Nest Wi-fi review: an interlock Wi-Fi program and wise audio speaker mashup for yahoo Assistant enthusiasts
Google’s tip to merge an intelligent audio speaker with a Wi-Fi access aim isn’t new, however the sole some other people you can buy are running on Alexa.
Nest Wi-fi router and Aim
Google’s Nest Wi-fi isn’t splitting newer floor by melding a smart speaker with a Wi-Fi accessibility aim. Netgear did it best with last year’s Orbi vocals. But if you don’t need the very high show that Netgear’s top-quality mesh communities provide, Nest Wi-fi could save you some cash. A two-node system (the router plus one accessibility point) costs $269, compared to $350 for Netgear’s RBK50V system.
The savings will stay should you decide to expand your own circle later on, since each Nest Point (Google’s title for the access details) costs $149 versus $200 per additional Orbi vocals satellite. But there is even more to take into consideration than simply price tags. If you’re all-in on Google’s environment and prefer Bing associate, the Orbi Voice’s Amazon Alexa shipments won’t float your own ship. However if money is less of an issue along withn’t invested in either digital associate, Netgear’s goods brings greater performance at length. it is also a far superior loudspeaker, although not fundamentally a significantly better wise presenter; once more, that depends upon their digital assistant preference.
This assessment falls under all of our roundup of the best interlock Wi-Fi routers. Get indeed there for info on competing products and exactly how we examined all of them.
Nest Wi-fi equipment
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The $269 system Bing delivered for this evaluation contains a Nest Wifi router ($169 if purchased solo) and an individual Nest Wifi aim ($149 if bought separately). The purpose, and that’s somewhat smaller compared to the router, is actually a Wi-Fi access aim and a Google room smart speaker that is around similar in audio efficiency to a Nest Home Mini. I’ll get into music later on; for the time being, the crucial thing to learn about the Nest Wifi is that it’s a Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) mesh network system that aids both celebrity and daisy-chain mesh topologies. Put simply, information can traveling directly backwards and forwards between the router and certain satellite, or it would possibly get backwards and forwards from just one satellite to another.
Both Nest Wi-fi router and Nest Wifi Point are equipped with Wireless LE and Thread radios for smart residence connection, however the Bluetooth radio during the router is dormant, while the bond radio are dormant in both tools. Bond is a low-power mesh marketing technology originally spearheaded by Nest Labs, however sustained by a broad spectral range of organizations taking part in building online of Situations (IoT) products.
Michael Brown / IDG
The back of the Nest Wifi router (leftover) and Wi-fi aim. Note the absence of ethernet ports throughout the aim.
Bond try an up-and-coming wise homes innovation, but it is not yet achieved conventional marketplace acceptance. Nest Wifi cannot offer the two smart home systems that have accomplished that status—Z-Wave and Zigbee—so it can’t serve as an intelligent homes center by itself. If that’s everything you may need, expect a Samsung SmartThings Wifi router or TP-Link’s Deco M9 benefit, instead. Samsung’s program supporting both technology, while TP-Link’s helps merely Zigbee.
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The Nest Wi-fi router has just 
one LAN port readily available (another are a WAN interface that you’ll use to link the router to your broadband portal), very you’ll need to get an ethernet change when you have several tool that have to be hardwired to your network.
Higher-end routers normally have a four-port ethernet turn, but truth be told, that’s usually not sufficient for advanced level residence sites, both. The Nest Wi-fi Point, but does not have ethernet ports. This means they can’t utilize hardwired ethernet for data backhaul. But that’s essential only when you’ve got the system to benefit from they, and a lot of home don’t. That said, the Orbi Voice enjoys a two-port ethernet turn, which makes it the better selection for higher level people.
With respect to specifications, the Nest Wi-fi router are a dual-band AC2200 model promoting four spatial avenues in each path (4×4) from the 5GHz frequency musical organization, as well as 2 spatial avenues in each course (2×2) on 2.4GHz frequency band. The Nest Wifi Point try a dual-band Wi-Fi 5 interlock accessibility point, it helps merely two channels in each direction on every regularity musical organization. You’ll see the difference in throughput as soon as you push the customer equipment from the router. Whenever my personal test notebook was a student in exactly the same area while the router and wirelessly connected with it, I sized amazing TCP throughput of 528.3 Mbps—that’s merely 10 % less than the greater high priced Orbi Voice RBK50V system.
A whole-home system organized by Nest Wi-fi and something Wi-fi Point brings very strong performance at near variety in addition to customer try attached to the router. it is maybe not almost as amazing when the client is actually connecting to the stage.
