Google WiFi System, 1-Pack - Router Replacement for Whole Home Coverage - NLS-1304-25,white

I purchased this networking gear to replace an Apple AirPort network that Ive used to provide a mesh network service for a few years. After blowing a weekend configuring it, Im packing it all up and shipping it back to Amazon for a refund. In short - network signal strength is great, but the configuration options are ABSURDLY bad. If you want any measure of control over your network, this system will drive you insane. === Problem #1: It cannot operate as a mesh network in bridge mode. My LAN has some devices running through a high-grade switch, and some devices that connect wirelessly. I want all of these devices on the same network, with the switch acting as the DHCP server and assigning IP addresses. If thats what you want, Google WiFi is not for you. The main selling-point of Google WiFi is its ability to operate as a mesh. In order to do so, you are required to run it in Network Address Translation (NAT) mode - in which it assigns all of its devices to its own private subnet, and represents all of them on the WAN side with a single IP address. That means that a wireless device and a wired device cannot talk to each other, because they are not on the same subnet. They cannot even *see* each other. If you want your devices in the same subnet, you have to position the Google WiFi primary AP as the primary node in the network *and* allow it to operate as the DHCP server. The alternative is to configure it in bridge mode - at which point you lose 100% of the mesh capabilities of the kit... which is the main selling point of Google WiFi. This is an unreasonable requirement. Other network devices, like the Netgear Orbi system, can operate as a mesh in bridge mode. No idea why this is a requirement. === Problem #2: NAT is totally unconfigurable. Okay, so youre going to bite the bullet and configure it as your NAT server. Want to configure its NAT capabilities? Youre in for a nasty surprise. Google WiFis NAT service is hard-coded to use 192.168.86.x. There is no way to reconfigure it: it is locked to that subnet. There is no way to set the DHCP address range for the private LAN. There is no way to set the DHCP range for the guest LAN. There is no way to configure lease durations. There is no way even to specify the IP address for Google WiFi itself. The DHCP server basically has one setting: ON. This is an absurdly primitive DHCP server. It gives you no flexibility of any kind: its Google WiFis way, or the highway. === Problem #3: The only way to configure Google WiFi is through an intensely crude mobile app. Nearly every router in the world has an HTTP configuration page. Connect a device (wired or wireless), open a browser, enter the IP address of the router, enter a username and password - you get pages and pages of configuration options. Google WiFi? lolno. Even if you can determine its IP address, the APs dont even respond to HTTP requests. Instead, the sole way to configure Google WiFi is through a mobile app... and the mobile app is *extremely* crude. For instance: If you want to configure the WAN settings, you have to unplug the Ethernet cables, configure the device, *hope* that the app can push the new settings back to the AP (hint: it sometimes fails), and then reconnect your Ethernet. Why in the world would you need to do that? You can configure the DHCP server to assign IP addresses to specific devices. You do that by selecting the name of a device thats currently connected, and then giving it an IP. What if you want to configure DHCP for a device thats not connected via WiFi? You cant. End of story. What if you want to configure DHCP for a device thats connected via Ethernet? Particularly through a switch? You cant. End of story. What if you have multiple devices have the same name (like: Amazon Echo?) They all show up as Amazon Echo. What if you want to find out the MAC addresses of the individual devices, so you can make deliberate assignments? You cant: IT DOESNT SHOW YOU THE MAC ADDRESSES. It only shows you the name. End of story. What if you want to assign a distinctive name to a particular device thats calling itself something like unnamed device? You cant. End of story. Tons of limitations like these become apparent as you try to configure the router. The app is cute, aesthetically pleasing, and utterly horrid at doing its job. Its amateurish and missing some really, really basic features. === In short: This router kit is like Fisher-Price WiFi. Its like Babys First WiFi Network. If you want to plug it in and turn it on, it *might* work well for you. If you want to configure it in any meaningful way, youre going to spend hours struggling in vain to find options that *really should* be in there somewhere. Spoiler Alert: They arent. Dont buy this junk. They are a terrible value proposition. There are a dozen other sources and brands of mesh networking gear - theres no good reason to shackle yourself to hardware that you cannot configure.

Ive only had one experience of setting up a router and it was no picnic. So I wasnt real happy about doing it again, as I m not great with technical things. But, this was simple and fast, once the google app was downloaded. A few minutes after start, I was back on the internet. The range is good. One thing I found out about reconnecting my alexa, instructions say to hold down action button for 5 seconds and release, didnt work. Hold down until you get the tone.

Id been using the router provided my my ISP (Frontier) and we had a few weak/dead spots around the house. After installing this three-pack the dead spots were gone and I had a nice clear signal out into the back yard. The one downside is that Ive still got a wired network and the Frontier router is part of that. The Google WiFi system uses a different subnet than the wired network and so wired and wireless devices cant really talk to each other. Its not a big deal in our household but folks considering this solution should keep that in mind.

It just works, and works great! The easiest WiFi setup ever. If you like to tinker with your set up, this may not be for you. But if youre like me and have better things to do with your time Google WiFi is the way to go. Very quick & easy setup. From opening the box to having the access points placed and the network up and running was about 30 minutes, most of that time was thinking about where to put the access points. Overall speeds have increased, especially our WiFi. Love the smartphone app, its easy and intuitive. Based on two days experience so far, I highly recommend Google WiFi. Update: still VERY happy with google wifi. Had some problems with the kids getting into trouble and it was a piece of cake to selectively turn on or off wifi. Great product!

My wifi quadrupled in speed! The set up was a bit glitchy for me but still took me less than 30 min to set up 3 devices. Highly recommend.

A very effective product. Easy set up. Easy administration. I bought three for my office too.

12/29/18, just installed the Google WiFi and must say Im impressed with the ease of install, interoperability with FIOS service and router and app interface to manage the system. Im a techie and a research analyst, so put a bunch of time into researching wifi mesh vendor options from Netgear/Linksys, etc and landed on Googles wifi system. Happy I did, good price, ease of use and great coverage for 3000 sq ft house.

I could not be happier! The set works beyond my expectations. I just now heard an updated version is going to be released. So if you are planning to buy this product, wait a little longer.

We were having Wifi problems in our apartment due to thick cement walls. 4 of these have done the trick to keep us connected (especially on our tv in the back room away from the WiFi source when we wanted to watch Netflix, etc)

easy setup, seems to be working well for what i was expecting. I do think the square footage is way off on the reach of these things. If you have a 1500 SQT house, get 2. If you have a 2000 SQFT house get 3. I wish there were more options for managing these devices. More control over security.