Two Routers connecting to two different providers' modems.

[BlueOcean]

I currently have a Google Nest WiFi mesh network with 4 units (one is connected to my Internet provider's modem (Frontier Communications).   The other three are setup throughout the house.  All works fine.   The problem is Frontier Communications.   If there is a Frontier problem and they have to send a tech out, it can sometimes take up to four days before they can come out.   No WiFi for four days is unacceptable, so I just brought in a second provider for backup (Spectrum).      Questions: 

1) Can I purchase another Google Nest router and plug it into Spectrum's modem and be able to control both (the one connected to Frontier and the one connected to Spectrum) from the same app on my iPhone?

2) If I have to move over to Spectrum because Frontier is down, can I easily change the other three routers around the house to connect to my router connected to Spectrum, and then switch them back to connect to the router connected to Frontier? 

3) Is there an easier way to do this?    I just want a backup so there is no downtime when there is a problem w/ one of the providers. 

Thanks! 

[MichaelP]

Hello @BlueOcean 

I'll try to answer your questions as best I can:

1) Yes, you could purchase another Nest WiFi Router unit and set it up connected via Ethernet to your Spectrum modem. Managing that through the Google Home app just requires creating a new, separate "Home" instance in the app (each "home" can only have one WiFi system, so you'd just need two of them). If you do this, though, you'll want to be thoughtful about what network name (SSID) you use for the new system. If you want existing clients to reconnect, using the same SSID and password could work, but you will need to be extremely careful not to have both WiFi routers running at the same time, and after a switch over, you'll still need to restart all of your client devices (wired and wireless).

2) To get the other Nest WiFi units to switch over, they will all have to be factory reset and added to the other system. I wouldn't describe this as "easy", but it is "possible".

3) An easier way to do this would be to use an "outer" router in between your Nest WiFi Router unit and the two internet service provider's modems – one that has built-in support for handling multiple internet service options with automatic built-in switchover between them. Basically, don't try to solve this using Nest WiFi equipment by itself. This approach will likely entail double NAT (two layers of address translation / firewall), but for most people, that isn't a problem. For some people, it can be. I can't recommend anything in particular, but the search terms I'd start with to investigate this would be "dual-WAN" and "failover" in combination with "consumer router". That should get you started looking into this approach.