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Morocco, Rabat
1 Level
701 Review
38 Karma

Review on Optimized Google Nest WiFi Router - AC2200 Mesh Wi-Fi Router with 2200 sq ft Coverage (Renewed) by Chris Shields

Revainrating 1 out of 5

Doesn't work with most smart devices

I got this router when I moved to a new location and wanted to upgrade the standard router/modem kit my ISP sells. This was definitely an upgrade for all my dual band devices. My laptop, phone, Fire TV, etc. became more stable and had much faster download speeds (no real change in download speeds). The problem was adding smart devices. Many of them are not dual band, only 2.4GHz and can only be configured with a device that is on the same 2.4GHz network. Well, Google has unnecessarily made it completely impossible for you to specify which band you want to use for dual-band devices. Therefore, there is no way to set up 2.4GHz smart devices with this router. Now you'll see a bunch of Google people on the tech support forums saying it's very easy to do. All you have to do is move out of range of the 5GHz network and your phone will switch to 2.4GHz and you can set up your device. The only problem is that now you have to set up your smart device FRONT THE STREET. This makes it very difficult to see the visual cues that the device is sending as part of the setup process. Also, the stuns give the impression that the installation is a one-time thing, so you walk across the street once and never do it again. In reality, smart devices drop EVERYTHING off the grid. . TIME. So you sit back in your seat across the street and try to tweak the settings several times a month. All of this could be fixed if Google just split the two bands like ANY OTHER WIFI ROUTER ON THE PLANET. But they won't fix it, so now I'm stuck buying another router and tossing this piece of junk in the trash. THANK YOU GOOGLE!

Pros
  • Best in niche
Cons
  • I will add later