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Google Wifi using ethernet creating new network names

G_Man
Community Member

I have 5 google wifi points distributed through my home. The worst performing was always in my loft, the furthest from the master node. I recently tried attaching that node to an ethernet cable run through an ethernet powerline set of plugs. This has meant that while I used to get a "poor" rating on a couple of my nodes they all now read good.

The only issue is that some of the things that used to connect to my network now can't find it anymore. Notably my raspberry pi running octopi.  My android device when in proximity to that node reads as the normal wifi, but a Windows laptop registers itself as on "<WIFI-NAME> 2".  I also can't see the devices linked to that node as on the network which leads me to believe that the node, despite using the same name(ish) and password has decided it is a new network post having the ethernet connection put into it.

My questions therefore are:

Is this normal?

Can I crush them down to a single network/how would I do that because it seems hidden from the home/wifi app?

1 Recommended Answer

MichaelP
Diamond Product Expert
Diamond Product Expert

The only thing I can think of at this point is that it may be the powerline adapters are using the Spanning Tree Protocol to eliminate traffic loops that might otherwise occur. Google WiFi also uses the Spanning Tree Protocol to eliminate the traffic loop that occurs when you create a wired connection in parallel with the wireless mesh connection. If the powerline adapters are also using STP, that can interfere with how Google WiFi needs it to work. I'm not sure I have great suggestions for dealing with that, unless your powerline adapters can be configured to adjust the way the STP works for them (ideally, disable it – though I don't honestly know what impact that might have on a powerline system, I hope it will work for two nodes). If it can't be disabled, or the bridge priority can't be adjusted, those powerline adapters may just not be an option.

View Recommended Answer in original post

7 REPLIES 7

MichaelP
Diamond Product Expert
Diamond Product Expert

Hello @G_Man 

If you had an existing Google WiFi unit set up as part of an existing mesh system, you should not have had to set it up as a new or different network to use a wired backhaul. It just needs to connect via Ethernet (in your case, Ethernet<->powerline<->Ethernet) back to the LAN Ethernet port on the primary Google WiFi unit (the one whose WAN Ethernet port is connected to your internet service). Here's a support page with more details on what to do (and not to do): https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/7215624?hl=en 

If you've connected your powerline network to the same "outer" network that your Google WiFi primary is connected to, that will definitely cause problems, since you're effectively bridging two networks that also have a router+firewall in between them.

G_Man
Community Member

@MichaelP  Thanks for your reply.

My setup is:

Router -> Google Wifi primary (internet marked port) -> Powerline in (ethernet marked port) -> Powerline  out -> Google Wifi node (internet marked port)

Which sounds like what you and the support answer suggest but it is giving me the secondary network.

For brief periods it has aligned to a single network with good connections all round but it reverts soon after. Does the set up sound right?

MichaelP
Diamond Product Expert
Diamond Product Expert

That setup looks right to me. Are there any other powerline adapters connected anywhere else in your home? If any are also connected to your "outer" router, that would result in bridging the inner and outer networks across the Google WiFi primary router+firewall. I would also check the status of that secondary Google WiFi unit in the Google Home app to make sure it's showing as having a connection type of "Wired".

G_Man
Community Member

Thanks for sticking with me on this.

I have only the 2 powerline adapters and only the Google wifi is connected to my router.

Interestingly I have checked on my Google home app and it says the 2nd point is connected via mesh not wired which isn't a great sign obviously, but then the split network makes less sense. The network plugs have lights flashing showing it thinks it has traffic also so I'm just more confused TBH. Perhaps those plugs are the issue? I have run other devices one at a time off of that solution though so I don't see that it would be.

MichaelP
Diamond Product Expert
Diamond Product Expert

The only thing I can think of at this point is that it may be the powerline adapters are using the Spanning Tree Protocol to eliminate traffic loops that might otherwise occur. Google WiFi also uses the Spanning Tree Protocol to eliminate the traffic loop that occurs when you create a wired connection in parallel with the wireless mesh connection. If the powerline adapters are also using STP, that can interfere with how Google WiFi needs it to work. I'm not sure I have great suggestions for dealing with that, unless your powerline adapters can be configured to adjust the way the STP works for them (ideally, disable it – though I don't honestly know what impact that might have on a powerline system, I hope it will work for two nodes). If it can't be disabled, or the bridge priority can't be adjusted, those powerline adapters may just not be an option.

Jeff
Community Specialist
Community Specialist

Hi, G_Man.
I just wanted to jump in real fast to see if you saw MichaelP's last reply and to see if you still needed some help on this or if you were able to get it sorted out. If you are still needing some help, just let us know and we'll be happy to continue helping.
Thanks.

Jeff
Community Specialist
Community Specialist

Hi, everyone.
As we haven't had any activity here recently I'm going to go ahead and close the thread. If you have more to add, feel free to start a new discussion.
Thanks