Feature Request

[rpguy]

Google Wifi 6 routers (model # GRAX210T & Google Fiber App) allow you to manually separate your devices via 2.4Ghz of 5Ghz using separate SSID/Networks.

Are there plans to support this feature with the Nest Wifi Pro & Google Home ?

If not, please make this my formal request. I prefer to control which devices use the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. Whatever algorithm the Google Nest Wifi routers are using now to determine whether a device is on the 2.4Ghz vs 5Ghz is NOT the most efficient. I know some of my devices have certainly a stronger signal strength on the 2.4Ghz, but just because the device supports 5Ghz and the signal strength is weaker, the algorithm elects to put the device on the 5Ghz network. Please correct me or enlighten me how Google determines whether a device uses the 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz. Thank you

[MichaelP]

Hello @rpguy 

Google/Nest WiFi don't decide which band each client device connects to, nor do they decide which of multiple access points they connect to, nor when to hand off between them. WiFi client devices make these decisions, and some are decidedly better than others.

What Google/Nest WiFi does support are the 802.11k and 802.11v standards, which are used to provide clients with "extra" information that they can use to make better decisions about band and access point selection, including handoff. But, some clients don't support these standards, and they can end up getting "stuck" to an access point and/or band that "works" even when a better option is available.

What's interesting in your report, though, is that it sounds like you have clients that are switching to 5GHz that maybe shouldn't be. That may be an indication that they do support 802.11k and 802.11v, but don't have a great algorithm to use them. Can I ask what those devices are? For example, I have a number of Apple devices (iPhones, iPads, macs, etc.), and they seem to do a great job of selecting optimal bands and handing off between access points.

[rpguy]

Thanks MichaelP for the enlightenment.😊 I did not realize that the actual device had the kind of control over which band to use. I guess I was thinking there was a protocol negotiation happening between the 2 devices with the router or access point making the final decision.

Both devices are Roku's. Roku Stick and Roku Ultra, and both are connected to Samsung TVs. The Roku software  does have the ability to Check Wifi connection. After I use the Roku to 'Check Connection' both of these generally show the Signal Strength as fair or good, and both will always go to the 5Ghz band. From what I can tell there isn't really any Wifi configuration on the Roku other than telling the device what network to connect too, and password. As a comparison, when I was using Google's Wifi 6 router and extender configured for both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz, I manually could choose which one to use per device. From what I can tell the 2.4Ghz band in our home has the stronger signal. I'll do more research on the ROKU Wifi band selection. Thanks for your help.

[MichaelP]

I guess I would be more focused on making sure it has a "good" connection – the 5GHz band may be have a weaker signal quality than 2.4GHz, but it is also much wider bandwidth, so the actual speed may still be higher. Of course, for a Roku device (which almost certainly does not support 802.11k and 802.11v), it only needs to be fast enough to support a video stream. If you're actually having issues when they connect to 5GHz, then I would try to investigate why that might be happening rather than trying to "force" them to 2.4GHz. For example, I know many (read: most) soundbars that support a wireless subwoofer and/or wireless surround speakers will be using a part of the 5GHz band that is used by some WiFi systems including Google/Nest WiFi, and this can (read: almost always) causes problems, even though both systems are following the rules for that band. If your Roku devices support Ethernet, that's going to be more reliable than trying to stream through WiFi.

Good luck!

[LovelyM]

Hello everyone,

I appreciate your assistance here, @MichaelP.

@rpguy, thanks for reaching out. We appreciate your thoughts about having the option to separate the bandwidths of your Google Wifi and Nest Wifi mesh networks. You can pass along feature requests like this to our product team by sending them feedback. Here's the link on how to do that. 

Let me know if you have additional questions or concerns; otherwise, I'll close the thread after 24 hours.

Sincerely, 
Lovely

[rpguy]

 Feature request has been submitted. Thanks LovelyM.

[Alex_S]

Hi there,
 

Thanks for sending feedback. We're always looking for ways to improve, and this could be a great add. We don’t have any news to share when this can be added, but keep an eye on the Google Nest Community page for any updates.

Cheers,
Alex