Google Nest WIFI with NBN HFC

[matthewz]

I have just changed from a TP-Link VR2800 router to Google Nest, with a 100Mbps NBN plan (TPG) for HFC connection. I had connected the Nest WiFi router directly via ethernet cable to the NBN ARRIS CM2800 (black box) and set up the other 2 WiFi pucks throughout the house. I also connected the Google WiFi router to an ethernet bridge as have hard wired ethernet throughout the house.

I was able to set everything up fine, using PPPoE per the ISP settings (outside of this + username/password the ISP has no other specific requirements and just uses standard / default settings of the router).

Anyway the issue has been I have had ongoing connection issues, the internet connection just drops out all together or also loses strength at random times (which is very noticeable when you need to video conference). I have these issues every day, as you can imaging it drives me insane. This is happening both to hard wired and WiFi devides (so its not just an issue with WiFi). Anyway the ISP has sent me a loan (another TP-Link) router to confirm that the issue is not with the Google Nest router itself so I am testing this - slightly inconclusive so far.

I just read this post  however that infers that the correct set up for HFC is to connect the ARRIS NBN box to a router (via ethernet cable, WiFi turned off) and then the router to the Google Nest router (which does the WiFi). Worth noting that I also tried this type of connection when I was doing the initial set up, together with NBN box to Google Nest, as I was having issues initially with setting up Google Nest (it wouldn't connect to the WiFi network although username/password was correct) and neither were really working at the time, until I got the NBN -> Google to work so stuck with that.

My question is (sorry for the long post but I wanted to give background 😂)

-> can Google confirm what the correct / recommended configuration is for HFC NBN? Should the NBN box go directly into the Nest router or should another router (WiFi off) go in the middle (or doesn't it matter)?

-> are there any specific settings that need to be adjusted on Google Nest for HFC NBN connection?

Many thanks!

[Jeff]

Hi, matthewz.

Thanks for contacting us about your setup question. Also, sorry for the connection issues you've been having. I know those can drive you crazy. Before I jump into your question, I did want to let you know that we have been seeing some users affected by network interruptions and it is something we're looking into right now.

As for your setup question, it's always best to go from the modem directly to the Nest router to avoid issues with double NAT or other types of interference. That is the preferred method in almost every instance.

If there's anything else you need, please let me know. Thanks!

[Jeff]

Hey, matthewz.

I just wanted to follow up real fast to see if you were able to get this resolved or if we needed anything more on this. If you are still looking for help, let me know and I'll be happy to keep working with you on this.

Thanks.

[matthewz]

Hi - thanks I’ve sorted it out, I’m actually going direct from nbn box to the nest router and then passing that to an Ethernet bridge and it’s working fine. So far so good but I’ll also likely try the other way for a comparison (putting modem in between router and nbn box, removing bridge). Thanks for following up. 

[Jeff]

Great to hear! Thanks for letting me know and for sharing with the community how you sorted it out. As we have the answer here, I'll go ahead and close the thread. If anyone has any other questions or anything to add, please feel free to start a new discussion.

Thanks.