Google wifi mesh router offline and not reconnecting

[Gary_S]

Hi,

I have been using Google wifi mesh connected to my ISps provided router/modem for a few months. I have turned off wifi and dhcp on modem. It had been working fine. However recently my ISP changed my router/modem as it became faulty.

Since then I have reconnected Google mesh using similar settings as the previous modem, and when it works it is great, however often the mesh router drops out. I check the ISPs modem/router and all looks good -Internet connected, no changes to DHCP or Wireless setting.

Rebotting Google router doesn't help, I still need enable wifi and dhcp on the ISPs modem, then power reset the google router before it reconnects. In some cases I had to reset the google router and reconfigure the mesh.

Although the problem maybe the modem, it appears that even the slightest outage causes the google router to go offline and not reconnect.

Are there any settings or logs that I can check to see what is happening with the google router to make it more robust.

Gary

[PatrickP_Viking]

Hey @Gary_S .

Who is your ISP and what is the modem make/model?

[Gary_S]

I am in Australia, my ISP is Internode.on.net and my current modem router is tp-link VX220-G2v

[PatrickP_Viking]

Thanks @Gary_S .

It looks like your ISP uses VLAN Tagging. Please see the below article for assistance. You may have a Double NAT issue that needs to be resolved (link at bottom of article):

Set up a network that uses VLAN tagging 

[Gary_S]

Thanks @PatrickP_Viking 

I have turned off wifi and DHCP on the modem router and I still have issues. To bring nest router back to life, I have to turn back on  wifi and DHCP on the modem/router, reboot the google nest wifi router.

When I get some time, I will try to limit the DHCP scope on the nest router to only the wifi mesh devices and let the modem/router handle the rest of the DHCP and see if makes any difference

[PatrickP_Viking]

Hey @Gary_S .

What you are describing sounds like you are having Double NAT issues. By performing what you are suggesting, it is likely only going to have a very temporary impact, if any at all, and you will continue to see drops. I'd advise to follow the previous instructions on VLAN Tagging to prevent further issues. Below is an article that goes into more detail about Double NAT:

Fix Double NAT when two routers run at the same time 

[Jeff]

Thanks for the added info and explanation, PatrickP_Viking.

Hey Gary_S, did you happen to read the information Patrick shared? Does that make sense to you and were you able to give it a try?

Thanks,
Jeff

[Gary_S]

There doesn't seem to be an easy way to set my modem into bridge mode, looks like I have to do it manually.

I created a new eWAN for bridge mode

deleted the current eWAN

- Internet disabled

Recreated the original eWAN

Internet restore

- turned on DHCP and Wifi on modem and power rest google nest before it would return on line

Turned  off NAT on modem eWAN - no internet, turned back on Internet restored

Seems that Google nest was not performing NATting

Current set up that is working but can be flakey is

MODEM/Router - wifi off, DHCP off, NAT enabled, IP 192.168.87.xxx

Google nest router running wifi and DHCP IP range 192.168.86.XXX

if I try and change either router to be in the same range as the other, google Nest will reset it's IP to be in a different range.

One further thing, the other day I unplugged the google router for a few seconds to rearrange a cable, it did not come back on line automatically, it required a hard reset.

cheers

Gary

[PatrickP_Viking]

Hey @Gary_S .

I'm not sure I know what you mean by "flakey". Nonetheless, per the Internode General Settings , they use PPPoE authentication and VLAN tagging. With the setup you described, the issue you are likely having is because the setup still isn't addressing the VLAN tagging.

Per the Set up a network that uses VLAN tagging article, you need to do the below:

1. Confirm if your ISP uses VLAN tagging, or if you have IPTV or VoIP service through your ISP, ask your ISP if your CPE box (ISP provided modem or router) requires a VLAN tag. If it does, and it isn’t a Google-supported tag follow the instructions below.
   • Use Nest Wifi or Google Wifi with a VLAN-tagged broadband connection
     When VLAN tagging is required by your ISP, for some Nest Wifi and Google Wifi devices to work, you'll need to add a switch to your network or use an additional VLAN-supported router.
   • Note: If your ISP uses a Google supported tag, and you temporarily use a VLAN-supported router, then once your network is set up and online, Nest Wifi and Google Wifi devices will be able to download an update that allows it to support VLAN tagging. This will allow you to set up your Nest Wifi router or Google Wifi primary point again in the future without additional equipment.
2. Use a managed network switch
   Add a separate managed network switch (sometimes called a "smart network switch") with VLAN features:
   • Connect your modem’s LAN port to the switch’s WAN port with an Ethernet cable.
   • Connect the switch’s LAN port to your Google Nest Wifi router’s or Google Wifi primary point’s WAN port with an Ethernet cable.
   • When finished, set up your Google Nest Wifi or Google Wifi in the Google Home app.
3. Use a VLAN-supported router
   If you have a router already connected that supports VLAN tagging, you can add your Google Nest Wifi router or Google Wifi primary point to it.
   • Connect your modem’s LAN port to the third-party router’s WAN port with an Ethernet cable.
   • Connect the third-party router to the Nest Wifi router or primary Wifi point's WAN port with an Ethernet cable.
   • When finished, set up your Nest Wifi or Google Wifi devices in the Google Home app.

With this configuration, you may run into Double NAT, which isn't necessarily a problem. But if it is causing problems, it's recommended to put your third-party router in bridge mode and turn off Wi-Fi on your third-party router to avoid interference.

[Gary_S]

Hi Patrick,

What I mean be flakey is that the Google router can stop any time without warning, when everything else is unchanged.

My ISP does require a VLAN id of 2 which is set on their modem. 

I have tried some of the options above, except for the managed switch, seems to defeat the purpose of  the other routers if you are adding more hardware.

At this stage I will leave my current setup and hope that it stabilizes, as when it is all connected the network is great.

I would be interested in looking at any logs that the google router produces. Are there any that I can look at and where are they located?

Thanks for your support

Gary

[PatrickP_Viking]

I don't know personally how to look at logs. Google Support should be able to assist.

[AbigailF]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the help, @PatrickP_Viking and @Jeff.
@Gary_S, I'm sorry to hear that you're still having an issue with your Google Wifi. We'd like to take a deeper look into this — could you fill out this form and let us know once you're done?

Thanks,
Abi

[LovelyM]

Hey Gary_S, 

We got the form you submitted. We'll be reaching out to you via email so let's continue working on your concern through that channel. I'll be locking this thread in the next 24 hours. If you have new issues, updates or discussion topics, feel free to start a new thread here in the Community.

Thanks, 
Lovely