Solved: Google Wifi Dropping Speeds over time

[MoeMtl]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share this solution in the community since I came across a solution after days of trying and searching.

My issue was the same as everyone on these 2 threads:

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Nest-Wifi/Router-performance-degradation-over-time/m-p/364700...

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Nest-Wifi/Nest-Wifi-performance-degradation/m-p/59178/page/2

My setup:

• 3 google Wifi pucks
• 2 pucks wired, 1 wireless
• ISP Cable modem with 400 mbps
• Custom DNS set to OpenDNS
• 30+ Devices

I basically experienced the same issue as everyone after Google did an update -> Over a few days I went down from 400 mbps to a crawl. My speed test to my cable modem was at 400 mbps, meanwhile googles speed test to my wired and wireless devices came down to 10 to 15 over a few days.

The only way to "fix" it was to run a speed test from the Google Wifi App which then reset something, and I was back up to 400 mbps for a few days.

I tried everything in the forums including a factory reset.

Today I read in a Reddit forum that someone changed one setting and it worked for them.

Prior to making the Reddit change, I ran Google Speed Tests since my factory reset 24 hours before and I watched my speed going down by the hour.  As I ran each test it kept declining every hour from 400 down to 150 after just 12 hours.

Today I turned OFF the following option in the Google Home App:

Network Settings -> Preferred Activities -> VIDEO CONFERENCING 

And voila!

My next Google speed test was magically back up to 400 mbps. I changed nothing else.

I then ran a battery of tests during the day to look for the pattern of declining speeds as it had the day before and after 12 hours of testing speeds every hour my speeds remain at 400 mbps!

So thanks to 

https://www.reddit.com/r/GoogleWiFi/comments/vi9bhr/comment/iiiivns/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web...

This is the only option that I have found which has worked for me to fix the problem of reducing speeds with my Google WiFi!

It is disappointing to see community members struggling with this and yet no one at Google managed to debug and find the problem. There is clearly a bug in the Video Conferencing option which seems to cause a memory leak. You would think that with so many people looking at this at Google, they would have at least posted this as a Bug in their software (Known Issues) to let people know. This video conferencing option was released in June 2021 (https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/13800967?hl=en#zippy=%2Cprevious-release-notes%2Caugust...) and you can see the earliest Community report of the issue was in July 2021.

I hope that someone at Google now opens a Bug and gets this corrected or at the minimum posts this somewhere as a Known Issue so people are aware.

I posted this to pay it forward to other community members since I got help from a Reddit community member.

"Moderator edit: Subject updated for clarity and findability."

[carguy143]

Thanks for this. I find the QoS to be pretty rubbish. My Internet is only 35 Mbps or so and if say, my PS5 starts downloading an update, or my phone does the same thing, it hogs all the bandwidth to the extent my work is interrupted. 

[Dan_A]

Hi carguy143

I understand your frustration with Google Nest Wifi's QoS (Quality of Service) performance and apologies for the delay.

With your 35 Mbps internet plan, having multiple devices downloading large files can quickly saturate the available bandwidth, causing noticeable slowdowns and interruptions. Here are some options you can explore to improve your situation:

1. Adjust QoS Settings:

• Check if your ISP modem's app offers any granular QoS settings. Some models allow prioritizing specific devices or applications, ensuring essential traffic like video conferencing or work-related apps get sufficient bandwidth.
• If your model doesn't have advanced QoS features, consider upgrading to a router with more robust traffic management options.

2. Device Prioritization:

• Manually prioritize your work device on the Google Home app, giving it higher priority over other devices like the PS5 and phone. This ensures your work traffic gets preferential treatment during bandwidth-intensive activities.
• Use dedicated gaming routers or powerline adapters to connect demanding devices like consoles directly to the internet, bypassing the wireless congestion.

3. Download Scheduling:

• Schedule large downloads, updates, and streaming activities for off-peak hours when you're not actively using the internet for work or other critical tasks.

4. Network Monitoring Tools:

• Utilize apps or web tools to monitor your network traffic in real-time. This can help you identify the devices consuming the most bandwidth and adjust usage accordingly.

5. Upgrade Internet Plan:

• If your current 35 Mbps plan is consistently insufficient for your needs, consider upgrading to a higher bandwidth plan from your internet service provider. This will provide more overall bandwidth to share among your devices, reducing congestion and improving performance.

Remember, finding the optimal solution may require a combination of these approaches. Experiment with different settings and tools to see what works best for your specific setup and usage patterns.

I hope this helps! 

Best,

Dan