Google Wifi
The simplest, most valuepacked Wi-Fi mesh system yet
It takes seconds for the ‘router’ to recognise the points and for them to begin broadcasting
£129 FROM Google, store.google.com features 5GHz mesh Wi-Fi, Ethernet port on each unit, free iOS companion app
Routers and range extenders are over – the future is Wi-Fi mesh or tri-band. Naturally, the smart home-obsessed Google is all over it with the eponymous Google Wifi (spelled that way). A single Google Wifi ‘point’ costs £129, and a two-unit set is just £229. Google says three Wifi points can cover up to 4,500 sq ft.
Each unit – a tiny, unassuming cylinder with a simple white LED band in its centre – is capable of the same functionality, so any of them can function as the ‘router’. And each unit has two Gigabit Ethernet ports so they can be used for wired or wireless internet.
Setup is sublime – the free app configures your Wi-Fi network by scanning the QR code on the Wifi points connected to your modem or gateway and power. From there, the app tells you to give your network a name and set a password, then pair the additional Wifi points and label them. It takes seconds for the ‘router’ to recognise the Wifi points and for them to begin broadcasting.
The app offers plenty of useful features, like constant monitoring of your network, the points and connected devices. The app can run an internet speed test – a mesh test that measures the health of your points’ connections, as well as a Wi-Fi test that measures your connection strength from within the network. You can also prioritise bandwidth to one device for a time, control smart home devices and pause internet access to certain devices.
Google Wifi drew the absolute most from a 100Mbps Wi-Fi service, and managed to do so from every room in our test house. We were able to stream 4K video through Netflix to a Roku Premiere in the basement, as well as play games in an office where the modem is located, all without issue.
Wi-Fi mesh systems like Google Wifi aren’t focused so much on throughput as they are coverage, but it delivers regardless.
The traffic prioritisation feature can ensure that games (for example) get more of that crucial bandwidth than other devices in your house that are Facebooking or streaming video. Plus, the network can automatically repair itself should one or more of the Wifi points be accidentally unplugged.
Wondrous Wi-Fi
While we know that Google Wifi operates its mesh system over existing Wi-Fi bands (2.4GHz and 5GHz) using the 802.11s mesh protocol rather than, say, Netgear Orbi’s tri-band system that communicates over a second 5GHz Wi-Fi band, we haven’t found a terrible difference between performance. We’ve seen slightly faster download speeds in Mbps on the 2.4GHz band from the Orbi over the Google Wifi, but that could easily be an anomaly.
The true benefit of Google Wifi over other mesh systems is its coverage for the price. The versatility of being able to add multiple points in terms of shoring up your home’s dead spots can’t be ignored.
While there isn’t much to gripe about, it could do with finer control over Wi-Fi settings, like controlling which bands are broadcast and when. Also, as it uses AC1200 technology, Google Wifi isn’t capable of the AC3000 or even AC2200 throughput that Netgear Orbi and Linksys Velop can manage, which might put you off if you are shelling out for super-fast internet speeds.
Still, Google Wifi is the easiest router that we’ve ever set up, full stop. For a relatively affordable price, Google offers more units than most competitors and the best setup and management app by far.