Nest WiFi Access point continuously drops it's connection

[bschoms]

I have reached out to the Google support team around 25 times to get this issue resolved so I am turning to the message boards. About 4 or 5 times a week my Nest wifi access point loses its connection to the internet but is still broadcasting the wifi signal. The main Nest wifi point that is hardwired to the modem still has a connection and if I unplug the Nest point it comes back online after rebooting. 

Google has asked me to put my modem in bridged mode but it is a modem that does not have broadcasting capabilities and does not have the option to set it on bridged mode so Google is basically useless with this issue. 

I have factory reset the hardware multiple times, changed SSID information, and even had the main unit replaced. Nothing seems to fix this. Does anyone else have this problem or know how to fix this?

This has been the worst wifi setup I have ever had, if Google would refund me I would happily take my money back but unfortunately, I have been dealing with this for over a year, and it makes working from home a mess. 

[Kniccum44]

I have a very similar issues with it dropping sometimes multiple times a day. I’m curious to what google has to say about it. 

[bschoms]

Yeah, I occasionally have to reset mine multiple times in a single day. They are wanting me to contact Comcast and have them put my modem in bridged mode but I own my modem so they can't put it in bridged mode and my modem doesn't even have that option available as it doesn't have a wifi signal. That is as far as I have gotten Google won't really help unless I adjust a setting on my modem that doesn't exist. 

[natecb]

I'm running into this since December. What I've found is that Google wifi will pulse the yellow "network error" light and stop functioning as a router. Power cycling the modem and Google wifi doesn't always work. If I power-cycle my modem, but substitute any other router or computer (I have an eero pro and a unifi router), then that device will get an IP lease and everything is fine. If I switch back to the Google Wifi, it may or may not work.  Since I can't see anything in the way of technical feedback in the Home app, I have to assume the wifi/router isn't able to get the IP lease via the modem.  I've also swapped out the ethernet cables.  FW version is 1.54.275951, SW 13929.57.27.  I did  get the ISP involved, but since we can easily prove that my modem is working fine, there's nothing further to discuss with them.

[Thomb]

I had same issue and followed this thread 

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Nest-Wifi/Google-nest-Wi-Fi-keeps-disconnecting-and-reconnect...

My suggestion is to set the DNS to 8.8.8.8 (or something like that the specific instructions are in that thread) and doing a manual restart by unplugging everything then replugging (also in thread). Also turn off preferred activities. 

[Thomb]

Also, do you mind changing your network's DNS into "custom" and use Google's DNS? Just kindly put in 8.8.8.8 on the primary server and 8.8.4.4 on the secondary server. Once done, do a full network restart to allow the entire network to re-establish connections. 

• Disconnect the power cable and Ethernet cable from the Nest Wifi router.
• Disconnect the power cable from the Wifi point, if applicable.
• Disconnect the ONT’s power supply and wait about 5 minutes for the ONT’s internal cache to clear.
• Reconnect the ONT’s power supply and wait for it to fully boot back up.
• After the ONT is back online, connect the Ethernet cable back to Nest Wifi router's WAN port (globe symbol port).
• Connect the power back to the Nest Wifi router/Nest Wifi point.
• Allow the entire network to be fully back on.

[Thomb]

This worked for me

[natecb]

Great suggestion about manually setting 8.8.8.8, though what a bizarre scenario as I’m sure it uses google dns as a default. I’m currently running on a UniFi dream machine to avoid the scenario entirely.  

I have done a reset as you described every time there is a problem.  I’ve also performed a full factory reset; I’m going to wait a week or more in hopes of a new firmware and then I’ll got to the hassle of switching back to the google wifi. 

[bschoms]

So I updated my DNS information on Saturday to the settings you recommended and I had the internet drop at my access point today. One thing that is a little different from others is that I don't get the yellow ring with the access point. I know the internet is down because it quits working and I am unable to use my internet in that part of the house.

Once again, I unplugged everything, plugged it back in and it is all working again. It should last the rest of the day but will most likely be down later in the week. 

On an unrelated note, I purchased a nest hub max to replaced my 2-year-old nest hub that crapped out and my connection dropped about 10 minutes after I completed the order. I immediately canceled that order, haha. I'm starting to think Google's hardware stinks. 

[natecb]

Darn.  I’ve had stability for a couple days with just that DNS change.  
 
I only see the yellow light after I reboot.  When it “goes down” it stays white.

[natecb]

Just update anyone who's following this, the DNS manual config did not resolve the issue. After 3 days,  I had to revert to a different router. 

[Jeff]

Hi, everyone.

Sorry for the issues you're all seeing with disconnects. There are some really solid suggestions in the thread here as far as troubleshooting goes. I wanted to hop in and see who still had issues and who might have sorted out their problems. If you're needing help, please let me know and we can look more into your specific situation and setup.

Thanks.

[Hammerjqson38]

Jeff - Thank you for your response. I’m still facing this issue on pretty much a daily basis. It’s extremely frustrating, especially when in the middle of a business meeting via zoom and the connection drops. I typically can’t get back on for about 5 mins as I have to wait for a couple cycles of the connection coming back then dropping again. Almost always happens in pairs.

[bschoms]

Mine has actually been good the last few days but if it happens again I will make sure to reach out. 

[Jeff]

Hi, Hammerjqson38.

That definitely sounds frustrating. I'm sorry that's still happening. I'll go ahead and consult with an internal team on this and see if we can get some more eyes on the issue. I'll return with any new information as I receive it.

Thanks.

[hdi200]

Hey Jeff my point keeps randomly disconnecting. It’s been happening for months. It’s very frustrating. Is there any way I could just get a refund at this point, situation has t improved at all and tried all the suggestions on the form.

[Jeff]

Hi, hdi200.

For your situation where you're looking to find out about refund eligibility, I would contact support directly. You can reach them by chat or phone at this link: https://bit.ly/3o1aRK5.

After reaching out to support, let me know if there's anything more I can do for you here.

Thanks.

[hdi200]

Is there any chance of this issue being fixed to any idea about what’s causing it?

[Jeff]

Any time there's an issue with the product, it's definitely going to be worked on. Right now we have internal teams aware of the issue and looking into it, but I don't know of any timeline for an expected fix. Part of the reason these fixes take a while to roll out is that they aren't universal issues and it takes a lot of data collection, testing, and development to address each issue. I know it's frustrating, but we do have people working on the continual improvement of the products.

[Jeff]

Hey, everyone.

I wanted to make you all aware that a firmware update is rolling out now. It will be coming over the next few days and weeks, and some of you may have already received it. There's nothing you need to do in order to get the update, it will download and install on its own. If you get the update and notice any difference in your situation, please feel free to come back and let us know.

Thanks!

[hdi200]

Not sure if this is related but this point has been disconnecting every hour almost now. What version is the new firmware is there anyway that I can check if I have it?

[Jeff]

Hey, hdi200.

The newest firmware release for both Google and Nest WiFi will be 14150.43.80. If you're not seeing that as your software version, the update hasn't landed for you yet.

Thanks.

[MrsSmith]

Hi Jeff - I've been going absolutely crazy for the last 6 weeks trying to figure out why my internet keeps dropping. I couldn't imagine it was my Google Nest router, but I've tried everything else and my googling led me to this thread. My router disconnects a minimum of 10 times an hour. I work from home and can barely take a conference call. I had to get off wifi calling from my cell phone because it's so bad. I bought this network 18 months ago. It should last longer than that, shouldn't it?

[AshleyLNelson]

Hi Jeff, I am having this issue. Can you help me?

[hdi200]

I'm still having this issue. Any idea what's going on? Would be nice to get a response from someone at google. 

[Hammerjqson38]

I am having this exact same issue. My connection to the internet from my point is dropping multiple times a day. The router and modem have a consistent connection but all my devices can’t access the internet for about 1-3 mins each time and it usually happens two times back to back. 

[bleen]

Like others, one of my two access points drops its internet connection (with no yellow light) and my only remedy is to unplug the access point and plug it back in. Everything works for a few hours (sometimes a day) and then its back to normal. Out of frustration I unplugged the access point for the last several months but when I plugged it back in yesterday it only took about 5 hours to lose internet from that access point. 

Why is there no indication in the Google Home app that there is a problem? Anything else to try besides the custom DNS? 

[Jeff]

Hi bleen,

Sorry to see that you're seeing this issue as well. You asked about other things to try. Can you check your advanced network settings and see if you have IPv6 enabled? If you do, try disabling it and see if it has any positive impact for you. Let me know what you find out.

Thanks,

Jeff

[Jeff]

Hi Hacksaw2085,

Sorry you're seeing disconnect issues as well. Have you been able to determine whether or not the disconnects are happening across the entire network, or are they limited to a single WiFi point? When you see disconnects, are you getting any status light changes on your WiFi points or main router?

Thanks,

Jeff

[Hacksaw2085]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for responding, the light typically stays white on the router when this happens. The outage is across the entire network. 

With the DNS change I've only had 1 connection drop, that is an improvement but it could just be a good day.

[Jeff]

Thanks for letting me know, Hacksaw2085. If you have a solid white light, it indicates a working connection, so that's good news. It doesn't mean that something might not be wrong, however. Since you've made that DNS update and are seeing some noticeable improvement, let's see how it goes over the next few days. If things go back to problematic, we can look at other steps to take, but hopefully this has cleared things up. Let me know if you have any questions in the meantime.

Thanks,

Jeff

[Hacksaw2085]

Still seeing the connection drop, even after getting my ISP to swap my modem. Any ideas on what I can try next?

[Robert-R]

I'd try to figure out where the connection is dropping.  On your cable modem, you'd see that all the normal lights aren't on like they normally are.  If a light is blinking or not on that signifies internet access, then it's the cable modem.  If that is fine, which your cable provider could also verify from their end usually, then it's something with the Nest Wifi networking.  So, you could then go into the home app and look to check to see if it says the network is connected.  If it's not, then something may be wrong with the wifi router.  If, it is ok, then I'd next do a mesh test in the google home app to see if the issue is just a connection issue to one of the Nest Point devices.  For me, my point device goes offline occasionally.  The quickest fix, which takes about 2 mins, is to just go into the home app, select the network, then go to network settings (gear icon upper right), then scroll to bottom and click "Restart Network".  That usually fixes it, but sometimes if the point is totally disconnected you may need to go to that device and unplug/plug it back in.

[Hacksaw2085]

The light never change on the modem when the drop occurs. Home app says network is offline and is completely useless at this point. It would be helpful if there was a way to log into the router when the network is offline, but that's not an option. At this point something is going on with the router as there's nothing left to rule out.

[Robert-R]

I've never had my main wifi router go offline, only the wifi point.  This is a little different what you have going on and seems to sound like it could be an issue with the nest wifi router itself.  If you can't even get to it with the Google Home app when it's offline I don't know.  Sounds like a hardware issue and may need a replacement.  Did you go through the Help options in the Wifi part of the Google Home app?  There, you can select the Contact us link and even have a callback from support.

[Jhonleanmel]

Hi everyone,

We appreciate your help here, Jeffrey.

Robert-R, thanks for the details.

bleen, let us know if you experience it again so I can help out.

Hacksaw2085, I'm jumping in to ensure you're all good.

Give these steps a try:

1. Make sure that there are minimal to no interference (concrete, bulletproof glass, metal, mirror, etc.) 
2. Set a custom DNS at 8.8.8.8 on the primary and 8.8.4.4 on the secondary server. Hit the save/ floppy disk icon on the upper right.
3. Unplug the power from your Google Wifi devices for 2 minutes.
4. If the issue persists, try factory resetting your network.

Let us know how it goes.

Cheers, 
Mel

[Hacksaw2085]

Still having issues but I'm not convinced it's the router. When the issue happens, if I connect directly to the modem the network is incredibly slow and a ping test drops 75-90% of the packets. Working with my ISP to resolve at the moment. 

[Hacksaw2085]

I've been having this issue for the last several months, although it seems to be happening more frequently now. The connection to the modem seems to drop, and requires restarts to re-establish a connection. Usually when this happens and I have restarted the modem, my network appears offline in the home app until I restart the Google Wifi node that is connected to my modem. The other nodes also appear offline to the home app as well until they are restarted. IPv6 is disabled and DNS is set to automatic. I just changed that to the above recommended but I am quite frustrated with the system at this point. The  software version is 14150.43.81. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[bleen]

I have turned off IPv6 and so far I have not seen any drops BUT there have been periods of days (even weeks) before where everything seemed fine but then it started dropping again.  Ill keep an eye on it

[Robert-R]

To be honest, I'm just trying to hold out until the new nest wifi devices that support wifi-6 are released probably in a month or two and then I'll buy that.  I still have to restart my entire network about once a week on average for the point device losing it's connection completely even though it says the mesh connection is great after a restart.  Then, after a while, it'll say the mesh connection is Good.  If I don't start it within a day or so after that, it just disconnects completely.