Connect nest WiFi router to point

[Nikspa]

I have network of Nest Wifi router and a point wirelessly connected for extended coverage. 

I would like to add another Nest Wifi router to my detached garage but can only connect wirelessly to the point as the primary router is far away.

Can I wirelessly connect the second WiFi router to the point and use the ethernet port to connect simple switch so I can cable connect few devices in my garage?

So the scheme would look like this:

PRIMARY NEST ROUTER <wireless> NEST POINT <wireless> SECONDARY NEST ROUTER <ethernet> SWITCH > various devices 

Thanks so much! 

[MichaelP]

Hello @Nikspa 

Getting coverage to detached buildings is challenging. Using a wired (Ethernet) connection from the primary Nest WiFi Router unit's LAN port to another (secondary) Nest WiFi Router (or less expensive Google WiFi unit) in the garage will work well. Trying to get the 5GHz wireless mesh interconnect to work between buildings is much less likely to work acceptably.

[Nikspa]

Thanks for taking the time to help @MichaelP !

Are you saying this is impossible, or is not going to have good and consistent signal?

I wish I could connect with cable but as it's detached, it's not going  be safe to have the cable hanging, nor will look nice. On the other hand, when I'm in the garage, I have full signal to the Nest Point, which is why I thought if I could replace my "mobile" with the Nest WiFi Router to connect to the Point, I could then have a good reception in the garage and further split to a switch so I can hook up older TV model with LAN card only (no WiFi).

Thanks!

Nikola

[MichaelP]

Hello @Nikspa 

I won't say it's "impossible", but what's going on under the covers here is complex. The mesh interconnect uses a "fewest hops" policy, for example, so adding another Nest WiFi Router as a secondary in the garage may actually result in it connecting directly to the primary Nest WiFi Router rather than going through the Nest WiFi Point unit, and that is likely to be a weak connection. In addition, the strong signal you are getting in the garage may actually be the 2.4GHz band, which carries farther and penetrates walls better than 5GHz. But, the mesh interconnect runs on the 5GHz band.

So, if you can't run a wire, but you do get solid WiFi coverage out there, I would look at something simpler like a WiFi travel router that can be configured as a simple WiFi client, and then has an Ethernet port you could use to feed devices in the area. That should be much less expensive than another Nest WiFi Router unit. It will be a little more complex to set up, but I would hope it would work better. Keep the packaging and receipts in case it doesn't end up performing well enough, though.

[Nikspa]

@MichaelP  thanks for the further clarification, I now understand better why you don't think that's a viable option.

I did not think other (or travel) routers could connect to the Google NEST network but I'll give it a try and see if that possible and working well.

[Jeff]

Hey Nikspa,

It looks like you and MichaelP were able to clarify the question here. You also mentioned that you were going to try out a few things. I just wanted to check in and see if you were able to run your tests or to see if you were still waiting on that. Either way, I just wanted to check in and see how things were going on this.

Thanks,
Jeff

[Nikspa]

I was able to extend the signal with a low cost router (Tenda AC1900) as @MichaelP suggested and it worked out well. True, the signal is weaker, but at least I have a way to wirelessly connect to the AP and use ethernet cable on the other end.