Nest Wifi - Devices Slow or Drop

[rbrowning]

I have had a mesh Nest WIFI for about a year and everything has been great until about two weeks ago.  I keep having issues with my WIFI points degrading in connection or dropping all together.  Location has not changed. 

Another issue - when I run a speed test on the router, I am seeing my full bandwidth; however, when i run a speed test on devise (phone, tablet, etc) I am seeing speeds sub 10M (I am on a fiber 500M connection).

I have to keep restarting my Nest WIFI Network (2 to 3 times per day) through app and that usually fixes the issue.  I have restated my fiber modem, powered off the Nest Router and WIFI points and the issue keeps coming back.

Model: H2D - Software Version 13729.57.27

[MungoBBQ]

I can't believe people on here are going to even consider buying another Google hardware product! Y'all are really glutton for punishment! 😂 After investing in an expensive Google product which they managed to destroy through a software update, you are running around like happy children because you are getting 30% off the next one!? 

I, for one, would never, ever, EVER buy another product from a company that treats its customers the way we've been treated here. 

[Sturhm]

Yep..shows how sad and weak some people are. Even consdering bying another product, that could end up the same way, that just does not make any sense.

And that 30% discount is an absolute joke, even more since its US only. 

But Google knew people would fall for this, so they could hide this thread and let it die out.

[Davnet999]

Worse than that... Evaluating ALEXIS to migrate over..

[pwhite]

Hi, i filled out this form. What exactly is going on here... my google wifi is only getting like 14 mb down... i plug in my $20 freebie router provided by isp and im getting 55 mb down??

How is it possible this system is that slow? I just checked my speed test history and its been like this for months... i even called isp to complain and felt like an idiot for disregarding their comments and not even considering that the router could be the problem.

[NicC]

Sorry you've joined the land of crappy Google NEST wifi pwhite.   Many of us have had this issue for almost 2 years now.  We've resigned ourselves to the fact that it'll never get fixed.  Google's answer is to entice us to buy their new NEST wifi Pro that'll probably have similar issues at some point.

[pwhite]

if i do a speed test through the google home app, the actual router only gets 14 mb down... yet i plug another laptop or router directly in and its immediately 55 mb... restarting does nothing for me, factory reset also did nothing 

[Davnet999]

Same here .. Problem for the last year... 

[Tonycdh]

I just upgraded to nest wifi pro and I am getting worse speeds than nest wifi. None of my connections have changed, just the nest product. I'm getting about 300mb now compared to 600mb I was getting.  My computer directly connected is running 850mb, so it's not my service. I think I'm going to return my wifi pro tomorrow sadly. But Google has known about this issue for over a year and now it's even worse in their newest product

[SpottedQuoll]

Yeah, this was entirely expected.  These are issues with the firmware updates, which affect new products pretty much in the same way.  Just share this thread under their social media posts advertising new products, in particular the Nest WiFi Pro.  You'll see them jump like you've never seen them jump before.

[Davnet999]

So disappointed in Google...  I want a company that will guide and take me into the future with trust and ethical standards... In a way Google admits there is a serious non repairable issue with their Google Mesh and Nodes BY SELLING the fixed (to be seen), and upgrade Google Mesh Pro and (required) por node... Will need to evaluate  test, plan , budget and implement Google Cloud services just a bit more  closely especially the support service plan.. 

[Jhonleanmel]

Hi everyone, 

Thanks flagging reduced internet speeds on Nest Wifi Pro routers. The issue appears to be affecting a small number of users and concentrated in the UK. We've let the right folks know, and they're working to roll out a fix. 

If you're also experiencing this behavior, feel free to add your report in the comments below and stay tuned to this community thread for updates.

Best,

Mel

[Sturhm]

So your trashing all us other users with the older Nest router and favour the new.....**bleep** this company is getting real scummy by the day.

[SpottedQuoll]

Well, the irony seems to be that the new product is even more broken than the last one.  That didn't really turn out to be the magical solution they were hoping for.

[Tonycdh]

This is NOT affecting a small number of users and is NOT concentrated in the UK.  Have you just copied another persons post elsewhere, because it suspiciously looks the same.  Get your facts right and read all the comments before you post.  Thanks!

[jonstrong]

Mel -

I don't know where the conclusion about UK users only came from, but I'm in Princeton, NJ, and all the other folks I know experiencing these issues are in the US.

I had dreadful problems with WiFi bandwidth that seemed to be tied to firmware updates over the last year, and it was my impression that the firmware updates improved max potential bandwidth but sacrificed mesh configuration flexibility, so my older mesh configuration that worked for many year had become unusable even though I hadn't touched it in year. But when I *removed* nodes from the mesh my maximum speeds improved.

It's inaccurate to characterize this issue as being tied to UK customers only. Please don't make that assumption.

If Google is, indeed, working to roll out a fix, that strongly suggests the team has a clue regarding the nature of the problem. Is there any chance the team would have an interest in establishing some level of transparency and credibility with the user community, and let us in on the general nature of the problem

Jon

---

Jhonleanmel wrote:

Hi everyone, 

Thanks flagging reduced internet speeds on Nest Wifi Pro routers. The issue appears to be affecting a small number of users and concentrated in the UK. We've let the right folks know, and they're working to roll out a fix. 

If you're also experiencing this behavior, feel free to add your report in the comments below and stay tuned to this community thread for updates.

Best,

Mel

[CreekFreak]

As I've said many times before. I have had this issue nearly a year. I am in the southern part of the United States. 

[knwpsk]

Hi Mel,

Could you explain how you know that this only affects a small number of users?

And can you explain why you think this is limited to users in the UK?

Both of those statements imply that someone has done extensive data mining, or gathering users logs, beyond just the folks who have reported to this thread or contact its support.

It would actually be quite encouraging to know that someone had done that. But so far we've seen no evidence of this.

And I'm a bit skeptical, since most of participants on this thread seem to speak in American dialect, UK. I'm in the US.

[jonstrong]

One more consideration - very easy to demonstrate with a cell phone... If you're moving through a WiFi mesh, your mobile wireless device will connect with the first mesh node that it encounters. As you continue moving that's when it gets interesting. It's up to your phone (or laptop, etc.) to "notice" that the connection to that first node it encountered is getting weaker, and at some threshold (e.g., -70 dBm) your mobile device will drop the connection and look for something stronger. But depending on your mobile device's own logic and possibly your settings (e.g., setting limits on WiFi scanning), it might hang onto the first connection even as it gets weaker. I discovered that my phone does this:

As I first walk into my house and my phone connects to the nearest WiFi node, maybe 15 feet away, if I stop and run a SpeedTest I might see 300 Mbps. Then, as I walk deeper into the house where I'm closer to the central Nest base router, I figure it should get faster...but it does the opposite, and SpeedTest might show me at 75Mbps.  So I checked WiFi Analyzer and see that even though I'm close to the base router, the connection to the first router -- at the periphery of the house -- is stil better than -70 dBm....so the phone never drops that, and never shifts the connection to the nearest router. Quickly turning WiFI off and then on again requires the phone to reconnect to WiFi, at which point it connects to the nearest node -- this time it's the base Nest router...and speed is excellent, until I start moving through the house again.

Unless you have some kind of fast WiFi scanning happening all the time (which can consume battery and briefly interrupt you connection a lot) this is perfeclty normal behavior for a WiFi device moving through a mesh network. There's no magic bullet for this yet.

Anyway - this only really applies to a mobile device moving through a mesh. It has no bearing on your normal speed tests from a fixed location within the mesh. Just one more data point to keep in mind.

[Jhonleanmel]

Hey folks,

I understand this has been ongoing for quite some time, and I apologize for the inconvenience it has caused so far. At the moment, our team is still looking into this issue and I have no additional updates to share right now. I’ll continue checking in with the team and updating this thread as soon as I can.

Best,

Mel

[Jhonleanmel]

Hi everyone,

If you're still having issues after trying the steps provided, we suggest that you fill out this form so we can take a look at your devices further and check why this is happening.

Best,

Mel

[cjf]

I mean, like, the form is just a prank right? 

the joke is getting stale Mel. 

[Davnet999]

Like a terminal cancer patient.. Stall enough time.to see if they die or go away... 

[NicC]

This is SPOT ON!!!

[Davnet999]

Opened a form ticket... I just get help with how to reconfigue my router to avoid interference with my Google Mesh... I do not have an ISP router..I connect the Google Mesh direct to my isp 1 Gigabyte source... I live on the edge of the metroplex.  No businesses.. Had my neighbors turn off all routers and devices with WiFi for me to test... Results... still 95 to 125 meg down and 105 meg up... Devices tested one at a time.. Ipad, laptop, desktop, cell phones, and Samsung tablet... All the same... My 4k TV shows pixelete screen and freezes up... Spent hours resetting to factory setting all the Mesh routers, devices and new profile of Google Home... Still the same 95 meg down and 115 meg up... Never ever thought I would have a problem with Google product... Wonder if corporate test of the Google Cloud Service has the same response action problem with Google support.. 

[SpottedQuoll]

Let it be known that the issues are also reported for the new Nest WiFi Pro.  Anyone buying into that is going to run into exactly the same thing.  This won't go away until they fix the firmware.  Share this thread far and wide in reply to their social media posts advertising the Nest WiFi Pro.  We'll simply persist.  Fix. Your. Firmware.

[cjf]

Flood the zone. 

[mschwarzzz]

Hey Mel (whoever you are), stop responding to these posts because you are of ZERO help.  You claim to be some sort of go-between to Google support/engineering, however, it's obvious that you are either a) not with Google and simply a troll, b) with Google but incompetent and completely disconnected from the Nest WiFi team, or c) simply trying to piss us all off.  If you are real, great, then share your linkedin profile and position at Google for your own credibility, and why don't you simply do the right thing and escalate this thread for actionable remediation to Google Nest WiFi management and have them report back to this thread.

[NicC]

Melvin is a Google wanna-be.

He didn't get hired there, so he TROLLs the the community posts trying to sound useful.  

[Davnet999]

Melvin is doing great... No matter  that he is not Google.  He is a ton more helpful than Google support and has had some useful comments and suggestion..  

[Jaswetz]

The Nest wifi pro is having the same issues. I can't believe you are still selling either product. The value you are selling is dead simple networking, I have never spent as much time troubleshooting wifi as I have with the Nest Wifi.  Nest Wifi Pro issue limiting speeds to 50Mbps for some (9to5google.com)

[Jaswetz]

I filled out the form over a month ago and no one contacted me!

[makeitmorehuman]

Most of us did. Resulted in nothing. Mel is going to come and say, she hopes to change your mind in the future again. This whole thread is just her saying that over and over again

[knwpsk]

I didn't "fill out the form" -- because I have already contacted Support and spent an hour+ with them. 
- They didn't really know anything direct about the issue. In fact the person I talked to didn't really act like he/she knew it WAS a widespread issue.

- They asked me to do a bunch of things that were reasonably appropriate things to do, but uninformed. For example, they asked how many devices I have connected to wifi. But many, many people on this thread (and others) have addressed that and disproven it as relevant, already.

- And they asked me to factory reset my Nest router. I refused to do this -- because it will take me a bunch of effort to MANUALLY re-instate all of my configs (reserved IPs for IOT devices, etc). (SIDEBAR: What effing router doesn't give you a way to BACK UP AND RESTORE your settings?  I give you.... Google Nest.)

Now, I'm still pondering MAYBE trying the factory reset. I think I did see someone in one of these threads say that he did that, and it seemed to work. (Long term? Who knows.) And I started thinking through how to save at least a list of my reserved IPs. It's particularly painful because in the Home app (crap app), it doesn't show you the MAC address for a device with a reserved IP. That's awful, because how ya gonna re-apply those if you can't identify the right device??  (Remember how you gave those devices custom names that you can remember? Well, you're gonna lose all that, too, when you re-factory.)

SO, here's what I figured out. It's still manual, but it's helpful, so I'm sharing.
1. Create a spreadsheet. (Go ahead, use Google Sheets. At least this is one Google app that works pretty well.)
2. Open the Home crap-app. Go to your settings > advanced networking > reserved IPs. 
3. Make note each device and its IP address of each device, in your spreadsheet. Save typing: you probably only need the last 2-3 digits of the IP address.
4. Now open a Command prompt on your PC. Ping each IP address that you wrote down, one at a time. (Hint 1: you only have to let it ping once, don't have to wait for three times. Hit CTRL-C to kill it.) (Hint 2: To resend the same command, hit your Up arrow. DOS will show you the previous comment. Backspace over the last 2-3 digits and enter the next IP address on your list.)
5. When you've pinged all of your devices, now your PC will locally have a cached list of the devices, their IP, and their MAC address. How do you see that cache? Type arp -a and enter. Voila.
Now copy that arp table and paste it into your spreadsheet. Highlight the devices you care about from your static IPs list. Now you know what you need to re-reserve after you do a factory reset.

And when you're finished...
Come back to this forum and comment on what a sh**ty interface they give you in the Home crap-app for Google Nest Wifi, and there's no way to manage it from desktop/browser, and no way to back up and/or restore your configs. 
Then go buy a real router.

[Davnet999]

My current Google Mesh is so slow (56 meg down and 76 meg up) that my Nest Hub Max crash and will not reconnect due to pop error that Wifi connection is too slow..  I have completed every repair possible... And I do jot even have a connected Wi-Fi ISP ROUTER .. Google Mesh router is connected directly to the ISP fiber 1 gig service... Waiting for Google form L3 to respond... 

[deanchalk]

Thats it - Im done. After spending a fortune on the Google mesh wifi units (£400), they're going in the bin. for months and months Ive been blaming my ISP, but after getting a new broadband modem that has wifi built in I realise that I am (and was) getting great broadband - as soon as I add the Google Mesh units back into the setup the whole wifi throughput drops to 10% of what its supposed to be. Ive tried reconfiguring everything several times but the mesh units switch from being happy to being unhappy for no reason - and the wifi is NEVER goos. Just spent another £600 on netgear mesh kit - as its been strongly recommended. By by Google - forever......

[jonstrong]

If you look back over my participation in this group you'll see that I was one of the very frustrated and vocal posters here. After lots of searching online, troubleshooting, complaints I was ready to walk out the door to buy into a different brand of mesh Wi-Fi. I had used Google WiFi for several years and it had been so stable and predictable that I had come to think of it as an appliance -- just "set it and forget it" and it worked, and as I added IoT devices (doorbell, garage door openers, driveway camera, sprinkler controller) I added nodes to expand its reach, and it still worked. Not spectacular speeds, but it was rock solid for me for years -- until September.  That's when I started experiencing all the speed drops, disconnections, unpredictability that so many here have experienced. Horrible experience trying to resolve this.

I was frustrated enough so I had prepared myself to drop $1000 or so to replace the entire mesh with another brand, verified that the equipment was in stock at my local BestBuy...but thought I'd try one more attempt at a fix first. I had developed a sneaking suspicion that in an attempt to improve high-end throughput, Google engineers may have tweaked something in the firmware that improves some aspects of the mesh (such as max throughput) but at the expense of the mesh's flexibility with regard to positioning of nodes (router and points) in the mesh. I've shared that theory before, but still have no confirmation (or denial), so it's still just a half baked theory. But...with that in mind, I removed nodes from my mesh. I took out one node, restarted the mesh, and found that throughput improved. I took out a second node, leaving me the base Nest router and 3 other Nest devices all functioning as points (two are routers, one is a plain point). It's been several weeks since I did this, and my throughput has remained excellent ever since. WiFi speeds across my entire house are in the 300mHz range. I have a Nest router in my basement office configured as a point (the base router is up above on the first floor, in the middle of the house) with my laptop plugged into the router/point via ethernet -- but that router/point is connected to the mesh wirelessly. Still - at my desk, I'm averaging about 600 Mbps down and 550 to 600 Mbps up; the base router is plugged into my Verizon FiOS quantum gateway and I've got a 1GB plan, getting about 830Mbps up/down at the router.

Here's the latest Ookla speed test I just ran:

https://www.speedtest.net/my-result/d/b42b303a-96c6-4ce7-854d-185b7dc7d48f

I know there are factors unique to each of our configurations. I can see that the product is capable of solid, consistent and fast throughput. I don't know what makes it so fiddly and finicky to configure, and I wish Google could be more forthcoming about the factors involved. I can relate to the pain and frustration I'm seeing here, especially disappointing as I see that it CAN work, although getting good results is much harder than it used to be. It's working quite well for me again and has been rock solid for weeks; this is back to being the "appliance" I used to count on . I wish Google could offer more constructive info on the situation, as I think meaningful advice and transparency would help a lot of users. Hoping others can find the same resolution that I've had.

[knwpsk]

@jonstrong this is really helpful, thank you for sharing.

How many total nodes did you start with, before unplugging some of them?
How many are you running with now? 
Do you think there's anything about "geography" that matters? I.e. whether a node connects to only one other node, or connects directly to the primary router node, or whether it connects to multiple other nodes in a triangle/etc?

Did you end up re-enabling those nodes that you unplugged during your experiment? What happened then?

[becsta]

Glad this worked for you. I only have 1 node and have the speed issues so I think you are probably just lucky that this worked for you. Google  replaced my router early on and the new one I got was actually slower than the one I sent back. So who knows where the problem lies.

[SpottedQuoll]

Yeah, amazing this worked for you.  I've got a pretty simple setup otherwise though: just the Nest router and 2 wireless Nest points.  Everything by the book: the router is positioned centrally in my house, on the first floor, which coincides with the room that effectively needs most connectivity (i.e. the living room).  The 2 Nest points are downstairs (ground floor) on opposite ends of the house.  I'm assuming each point connects directly to the router due to the very layout of things.  Yet one point disconnects occasionally (once every few days, down to 1 day a week maybe), and can only be reconnected by power cycling it.

[SpottedQuoll]

Also note that this particular problem only started occurring since the most recent firmware updates.