Google Nest Wifi Pro Review

Google’s latest mesh router, the Nest Wifi Pro ($199.99), Wi-Fi 6E router It uses the relatively uncrowded 6 GHz radio band and supports new wireless technologies such as Thread and Matter, a standard for smart home devices. Like previous Nest routers, it’s tastefully designed and easy to install, but I was disappointed that the 6GHz radio band didn’t have its own SSID. Editor’s choice among Fi 6E mesh routers, Aero Pro 6E.

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design and function

For review, Google submitted a single Nest Wifi Pro router that offers up to 2,200 square feet of coverage. For larger homes, you can purchase 2 packs ($299.99) or 3 packs ($399.99) covering 4,400 or 6,600 square feet respectively. Each router measures 5.1 x 4.6 x 3.3 inches (HWD) and is designed to sit in an open area on a table or bookshelf rather than hidden in a corner or floor. Color choices include Snow (white), Linen (off-white), Lemongrass (yellow), and Fog (light green).

(Credit: Google)

The router has no buttons, but a small LED indicator on the front flashes white during startup, blue during setup, and yellow when Internet connection is lost (solid white when fully connected). ) There are two 1Gbps Ethernet ports on the back, one of which is used for WAN connection. The second can be used as a LAN port or for wired backhaul between nodes. Unlike the Eero Pro 6E, the Nest Wifi Pro doesn’t have a multigig network port. Google routers also don’t have USB ports for sharing storage devices, but to be fair, low-profile mesh systems rarely offer USB connectivity.

(Credit: Google)

As a Wi-Fi 6E mesh router, Nest Wifi Pro can transmit not only on the 6GHz radio band, but also on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio bands. It supports Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) data transmission, WPA3 encryption, MU-MIMO simultaneous data streaming, direct signal beamforming to the client, and 160MHz channel transmission. It also has built-in support. thread(opens in new window)a new protocol for connecting IoT devices such as smart thermostats and lights projectis a connectivity standard designed to provide compatibility between smart home devices regardless of brand.

The router is powered by a dual-core ARM processor with 1 GB of RAM and 4 GB of flash memory. AX5400 devices with up to 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and up to 2,400Mbps on the 5GHz or 6GHz band. As mentioned, it supports 6GHz radio transmission, but it doesn’t have his SSID dedicated to connecting devices directly to his 6GHz band. Band selection is handled automatically using band steering techniques.

Routers controlled using the Google Home app appear in the panel below the room you assigned during setup. When you tap the panel, a pop-up screen shows the Nest Wifi Pro’s status (connected online or disconnected offline), but not whether the client is connected. The Run Speed ​​Test button at the bottom of the screen allows you to measure your internet upload and download speeds. The gear icon on the top right will take you to the device settings screen.

Settings are limited.[優先アクティビティ]The tab lets you optimize your router for video calling and gaming, but lacks the option to assign bandwidth priorities to specific clients or applications. is limited to Parental control called Family Wi-Fi allows you to apply restricted access rules to groups of devices using Google’s SafeSearch filtering technology to automatically block access to websites containing adult content. increase. However, age-based parental control filters and anti-malware software tools are not available. TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro mesh system.

Other settings let you create guest networks, toggle privacy settings, and configure notifications to let you know when new devices join your network or when your Wi-Fi connection is lost. Advanced settings enable UPnP and IPv6, configure DNS settings, select WAN connection (DHCP, static, PPOE), change LAN settings (IP address or subnet mask), and manage port forwarding rules I can.

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Google Nest Wifi Pro Test: Comparable Performance

Setting up your Nest Wifi Pro has never been easier. If you don’t have the Google Home app, you’ll need to install it and create an account.Start by connecting your router, then on the home screen[Nest Wifi ルーターのセットアップ]was tapped.

After a few seconds the router was recognized.then[次へ]use your phone’s camera to scan the QR code on the bottom of the device, and when prompted to join the network[はい]clicked. The router connected immediately. I created a Wi-Fi network name and password, pointed the router to my home location, and waited a few seconds for the network to be created. It took a few minutes for the router to reboot and the installation was complete.

Band steering cannot be disabled, so throughput performance test results are dependent on the router’s ability to select the best band and do not include separate scores for 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz .the test device Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultraconnected to the 6 GHz band during my testing, and the Nest Wifi Pro gave very good results.

In a proximity test (done within 5 feet of the router), the Google router had a clock speed of 909Mbps.that is Motorola Q14 and TP-Link XE75 Pro (900Mbps each), but Asus Zen WiFi ET8 (918Mbps) and Eero Pro 6E (922Mbps). In our 30-foot test, the Nest Wifi Pro matched Motorola’s throughput of 372 Mbps, and was noticeably faster than the TP-Link and Asus (371 Mbps each). The Eero Pro 6E was ahead of the pack at 375Mbps.

we measure signal strength using Ekahau A Sidekick Wi-Fi diagnostic device and the Ekahau Survey mobile app were used to generate a heat map showing router signal strength throughout the test home. (Disclosure: Ekahau is owned by his PCMag parent company, Ziff Davis.) Circles on the map represent router locations, and colors represent signal strength. Dark green indicates the strongest signal, yellow indicates weak signal, and gray indicates no signal. Measurable reception. These tests reflect the coupling signal with the router choosing the appropriate band as I move around the house.

(Credit: Ekahau)

As you can see in the map above, the Nest Wifi Pro provided a strong signal in the central areas of the house, but weaker in the rooms furthest from the router and in the garage. To be fair, we usually consider mesh systems with two or three nodes. So it’s safe to say that the secondary node here sends a much stronger signal to the yellow area.

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Verdict: Simple 6E

If you’re looking to upgrade your home network and want a mesh system that supports the latest smart home tech, the Google Nest Wifi Pro is for you. This is a tri-band Wi-Fi 6E router. This means you get access to the fast, uncrowded 6GHz radio band and support new wireless technologies such as Matter and Thread.

(Credit: Google)

The Nest is a strong performer, but the Eero Pro 6E maintains its Editors’ Choice award thanks to slightly faster performance, multigig connectivity, and the option to connect directly to the 6GHz SSID.