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Google WiFi Review: Finally, strong signal everywhere in our thick-walled home

December 8, 2017 by M.B. Grant 1 Comment

Our Google WiFi rating: 5/5

Say goodbye to antennas and hello to strong, uninterrupted WiFi

The days of a lone router barfing WiFi signal in every direction from a corner of your house are over!

In a home full of smart bulbs, voice assistants, cameras, streaming TV, music and more, a strong WiFi network is the backbone. This month, we made the jump from 3-year old “antennas and a black box” router to Google WiFi, a mesh network system. Yes, it’s more expensive up front than renting a modem/router from your ISP, but it’s an investment that instantly paid off in terms of reduced frustration and faster response times on all our smart home systems and high tech toys.

What is mesh networking?

A mesh WiFi network is like a router + repeaters. The “mesh” part refers to how the signal is spread further and more evenly throughout a space. Your device is automatically and seamlessly “handed off” from one WiFi point to another, so you’re always connected to whichever one will give you the strongest signal.

It’s still a normal WiFi network – you can name it, put a password on it, secure it, and your devices won’t be able to tell the difference.

Mesh networking equipment for the home has exploded in popularity (and plummeted in price!) over the last couple of years. These systems include Google WiFi, Eero, Netgear Orbi, Linksys Velop, and more. Prices range from a couple hundred to over $500 for a starter kit, but the general idea is the same. One “node” or “point” acts as your router, the rest exist to spread the signal further.

WiFi points pick up WiFi signal from other nearby points and repeat it with minimal degradation to signal strength.

Mesh networking systems come with built-in QoS (quality of service – ie: sacrificing your PC’s download speed so your Netflix stream doesn’t buffer all night) and are designed for loads of devices making demands simultaneously. This innovation is well-timed, because home automation enthusiasts (like us) spent those same years packing their networks with Hue bulbs, smart speakers, voice-activated assistants, and streaming devices.

Why we switched to mesh

We just moved to a new house, an 1800-square-foot single-story house with the router at one end and all our computers and WiFi-hungry devices at the other end.

Network congestion and signal degradation with our not-that-old Netgear router made it so we couldn’t dim our lights if our Playstation was downloading updates, printer jobs randomly disappeared, our baby monitor camera took ages to connect to, and our voice-activated assistants (Echo and Google Home both) were having trouble communicating with WeMo and Hue.

Basically, our old router was no match for whatever our 1980’s-era walls are made of, and pretty much everything we own sits between our router and our WiFi devices.

It was time to get meshed up!

See the Google WiFi system on Amazon

What is Google WiFi?

Google WiFi is a replacement for your home network’s router. Pick one of these (they’re all the same) and use it in place of your router. Place the other two elsewhere in your home (more on that later) to extend the signal.

Open Google WiFi box with 3 WiFi points inside.

What’s inside the box: three identical Google WiFi points, cords, and simple setup instructions.

The “satellite” nodes only need a power cord, no additional wires, to repeat the signal. Instead of multiple side-by-side networks like you get with WiFi extenders and many modern routers that split the signal into two bands, the Google WiFi network has one name. Both the 2.4ghz and 5ghz band are combined under one name, and devices automatically connect to a suitable band.

TV screen, sound bar remote, and Google WiFi point sitting on our TV stand.

One of our Google WiFi points next to our TV and sound bar remote for scale.

Each additional node you add to your “mesh” carries the signal further. By default, a single WiFi point can carry the signal about 1000 feet.

If you’ve dealt with flaky WiFi repeaters in the past, these are effortless by comparison. There are no antennas to point and setup is fast since the “extenders” are designed to be a part of the network by default.

Who is Google WiFi for?

  • Homes with lots of “always on” devices such as Hue bulbs, Amazon Echo, smart thermostats, Google Home, etc.
  • Homes with Philips Hue bulbs can take advantage of the on.here feature for easy access to lightbulbs on/off and colors
  • Households streaming from multiple sources simultaneously
  • Online gamers 
  • Parents who want to control when kids’ devices can access the Internet
  • Huge houses – even the starter kit with 3 WiFi points is supposed to cover a 3000-4500 square foot home

Google WiFi installation and setup

Google WiFi in its long box.

Unboxing Google WiFi

Inside the hotdog-shaped box are three WiFi nodes, three power cables, one Ethernet cable, and one page of instructions.

Google WiFi unboxed: three nodes, three power cables, one Ethernet cable

Google WiFi unboxed: 3 interchangeable WiFi points and all the cables you’ll need.

Installing Google WiFi

To complete setup, you’ll need to download the Google WiFi app, which available for iOS and Android (unfortunately, you must use the app to do the installation).

Installation took us about 40 minutes. That includes opening the box, taking photos, removing the old router, putting the Google WiFi in its place, placing the two additional WiFi points, and patting ourselves on the backs.

Installation was easy.

Any node can become the primary WiFi point (the one that replaces your old router). Take the Ethernet cable that runs from your modem to your router and plug it into the Google WiFi point instead. Plug in the power adapter.

My hand holding a Google WiFi point, with Ethernet cables and setup information displayed.

Setup network name and QR code are on the bottom of every WiFi point.

The power cables and adapters are one unit – alas, not USB (in case you have one of those nice USB power strips). However, the adapters are relatively slim and probably won’t hog too much space on your power strip.

Good news for crowded power strips: the Google WiFi point adapters are slim and relatively small.

There’s just one “outgoing” Ethernet port. We used it to connect to our Philips Hue Hub.

The rest of the installation takes place in the Google WiFi app, using a Bluetooth connection to the WiFi point. WiFi points are added by scanning their QR codes.

Scanning the WiFi point's QR code to add it to the network.

Scan the WiFi point’s QR code to add it to the network.

I was dreading a scenario in which we had to individually re-add every single Echo, Google Home, Philips Hue lightbulb, camera, etc. to our new Google WiFi network. That didn’t happen, because we used the same network name and password for our new network. Most of our devices hopped over on their own. The only devices that had to be manually re-connected to the network were the devices that had been set to only use the 5ghz band of the old network.

Physical design

The overall design and attention to detail on the WiFi point hardware itself is excellent.

The units feel durable, with a good weight to them. They have thin rubber “feet” in two arcs on the bottom to help them stay in place. The power cords are generous in length – maybe 5 feet each.

The light strip around the center can be dimmed or completely turned off. With the lights turned off, our toddler doesn’t seem to notice them (which is a relief – she was fascinated by our old router and all its blinking lights).

On the back/bottom is a cut-out for wires, so you don’t end up with wires sticking out in every direction from your primary WiFi point.

How we arranged our Google WiFi points

The conventional wisdom seems to be that the WiFi points should be in a straight line through your house. We found that impractical for our house’s design, so we put ours in a triangle shape instead.

Internet signal comes in near the garage and gets boosted all over the house by the three WiFi points

To give you a sense of how powerful a single point is, the Yi camera in the baby’s room keeps putting itself on the primary WiFi point in the living room. The primary point emits a strong enough 2.4ghz signal that the baby’s room WiFi point is unnecessary for the camera.

However, the Yi camera is a 2.4ghz device, not a 5ghz device. 5ghz is stronger, but doesn’t travel quite as far, so devices that can use the 5ghz network (such as our phones) still benefit from the node placed in the baby’s room.

Each point spreads its signal somewhere between 500 and 1000 feet, according to Google. Actual performance varies due to building materials, presence of walls, and other factors.

What’s improved now that we’re on Google WiFi

Here’s what got better for us:

  • Stronger signal in the master bedroom
  • Faster download/upload speeds in the master bedroom
  • No more micromanaging which devices are on which network bands (2.4ghz or 5ghz)
  • Instant connection to our Yi camera streams
  • Hue bulbs don’t become “unreachable” while downloading – with our Netgear router, we often lost connection to our Hue bulbs while downloading game updates
  • Devices no longer seem to be dropping off the network randomly
  • Music streaming no longer cuts out randomly (this was a problem with both Spotify and Amazon Music)
  • Better insight into which devices are using bandwidth, and how strong their signal is
  • “on.here” URL lets anyone on our network control our Hue lights, even if they don’t have the Hue app (great for when the baby’s grandparents are over)
  • 5ghz band everywhere! It used to taper off right around where we have our TV and computers

In the near future we’ll be setting up Google WiFi at my parents’ house, which is considerably larger, with 2 stories plus a basement. We will update this review after we see how it performs in their home.

Check current Google WiFi price and stock on Amazon

The Google WiFi app is sweet, too

If you have an old-school router you’re probably used to going to 192.168.0.1 (or a branded URL or similar) to access your router, and then having to log in with credentials you forgot about 2 minutes after you set them up.

That’s all gone now – just open the Google WiFi app and there’s everything you need.

Open the Google WiFi app to view your WiFi points, connected devices, set a priority device, view network usage, and more.

On the left: more shortcuts to network features. On the right: setting one of our gaming consoles as a priority device.

It’s easy to add other people as “managers” (through their Google account), too, so you don’t end up in a situation where only one person can (or knows how to) get into the router.

Here are just a few of the things that are easy to do in the Google WiFi app:

  • Set a priority device for X hours
  • View all the connected devices, by name (which you can easily customize)
  • Pause WiFi access per device and/or by groups of devices
  • Set up a Guest WiFi network so your grubby guests can be quarantined
  • Perform a network test
  • See “patch notes” from recent updates to the app and firmware

This meets our needs fine. If there’s any feature we miss, it’s being able to micromanage QoS (quality of service) by setting certain devices as higher priority than others. (This was a feature we liked on our ASUS Wireless-AC1900, the router we set up at our weekend place and our parents’ homes.)

Google WiFi’s advanced networking features

Google WiFi strives to be “set it and forget it” but it’s still got many useful “advanced” features, including:

  • DNS – set to Google’s 8.8.8.8, your ISP’s DNS, or a custom DNS
  • WAN – chose from DHCP, Static IP, and PPPoE
  • LAN settings – set LAN address, subnet mask, DHCP address pool start IP and end IP
  • UPnP (Universal Plug n Play) – toggle on or off
  • IPv6 enable/disable
  • DCHP IP reservations
  • Port forwarding rules – add, delete
  • Device mode – switch to Bridge mode to resolve a Double NAT problem, with some caveats
Google WiFi app screenshot of the Advanced networking page

Google WiFi offers some advanced features for special situations

Device Sharing gives easy access to Philips Hue (and other systems)

The Google WiFi network comes with a neat feature called Device Sharing – just type on.here into your browser’s address bar on your phone or computer to get access to some home automation devices on your network.

Philips Hue is integrated with Google WiFi. You can turn lights on/off and change their color through this web portal, no additional credentials needed.

What doesn’t Google WiFi do?

Google WiFi is a powerful “set it and forget it” system, where features that we now expect (such as 2.4ghz and 5ghz bands) come standard, but with fewer micromanagement opportunities.

You no longer have to (get to?) pick between the 2.4ghz and 5.0ghz bands. Your devices will automatically choose which one to be on. If you want to be really strict about which device(s) go on which band, you won’t have that level of control with Google WiFi.

With Google WiFi, you can only set priority to one device – and it expires after 4 hours. We can’t set both our computers or PlayStations to be high priority devices at the same time. There’s no granular QoS exposed to the user.

On the bright side, since upgrading to Google WiFi we haven’t seen the QoS-related problems we were having with our Netgear router while simultaneously streaming music and downloading game updates.

A few more things: There’s no dynamic DNS or auto-renewing dynamic DNS with Google WiFi. There’s also no VPN (you’d have to get a separate piece of hardware to support VPN.)

The bottom line

The Google WiFi router-replacement system is excellent. We love it. It fixed our quality of service issues – no more Spotify cutting out, no more lost printer jobs – and brought WiFi to the far end of our house. Setup is a breeze and the WiFi points take up very little space. Best of all, we’ll never fiddle with router antennas again.

See the Google WiFi system on Amazon

Filed Under: Home networking, Reviews, Routers Tagged With: Google WiFi, Google WiFi review, mesh networks, mesh router

Review: NETGEAR AC1750 Smart Wi-Fi Router bathes your entire home in sweet, sweet WiFi

November 22, 2015 by M.B. Grant 3 Comments

Last updated: 11/22/2015

Our Netgear AC1750 router rating:

stars_5

Netgear AC1750: 5 stars out of 5!

Netgear AC1750 at a glance

2015-10-09 16.59.06

Fresh out of the box: it’s everything I wanted in a router, and even some things I didn’t even know I wanted!

This router – the first router that I can really call my own – beats the pants off any combo router/modem device I used to rent! There’s no discernible signal degradation over WiFi, no deadzones, I never get disconnected while gaming, and heck, it’s even better-looking than my previous routers.

Why I didn’t just rent another router

For years, I just accepted whatever combo router/model device my ISP would rent to me for about $10 a month and called it good. In my Frontier FIOS house, this meant I had a large dead zone in the kitchen and dining room (which I tried to fight with range extenders, but they all fell short in various ways). In my previous Comcast Xfinity apartment, this meant frequent disconnects while playing Wii U and PS4 games in the living room and slow uploads from the bedroom furthest from the router.

BUT THOSE DAYS ARE GONE NOW!

In my current Wave G apartment, I was given the choice of renting a router or supplying my own. I decided it was time to buy a performance router and see if any of my usual grievances went away. There was a lot to pick from, but I chose the Netgear AC1750 because of it’s price point and 4.5 star rating on Amazon – and oh wow, it is ever awesome.

» Check current Netgear AC1750 price on Amazon.com «

Pros

  • Excellent range: I get signal down the hallway and even pretty outside my apartment – the range on this thing is huge
  • Instant guest network: a completely separate network (with or without a password of its own) for guests so they aren’t on “my” network, for that added bit of peace of mind and privacy
  • Beamforming technology “locks on” to every connected device to focus signal strength in the direction of the device, even as I roam around carrying the device
  • Simultaneous dual band: two side-by-side networks for speed and less interference (one is 2.4GHz, the other is 5GHz)
  • Prioritizes certain types of network traffic to reduce occurrences of video buffering, gaming disconnects
  • Price point is pretty sweet: if your broadband provider charges for router rental (or a combination router/modem), this router will likely pay for itself in about a year
  • You can disable almost all of the on-unit LED lights!!
  • 802.11 AC: AC is the latest wireless standard and 3x faster than wireless N (your older wireless stuff is still supported)
  • Built-in ReadySHARE makes it easy to share a USB printer and/or a USB external hard drive over your network
  • Well-organized admin control panel looks modern and even has an easy-to-remember url (routerlogin.net)

Cons

  • Higher upfront cost than taking whatever your ISP will rent you, at least for a while (I’ll break even in about 15 months)
  • It’s a bit bigger than your typical router (or router/modem combo) at 11.2″ wide
  • Few real cons, this router is a beast

Netgear AC1750 Review

Setup

Unboxing and setup took about 5 minutes and was completely effortless on my part, aside from plugging things in and finding space for the router.

I use my NETGEAR AC1750 with Wave G (formerly known as Condo Internet), so I don’t actually have a modem in my apartment – just an Ethernet port in the wall to plug my router into. If you already have a combo router/modem device from your ISP, you can disable the router features on your combo device and use your combo device as a modem.

netgear_1750_installation

Note: my apartment is on Wave G, so I don’t have modem hardware in my unit. In my case, the router plugs right into the Ethernet port in the wall.

2015-11-22 15.09.03

All the ports and antennas are on the back: 4 Ethernet ports, a USB 2.0 port for a shared printer, power button, power plug.

Look and feel

It looks cool (in my opinion, anyway) and its design allows for wall mounting. It’s a bit large at 11.22″ at its widest.

The best feature here, though, is the feature that lets you turn off all the LED lights across the front. I sleep in the same room as my router and I want those lights OFF! (Actually, I just want them off no matter where the router is placed in my home. I hate seeing the little flickering lights out of the corner of my eye no matter where I am.)

I used to cover my router with a bag to cover the lights, which I didn’t like doing because most routers tend to get very warm when covered. The ability to turn lights off is just a win all around.

2015-11-22 15.08.55

If I could turn the power light off, too, I would!

WiFi Range

A router’s WiFi range depends on a lot of things, including interference from other devices nearby or on the same network and the construction materials that exist between your router and your device.

In my current 480 sq. ft. studio apartment, it’s easy to say that this thing has excellent range – but I haven’t forgotten the dead zones I used to struggle with in my 2200 sq. ft. home or my U-shaped 1100 sq. ft. apartment.

I can go several hundred feet from my window outside and up two floors in my building before I see my WiFi signal drop off. I’m on my network as in the parking garage under my unit, where presumably there is a bulk of concrete between me and the router.

Mostly what I care about is not losing signal as I move about my apartment, which my previous apartments/routers had trouble with. With this router, I can go all the way into the bathroom (with the kitchen and all its walls/appliances between the router and me) and not lose any signal strength.

Beamforming+

Most routers just emit signal in all directions. Netgear’s “Beamforming” technology locks on to connected devices and focuses signal in their direction, even as the device moves around. The result: a faster, more stable connection. Netgear’s own 4 minute video below explains it nicely:

Netgear Genie app

Here’s an unexpected plus: Netgear offers an iOS and Android app called “Netgear Genie” so you can manage your network through your phone. As I increasingly use my phone for more things (and my computer for fewer things) this app is a nice bonus.

The app (which is free) is well laid-out and has all the menus I’d expect to find by logging into my router through my desktop. My only gripes here are minor: the graphics are dated and the app is somewhat slow to populate its data, but these things are forgivable in light of the convenience of having all this stuff on my phone.

2015-11-22 12.42.20

Two networks in parallel

This router emits two “parallel” WiFi networks: one is 2.4GHz (which is better at range) and one is 5GHz (which is better at speed).

Generally speaking, the 5GHz band experiences less noise, faster speeds, and fewer disconnects, but the tradeoff is a shorter wireless range.  The 2.4GHz band is often described as crowded because many devices, like wireless keyboards/mice, cordless phones, and microwaves operate on that band. The 2.4GHz band is still (usually) better at wireless range, though.

For many environments, the best choice is to put all devices on the 5GHz network and enjoy. However, in doing this research I found that for some people in some environments, performance can actually be worse on 5GHz (for a variety of reasons). This is why I think it’s good to have a router that offers both, so that if one band doesn’t work out you can switch to the other band.

In my own home, I put my phone on the 2.4GHz network so that I can roam around with little fear of losing signal. My gaming systems, though, are on the 5GHz band because they sit right next to the router and wireless performance is important to their use.

More articles on the 2.4GHz/5GHz topic:

  • Here’s why you should use 5GHz WiFi instead of 2.4GHz (pocketnow.com)
  • Differences between 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless (tp-link.com)

Netgear AC1750 vs. Netgear Nighthawk AC1900

Somewhat confusingly, Netgear offers two pretty similar router models: the AC1750 and the AC1900, also called the “Nighthawk”.

I debated the Netgear AC1750 vs. the similar-looking and cooler-named Netgear “Nighthawk” AC1900 before I ultimately just went with the 1750 because the additional $50 in price (at the time) only netted two real differences over the 1750:

  • Nighthawk has a slightly faster processor (1GHz vs. 800 MHz)
  • Nighthawk has a slightly faster max WiFi speed (1900Mbps vs. 1750Mbps).

That’s really all that is different (besides the cooler name). Those things didn’t really sway me into paying an additional $50, but the price on the Nighthawk fluctuates, so if you see it at a price you like you might as well grab it and enjoy the slightly faster processor and WiFi speeds.

The bottom line

It’s a fantastic router, hands down. I would recommend this router to anyone who has been frustrated by slow wireless speeds or dead zones in their house. I wish I had one of these a few years ago when I lived in a larger house. Setup was painless and the thing seems designed to handle the demands of multiple devices trying to simultaneously stream video and play online games.

» Check out Netgear AC1750 on Amazon.com «

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Filed Under: Home networking, Reviews, Routers Tagged With: AC1750, home networking, NETGEAR, nighthawk, review, router, wireless networking

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