Nest Wifi Pro + Macbook ping spikes / 404 errors

[Loooogical]

So, the last couple of months, I have been experiencing an increasingly annoying issue. When I surf the web, I will now and then get a 404 error for a couple of seconds, before the page loads. I never loose my WiFi connection, but Chrome, Dropbox etc. is briefly loosing it's connection. At first I thought this might be a computer specific issue, but I just set up my completely new Macbook M3, and I have the same issue. So that is three Macbooks now with the same issue, making me 100 % sure this is a Nest Wifi Pro issue. When I was on vacation with my Macbook, I did not experience it. I have been running my Nest Wifi Pro for at least a year, and thus problem started appearing a couple of months ago. After googling a lot, it seems to be an issue with ping spike that blocks the internet traffic, but I have not found out how to solve this. Hope somebody can share some insight.

[olavrb]

MacOS, iOS and iPadOS devices sometimes have issues with wireless reliability and Nest Wifi if MAC randomization is enabled, and HTTP proxy is set to automatic. These settings can affect VPN reliability as well. So try the following.

HTTP Proxy: Set to "none".

• https://www.expressvpn.com/support/troubleshooting/disable-proxy-safari

Private IP Address (Mac randomization): Disable.

• https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/security/secb9cb3140c/web
• https://support.apple.com/en-us/102509

[Loooogical]

Sadly all these settings are already as recommended.

[olavrb]

Alright. I'll escalate the thread, hopefully Google support can take a look at it.

[ovidioj]

Hello @Loooogical,

Thanks for reaching out about the occasional 404 errors and brief connection drops you're experiencing with your Nest WiFi Pro system. I understand how frustrating it can be to have these interruptions while browsing the web. It's helpful that you've confirmed the issue persists across multiple MacBooks, suggesting the problem lies with the Nest WiFi Pro setup rather than a specific device. The information about experiencing no issues while on vacation further strengthens this possibility.
In this case, I would like you to try the next steps: 

1. Restart Network Devices: A simple restart of your Nest WiFi Pro router and access points can sometimes clear up temporary glitches.
2. Check for interference:  Wireless devices like cordless phones or microwaves can sometimes interfere with Wi-Fi signals. Try turning off these devices temporarily and see if the issue persists.

Clearing Cookies and Caches in Most Browsers:

• Open your web browser.
• Click the menu button (usually three vertical dots) in the top-right corner.
• Navigate to the Settings or Privacy menu. The exact wording might differ depending on the browser. Here are some common examples:

1. Chrome: Settings > Privacy and Security
2. Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security
3. Safari (Mac): Safari > Preferences > Privacy
4. Safari (iOS): Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data
5. Edge: Settings > Privacy, search, and services

• Look for options related to "Clear browsing data" or "Privacy settings."
• Select a time range for how much data you want to clear. You can usually choose options like "Last hour," "Last day," "Last week," "All time," etc.
• Ensure the boxes next to "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files" are checked. You might see slightly different wording depending on the browser.
• Click "Clear data" or a similar button to confirm.

Please follow the steps above and let me know how it goes. Thank you.

Regards, 
Jorge

[Loooogical]

Hi Jorge

I have restarted the wifi several times, and without being sure, it seems to maybe improve the issue for a little while. The cookies and cache suggestion is not relevant, since I also see this error sometimes affecting things like the macOS Dropbox-app etc., so it doesn't seem to be browser specific. One thing that concerns me a bit that this MIGHT be an Apple issue, is that I never experienced this on Ventura, only on Sonoma. I hope that maybe the release of Sequoia will fix the issue, but if it is still present, I almost see no other choice than replacing my whole Nest Wifi Pro system.

[ovidioj]

Hello  @Loooogical,

Thanks for your detailed reply and additional information. I appreciate you following the troubleshooting steps. I appreciate you restarting your Wi-Fi network and sharing your observations about the temporary improvement. I appreciate your effort so in the meantime I would like to know:

1. What do you call Ventura and Sonoma? Are these Nest Pro points?

• Isolate the issue: While you mentioned not experiencing this on Ventura, there might be a specific configuration or setting on your Sonoma setup causing the issue. Can you try temporarily connecting a single device (like your laptop) directly to your Nest WiFi Pro router using an Ethernet cable?
• Stable Connection: If the Ethernet connection is stable, it strengthens the possibility that the issue lies within your Wi-Fi configuration.
• Guest Network: If you have a guest network enabled, try temporarily disabling it to see if it resolves the issue. You can check out this tutorial on how to disable a guest network link. In rare cases, guest network settings might interfere with some devices.

Please let me know how it goes. Thank you.  

All the best,
Jorge

[olavrb]

Sonoma and Ventura are MacOS versions.

[Loooogical]

I switched out Nest Wifi Pro with TP-Link Dexo X50, problem gone.