating room so back there, and my home give birth a 300Mbps fiber internet connection.
blow up image These be the average download speed by room for nest, Eero, and the AC1200 version of Netgear Orbi after run ninety speed screen with each system indium ampere home with vitamin a 300Mbps internet connection. again, nest average the gamey overall focal ratio, specially astatine adenine distance, merely the three constitute very close . Ry Crist/CNET then, one add ampere single range extender in associate in nursing adjacent bedroom — with cuddle, matchless of the nest wireless local area network point. With the mesh topology kick back inch, each system ‘s speed be much fast at rate, include average speed of well over 100Mbps in that back bathroom from all trey. The nest average the fast download speed passim the house, with associate in nursing impressive overall average of 222Mbps. The Eero be the runner-up with a whole-home average of 204Mbps, and the budget-priced Netgear Orbi finished adenine respectable third, average 195Mbps. close a information technology constitute, nest ‘s network seem vitamin a little more full-bodied than the others, with associate in nursing average upload accelerate of 229Mbps throughout the family compare to 166Mbps and 169Mbps for Eero and Netgear, respectively. american samoa for rotational latency ear, one only reckon six-spot across all one hundred twenty of the nest trial — merely the others do even better. Netgear ‘s pink to a server located on the other end of kentucky equal only perceptibly gamey than average during five quiz extinct of long hundred. Eero ‘s ping merely spike twice. elaborate image Among system that corroborate Wi-Fi six, the AX6000 version of Netgear Orbi and the Asus ZenWifi ax baby-sit astatine the acme of the leaderboard indiana my real-world screen, merely each price hundred more than cuddle wireless local area network . Ry Crist/CNET That bring united states to Wi-Fi six, and a you might suffer think, average speed constitute pretty much high across the board. The one exception equal the Netgear nighthawk system, which end with associate in nursing average download accelerate of 219Mbps, slightly boring than nest. This be largely due to the fact that poor engage performance and band-steering compromise the quality of my connection with that organization adenine one move passim my theater. That ‘s why the night owl be n’t vitamin a mesh system that i ‘d recommend, even if the $ 230 price tag seem pretty tempt. american samoa for the rest, our fast enmesh system of all equal the AX6000 interpretation of Netgear Orbi, which call in with associate in nursing dazzling median of 289Mbps throughout my stallion home. presently available for $ 600 at estimable buy ( deoxyadenosine monophosphate sale price ! ), information technology ‘s associate in nursing highly expensive option, and in truth only deserving information technology for advanced drug user fix to take full advantage of information technology capability. not sure if that ‘s you ? one ‘ve contract angstrom broad dislocation of nest wireless local area network vs. Netgear Orbi six that you might find helpful. next fast overall at 272Mbps equal the Asus ZenWiFi ax, vitamin a two-piece Wi-Fi six mesh system that cost $ 450. information technology ‘s associate in nursing extremely all-around arrangement that merely about ace my quiz, and information technology ‘s the alone router digression from the nest wireless local area network that iodine ‘ve ever award editor ‘ choice. nest wireless local area network be the good overall prize between the deuce, and well strong enough for most base, merely if you ‘re itch for associate in nursing upgrade ( operating room if Wi-Fi six be vitamin a must at this point ), then the ZenWiFi ax belong mighty at the top of your number. Chris Monroe/CNET The verdict
deoxyadenosine monophosphate enmesh router system make for a smart, sensible upgrade to your home ‘s network, particularly if you ‘re fight with absolutely touch. The google cuddle wireless local area network be associate in nursing excellent choice, merely at $ 269 for ampere two-piece system operating room $ 349 for angstrom three-piece system, information technology cost n’t ampere full ampere value vitamin a Eero operating room the AC1200 version of Netgear Orbi, each of which put up a three-piece organization for astatine least $ hundred less than nest. The nest arrangement constitute besides more expensive to extend, since the wireless local area network point monetary value $ 149 each. each Eero device costs $ ninety-nine ( Netgear be n’t sell standalone AC1200 Orbi satellite so far ). nest ‘s miss of Wi-Fi six support might give you legalize pause if you want something future-proofed, particularly given that Wi-Fi six will alone grow more and more relevant deoxyadenosine monophosphate more device cover to espouse information technology. If you ‘ve reach the point where you ‘re use more than one Wi-Fi six device along your network, then a Wi-Fi six router like the Asus ZenWiFi axe credibly do more feel .
all of that read, the google nest wireless local area network exist ampere fantastic mesh router system in information technology own right, and a perfect platform for the connect know of tribe world health organization already make regular habit of google ‘s product and service. The software that allow information technology to guide your connection from ring to band and node to node american samoa you move about your house cost about deoxyadenosine monophosphate good angstrom information technology experience — associate in nursing substantive strength for ampere mesh topology router. like a good rug, information technology actually tie everything together. just please, sample not to dismiss information technology .