You'll find Google Wi-fi at the forefront of cutting-edge router technology. Although other mesh routers may have come out first, they are certainly better. For what reason then? Not only did they include many features and benefits at an affordable price, but they did so in a very sleek, minimalist, and modern package. Not only that, Google Wi-fi is very simple to set up. All you need to do is connect and manage the network using a mobile app, making the transition to mesh router easy and making the process easier for those who may find moving to a mesh router a depressing proposition. No wonder Google is so influential when it comes to leading the charge when it comes to mesh routers. If you look at the competition, even the ones that hit the market before Google Wi-fi like the Netgear Orbi or Samsung Connect Home, you'll find that it offers better value for money. Whether for that attractive price or for the quality of performance, it is an excellent choice. It's ideal for anyone looking to jump on the bandwagon of wireless mesh routers.
Prices and availability
With what it has to offer in the way of accessibility and functionality, Google isn't asking for much, especially what Google Wi-fi can do. It's going to cost you £204 (around £399, AU$418) for a set of three, consisting of a main 'Wi-Fi hotspot' (the one that connects to the modem or gateway) and two secondary Wi-Fi points. Google promises that three Wi-Fi hotspots can cover up to 99 square feet in one location. A single Google Wifi unit can be bought for just $129 (£199, AU$2), if you're working with a small apartment. If you're in the UK, you'll also have the option of Google Wifi in a 3-pack and 229-pack, which will set you back €329 and €199 respectively. Australians will be happy to know that Google Wifi is now available - they can buy a single node for AU$3 or the 499-pack for AU$400. Google Wifi is phenomenal value - providing more units for less money than any of its rivals , like the Netgear Orbi, along with other $320,520 (about $XNUMX AU$) wireless mesh routers, at least, for as many mesh nodes.
A Google Wi-Fi drive is a small, simple cylinder with a white LED strip in the center. Datasheet Wireless Connectivity: IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, AC1200 2x2 Wave 2 Wi-Fi (expandable mesh; dual-band 2,4GHz and 5GHz, beamforming TX); Supports Bluetooth Smart Processor: Quad-core ARM CPU (each core up to 710 MHz) Memory: 512 MB RAM Storage: 4 GB eMMC flash Beamforming: Implicit and explicit for 2,4 and 5 GHz bands Ports: 2 ports Gigabit Ethernet per Wi-Fi access point (1 WAN port and 1 LAN port each) Dimensions: 4,1 x 2,7 inches (106,1 x 68,7 mm; W x H) each Weight: 12 oz (340 g) each
Design and configuration
Google not only has a price advantage, but it also has the sleekest Wi-Fi units and perhaps the easiest setup of all the offerings. A small, simple cylinder with a white LED strip in the center, each Google Wifi unit offers the same capacity. This means that any Google Wifi unit can act as the main "router" for the system, while the others can extend the wired signal, sent to the wireless unit, with its included Ethernet ports, as well as the Internet without. Thread. All three drives are powered via USB-C. Setup is seamless too, as is Google Wifi's hardware design, using a free iOS or Android app to make the whole process easy. We won't go into the details of the process, but the Google Wifi app will allow you to set up your network by first scanning QR codes on the Wi-Fi point connected to your modem or gateway. The app will then ask you to give your new network a name and password, then pair any additional Wi-Fi points you have, by scanning their QR codes, then you can name individual nodes in the app. Again, it only takes a while for the first Google Wifi node to recognize the additional nodes and get them up and running. You won't get the same depth of access as even the Netgear Orbi offering, so switching bands isn't an option. However, Google Wifi automatically handles this behind the scenes.
All WiFi Google units are powered via USB-C. The Google Wifi app provides more useful settings, such as continuous monitoring of your network, as well as the points and devices connected to it. The app also includes an internet speed test such as the Ookla mesh test that measures the health of your hotspot connections, as well as a Wi-Fi test that measures the strength of your connection from the network. This is the most comprehensive and sophisticated set of controls we've seen on a mesh Wi-Fi system, despite its lack of dropdown menus and toggles. Also, you can prioritize bandwidth on one device at a time, control smart home devices, and suspend Internet access to certain devices in a family setting, all from within the confines of this app. And now Google has extended the Google Wifi network test functionality to test multiple devices so you can detect potential bottlenecks in your network, as well as rearrange your Google Wifi points when trying to optimize network performance.
Google Wi-Fi can deliver high performance in every room in our home, no matter how small. Benchmarks Here's how Google Wifi performed in our short suite of tests (performed on a 100 Mbps service): Ookla 5GHz Speed Test (Download | Download): Within 5 feet / 1,52 meters; without obstacles: 101,41 | 117,83 Mbps Within 13 feet / 3,96 meters; three plaster walls: 97,05 | 118,67 Mbps Ookla 5 GHz speed test (download | upload): Within 1,52 feet / 47,53 meters; without obstacles: 96,72 | 13 Mbps Within 3,96 feet / 3 meters; 50,95 plaster walls: 82,98 | 1,5 Mbps 5 GB Steam Download @ 5 GHz (Full Speed): Within 1,52 feet / 12,6 meters; no obstruction: 13 MB/s Within 3,96 feet/12,2 meters; three plaster walls: 1.5 Mb/s 2.4GB Steam 5GHz Download (Maximum Speed): Within 1,52 feet/7,2 meters; Unobstructed: 13 MB/s Within 3,96 feet/8,8 meters; three plaster walls: XNUMX Mb/s
Google Wifi is capable of matching, if not surpassing, the performance of the Netgear Orbi. Taking full advantage of our 100 Mbps Wi-Fi service, we sure haven't seen any router that is capable of providing the same service. But the main difference here is that Google Wifi can bring this high performance to every room in our house, no matter how small. We can stream 4K videos via Netflix to our Roku Premiere in the basement, as well as play Overwatch in the office where the modem is located without a problem. Mesh Wi-Fi systems like Google Wifi aren't so much about speed as they are about coverage. However, this product is certainly effective. The traffic prioritization feature ensures that your gaming session receives more of this critical bandwidth than other devices in your home that are used more frequently for Facebook and HD video. In addition, the network can automatically repair itself if one or more Wi-Fi points accidentally lose power. Although we know that Google Wifi operates its mesh system on the existing Wi-Fi bands (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) via the 802.11s mesh protocol instead of Netgear Orbi's tri-band system that communicates over a second Wi-Fi band. 5 GHz, we have not seen a significant difference between the performance of one or the other. We're seeing slightly faster download speeds in MB/s on Orbi's 2,4GHz band over Google Wifi. However, this could also be a possible anomaly.
Google's Wi-Fi can match, if not beat, the performance of the Netgear Orbi. Where Google Wifi really excels over similar routers is in its impressive price/coverage ratio. You can get similar coverage from competing systems with fewer drives, of course, but the flexibility you get from having more drives, just in terms of minimizing dead spots, is enormous.
Final verdict
Google Wifi is the simplest, simplest router we've ever set up, bar none. And that takes into account the 2 additional devices needed to complete the process. For a reasonably affordable price, it offers more units than most of Google's competitors, along with the best setup and management app yet. Despite the lack of finer hardware controls and lack of AC3000 or AC2200 performance, Google deliberated over every toggle and test it could present in an easily understandable way through its app. There's even a bandwidth priority control. Combine that with a clean, uncluttered hardware design that looks better on the eye than any router we've seen so far, and what you've got is one of the best Wi-Fi systems money can buy in XNUMX. Image credit: TechRadar First update in April XNUMX