Review: Google’s little mesh Wi-Fi system connects your whole house

A Wi-Fi point that doubles as a smart speaker and night light just might fix your connection issues.

Google's Nest Wi-Fi mesh system doubles as a smart speaker and a night light.,

Like most share-house dwellers, I’ve been dealing with bad Wi-Fi for the best part of a decade.

This ranges from difficult landlords, to main tenants who opt for cheap data plans which come with telco-supplied modems that barely provide connection outside the living room.

Most care little when told the Wi-Fi doesn’t reach your bedroom so long as it reaches theirs. And in a rental, there’s little you can do in the way of permanent or fixed solutions, so I’ve had to play with Wi-Fi extenders and boosters in bid to connect with ease on the two days a week we’re allowed to work from home.

Earlier this year I put to test Google’s Nest Wi-Fi system, a mesh network which includes a Wi-Fi router and two Wi-Fi points ($549).

Initially, I wasn’t expecting much from the kit, but before long I was pleasantly surprised.

I set the Wi-Fi router right next to the existing modem and a Wi-Fi point within my bedroom.

Google's Nest Wi-Fi mesh system doubles as a smart speaker and a night light.

The existing modem barely reached the bedroom, often causing me to drop out of video calls, to pause streaming services and increase the upload times of documents. But with the Wi-Fi point in the bedroom, I haven’t yet had a problem.

And to stream interruption free sure is nice.

The Wi-Fi points itself is rather convenient, doubling as a smart speaker and a night light.

At any time, users can ask the device what their internet speed is, or to play music, or tell the time. Personally, I prefer to disable the microphone and check speeds via the Google Home app.

Casting to the Google Nest Wi-Fi point.

One cool feature for those with other smart devices – in my case a smart alarm clock – is the ability to set up a “room”, in which a user can play music simultaneously across the Wi-Fi point and other devices.

The speaker on the Wi-Fi point performs surprisingly well, and sounds far better than the one in my $70 smart alarm clock.

For families, there’s another option which can keep working parents from dropping out of important calls while their kids play games.

In the Google Home app, users can prioritise certain devices connected to the Google Wi-Fi system. They can set up profiles for each family member with their connected devices, pause internet access for naughty kids or prioritise the connection on their work computer.

Similar features can be used on a guest network, where a user can share passwords easily and limit certain devices.

Setting up Family Wi-Fi within the Google Home app.

On connectivity, Google promises its Wi-Fi network can connect up to 200 devices and stream 4K on multiple devices.

As for the set-up, it’s rather simple. The Wi-Fi router can connect directly to an NBN modem or, in my case, to a wireless 5G modem by a LAN cable. The connection from the router to each Wi-Fi point takes a few minutes.

The verdict? For those who like smart speakers and night lights and are in need of a better connection, this might be just the ticket.

At $549, it’s a little more than you’d pay for a booster or extender, but on a stressful workday or under a tight deadline, those few extra hundred dollars spent will be much appreciated.

Originally published as Review: Google’s little mesh Wi-Fi system connects your whole house