Nest Wifi Router as Mesh Point and connection

[Fleroux99]

Hello, I have 2 questions.

1- Is it possible to add a second Google Nest WiFi ROUTER as a mesh point to an existing network which already has 3 Google WiFi points?
The ultimate goal is to improve poor wifi performance when using Chromecast audio devices in my town house.

2- Which configuration/connectivity will give me the best result between these 3 setups?

--> RJ45 UTP CAT6 Ethernet Cable

Setup A:
- Modem (Bell Hub 3000) --> (PPPoE) WAN Nest WiFi Router LAN --> LAN Unmanaged Switch LAN --> LAN Basement Unmanaged Switch LAN --> LAN Nest WiFi Router Mesh Point.
- 3 Google WiFi Mesh Point.

Setup B:
- Modem (Bell Hub 3000) --> (PPPoE) WAN Nest WiFi Router LAN --> LAN Unmanaged Switch LAN --> WAN Nest WiFi Router Mesh Point LAN --> LAN Basement Unmanaged Switch.
- 3 Google WiFi Mesh Point.

Setup C:
- Modem (Bell Hub 3000) --> (PPPoE) WAN Nest WiFi Router LAN --> LAN Unmanaged Switch LAN --> LAN Basement Unmanaged Switch.
- 3 Google WiFi Mesh Points + Nest WiFi Router Mesh Point.

Thank you!

[MichaelP · Accepted solution]

Hello @Fleroux99 

A few thoughts here. First, in answer to your direct question, setup A is my preference. I like having wired secondaries be leaf nodes rather than relying on them to bridge downstream traffic in software. But, ideally, you'd also connect your existing Google WiFi secondaries to that switched network as well (assuming they aren't actually Nest WiFi Point units that lack Ethernet ports).

Second, keep in mind that a wired secondary has to withdraw from the wireless mesh to avoid a traffic loop. So, all of your wireless / mesh secondaries will need to be close enough to the primary Nest WiFi Router unit to get a strong 5GHz connection directly. A wired secondary does not act like a base station for more distant wireless / mesh secondaries.

Third, adding more secondaries isn't necessarily going to help. Wiring up your existing secondaries could help quite a bit, and could let you place them further away from the primary, increasing the coverage area. So, I would think about optimal placement first, and use Ethernet as much as possible before adding more access points.

[Fleroux99]

Thanks for the good advice.

So I'm going to opt for replacing one Google WiFi Mesh Point (puck) that was in the basement (No ethernet cable connected) and install a new Nest WiFi Router as a mesh point (connected to Lan port with a ethernet cable to a unmanaged switch). So, Setup A will be like this:

- First floor Modem (Bell Hub 3000) --> (PPPoE) WAN First floor Nest WiFi Router LAN --> LAN First floor Unmanaged Switch LAN --> LAN Basement Unmanaged Switch LAN --> LAN Basement Nest WiFi Router Mesh Point.
- 2 Google WiFi Mesh Point (one on second floor and another one on first floor at entrance hall. Both NOT connected with an ethernet cable and ~25 feet distance from the Nest WiFi Router).

My primary goal is to help the problem of audio dropout with Roon/Tidal/Chromecast group of 4 Bose speakers. They always tend to connect to the Google WiFi mesh point in the basement. I really hope the new Nest WiFi Router as a mesh point connected with an ethernet cable in basement will help...

Thank you!