Solved: Google Helpline could't configure my Nest Thermostat onto my network.

[hands4]

Google is sending me a replacement Nest Thermostat for what clearly appears to be a SW issue. I'll describe the issue and see if you agree.

I have two Learning Thermostats, two Nest E thermostats, and two Nest Thermostats. The problem is with the latter two. I use an iPhone. The router has a 2.4 GHz network with a unique SSID that the other Nest thermostat are using. The Netgear Nighthawk router is 15' from the problematic thermostats.

The two Nest Thermostats have been working fine for a year or so. I reconfigured my router. Now those two thermostats cannot find my wifi network while the older four can. I put each of those four back on the net in less than a minute. After thirty minutes, the person on the Google Helpline was unable to reconnect the two newer ones. Their solution was to send me a replacement thermostat. I asked to escalate this but they said the procedure they are told to follow in this case is to replace the HW. OK. I can wait a week to show replacement HW won't help.

A) Two Nest Thermostats working well for a long time.

B) Reconfigured router. All devices in the house work on the router (including the other Nest thermostats), except those two thermostats. It took less than a minute each to connect the other four Nests back onto the router.

C) My attempts to use the Google Home app failed to get those thermostats online. Google indicated I did what I should have done.

D) Google walking me though trying such also failed.

E) The first time I configured these two thermostats, I was on the line with Google for hours before they found a solution. It was not an issue on my end with my network. It was a Google thing. So escalating it this time probably would have worked. 

So two thermostats "broke" at the same time with just a router change, and the problem is in the hardware?

What would you have done?

The first time I configured these newer thermostats was I already had Nest thermostats! The Google Home app failed because it detected non-Google Nests in the same house. They kludged that by creating a second home framework for the new thermostats. This time, Google Home indicated it was using that second framework. After that, it still took Google a while to install the Nest Thermostats.

Comment: The Google Home app process is complex. Why isn't there a manual method, using only the thermostat, to configure it onto a router (if the Google Home app is not getting the job done)? If not that, why can't Google Home talk to the Nest Thermostats using Bluetooth? That's standard and easy. If the Google Home app fails, the only remedy to replace the HW? Any why in the world would you create an app that fails when you install newer Nest HW where there is older Nest HW?

Have I missed any points here that would remedy these situations?

P.S. When the Nest thermostats are working, they work very well.

[auplater]

There may be multiple issues here... only Google knows for sure.  I just spent better part of the day trying to recover WiFi connectibilty on one of my two NEST v3 Learning 'stats after the upstairs unit dropped the connection last nite after working for a week... throwing a w5 code no matter what I tried.  Same thermostat model as downstairs, but it was bought a year b4 the other, so maybe different chipset? This, mind you, was a raplacement for the one that failed in the same manner last month after working fine for 10 months.  So perhaps a sw push screwed up the machine level code on a newere (and maybe cheaper) chipset incompatible with the update.

So, long story short, after negotiating the Byzantine and Machiavellian-like customer service maze, I finally got someone to call me (after 2 hang-ups).  I'll be packing up the replacement tonite and shipping it back for another head unit.  I was specific to them that they confirm it actually works; apparently they are repairing non-functioning units and/or sending out new incompatible units from stock as warrenty replcemnts w/o confirming they actually work.  We'll see.... otherwise AMEX to the rescue.... which would be a shame because they are an elegant design, but maybe not a reliable design. 

[hands4 · Accepted solution]

After another hour, I fixed my issue. After you remove the thermostat from the Home app, the thermostat itself is still in your account. I removed it and then it worked (after several more tries).

I'm not sure what training the Google Helpline person had, but it certainly was not sufficient. I was clear that two thermostats "breaking" at the same time after a router change was most unlikely to be a hardware issue. I'll return the replacement when it arrives.

Summary: The attempt that worked required a dozen or so steps that were not all obvious. In toto, I spent two orders of magnitude longer getting my Nest Thermostats online than my Nest Learning Thermostats and my Nest E thermostats.

I rëiterate: If it had a manual interface to find the network or enter it's name and to add the password, then it would have been quick and easy to bypass the Byzantine (your adjective) Google Home method.

Or if it had used Bluetooth to find and configure the Nest Thermostat, that would have been simpler, easier, and faster. It would haver required many fewer steps and fewer confusing ones.

And, they engineered it so if Nest Learning Thermostats and/or Nest E thermostats are in the same home, the Nest Thermostats won't work!!!! You can't configure them. This is not just my experience. A Google Helpline person confirmed that is the case.

Anyway, problem solved. I think I'll have clear sailing from here on.