Other mesh Wi-Fi systems may have surpassed Google Wifi, but no other mesh router is as responsible for bringing mesh routers to the masses as this entry from Google.
Essentially, Google Wifi set the standard for what a mesh Wi-Fi router should be, even if Samsung Connect Home or Netgear Orbi have been around longer. In fact, Google Mesh Router combines a clean design, simple installation, and a full set of features at a very reasonable price. It also fits perfectly anywhere you install it and provides a strong, continuous connection no matter where you are in your coverage area. Deadlocks will be a thing of the past.
Whether you're dealing with a weak and intermittent internet signal or ready to upgrade from a typical router setup, Google Wifi is an ideal solution thanks to its performance, features and, of course, price.
- Google Wifi (white) at Amazon for €75 (opens in a new tab)
Google Wifi review: Price and availability
- Honey
- It can be purchased separately or in packs of two and three for larger homes.
With what it has to offer in terms of accessibility and functionality, Google doesn't ask for much, especially for what Google Wifi can do. First-generation Wi-Fi costs $259 (about $204, AU$399) for a set of three units, 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 4500 square feet (418 square meters) in one location.
The new generation of Google Wifi devices brings the price of the three-pack system down by €60, on sale now in the US and UK for €199 / €189 (around AU$499). A single Google Wifi unit can be had for just €99 / £89 (around AU$199), which is the same price as the last generation. If you work with a small apartment, this is more than enough and is still an unbeatable offer.
If you're in the UK, you'll also have the option of Google Wifi in a 2-pack and a 3-pack, which will set you back €229 and €329 respectively. Google Wifi has disappeared from Google Australia's product page, so there's no option to buy the first generation or the newly updated Google Wifi mesh router. This strongly suggests that while the Australian launch is a bit further along than the US and UK launch, it's likely imminent and you'll almost certainly see a similar price reduction on the three-pack. network points.
Google Wifi is phenomenal value: it offers more units for less money than any of its rivals, like the Netgear Orbi, with other $400 (around $320, AU$520) wireless mesh routers, at least, for as much. mesh nodes.
Technical sheet
Wireless connectivity: IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi AC1200 2x2 Wave 2 (expandable mesh; dual band 2,4 GHz and 5 GHz, beamforming TX); Smart Bluetooth ready
Processor: Quad-core ARM processor (each core up to 710 MHz)
Memory: 512 MB RAM
Storage: 4GB eMMC flash memory
Beamforming: implicit and explicit for the 2,4 and 5 GHz bands
Ports: 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports per Wifi point (1 WAN port and 1 LAN port each)
Dimensions: 4,1 x 2,7 inches (106,1 x 68,7 mm; depth x height) each
Weight: 12 oz (340 g) each
Google Wifi review: Design and setup
- elegant and compact
- Easy to configure
Google not only has a price advantage, but it also has the sleekest Wi-Fi units and perhaps the easiest setup of any offering. Each Google Wifi unit, a simple little cylinder with a white LED strip in the center, offers the same capacity.
This means that any Google Wifi unit can act as the central "router" for the system, while others can extend the wired signal, sent to the wireless unit, with its included Ethernet ports, as well as the wireless Internet thread. All three drives are powered via USB-C.
Setup is seamless too, as is Google Wifi's hardware design – a free iOS or Android app is used 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 access point connected to your modem or gateway.
The app will then ask you to name your new network and set a password, then pair any additional Wi-Fi points you have, by scanning their QR codes; you can then name individual nodes in the application. Again, it takes a short time for the first Google Wifi node to recognize the additional nodes and start working.
You won't get the same depth of access that even the Netgear Orbi offers, so switching bands isn't an option. However, Google Wifi handles this automatically in the background.
The Google Wifi app provides more useful settings, such as continuously monitoring your network and the points and devices connected to it. The app also has an internet speed test included, 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. .
It's the most comprehensive and sophisticated set of commands we've seen in a mesh Wi-Fi system to date, despite the lack of pull-down menus and toggles.
In addition, you can prioritize a device's bandwidth for a certain time, control smart home devices, and suspend Internet access to certain devices in a home environment, all from the confines of this app.
And now, Google has extended the Google Wifi network check feature to test multiple devices so you can detect potential bottlenecks in your network, rearrange your Google Wifi hotspots when you try to connect, and optimize your network performance. network.
References
Here's how Google Wifi fared in our short round of testing (performed on a 100 Mbps service):
Ookla 5GHz Speed Test (Download | Upload):
Within 5 feet/1,52 meters; without obstacles: 101.41 | 117,83Mbps
Within 13 feet/3,96 meters; three plaster walls: 97,05 | 118,67Mbps
Ookla 2.4GHz Speed Test (Download | Upload):
Within 5 feet/1,52 meters; without obstacles: 47,53 | 96,72Mbps
Within 13 feet/3,96 meters; three plaster walls: 50,95 | 82,98Mbps
Download 1,5 GB Steam 5 GHz (maximum speed):
Within 5 feet/1,52 meters; unobstructed: 12,6 MB/s
Within 13 feet/3,96 meters; three plaster walls: 12,2 MB/s
Download 1,5 GB Steam 2,4 GHz (maximum speed):
Within 5 feet/1,52 meters; unobstructed: 7,2 MB/s
Within 13 feet/3,96 meters; three plaster walls: 8,8 MB/s
Google Wifi review: Performance
- Excellent performance
- Cover a large area with Wi-Fi
Google Wifi can match or even exceed the performance of Netgear Orbi. Taking full advantage of our 100Mbps Wi-Fi service, surely we have not seen any router capable of providing the same service. But the main difference here is that Google Wifi is capable of bringing this high performance to all the rooms in our house, however small they may be.
We can stream 4K video via Netflix on our Roku Premiere in the basement, as well as play Overwatch in the office where the modem is located without any problem. Mesh Wi-Fi systems like Google Wifi aren't as focused on speed as they are on coverage. Still, this product certainly delivers.
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 streaming. In addition, the network can automatically repair itself if one or more of the 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) through the 802.11s mesh protocol instead of Netgear Orbi's tri-band system that communicates through a second Wi-Fi band. -Fi 5GHz, we haven't seen a huge difference in performance between either. We see slightly faster download speeds in MB/s on Orbi's 2,4GHz band on Google Wifi. However, this could also be a possible anomaly.
Where Google Wifi really excels compared to similar routers is in its amazing price-to-coverage ratio. You can get similar coverage with rival systems with fewer drives, sure, but the flexibility you get from having more drives, just in terms of minimizing dead spots, is enormous.
Should I buy Google Wifi?
Google Wifi is the simplest and easiest router we've ever set up, bar none. And that explains the two additional devices required to complete the process. For a reasonably affordable price, you get more drives than most of Google's rivals, plus the best setup and management app to date.
Despite the lack of finer hardware controls and the lack of performance of the AC3000 or AC2200, Google has deliberated every change and test it could present in a way that is easily understood through its application. There's even priority bandwidth control. Combine that with a sleek, streamlined hardware design that's better to show off 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 2022.
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First review April 2017
Google Wifi: price comparison