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Unplugging and returning the Google Wifi today...

mdsalemi
Community Member

I tried to make this thing work to no avail.

If your ONLY needs are very simple Wifi--with no "connected devices", and no "hardwired devices", but a simple Wifi system for a house, you are probably OK.

But, my small "home office" was too much for the Google Wifi to deal with. First problems were some "connected devices" such as home appliances. Instead of seeing ONE Wifi, they saw each node individually (four Wifi systems all with the same name), and that's an issue. I believe since the 2G/5G isn't shown, these devices had trouble connecting. So, my GE Range connected fine, my GE refrigerator would not. Like most connected devices they work on 2G alone.

But that was a minuscule problem compared to the larger problem of a downstream switch. Yes, I completely followed all the directions: My modem's WAN port was connected to the Google WAN port, and that made the Wifi work. Then, a [dumb and unmanaged] 8 port gigabit switch (I tried TWO different ones, a Netgear and TP-Link, both with the same result) was connected to the Google LAN Port, and my hardwired devices were connected to that. I should note that the same connection scheme was used when I had my tri-band, TP-Link, AC4000 wifi router installed.

Nothing connected to the switch worked. My MacMini needs to get an IP address in order to connect to the internet; it could not. My HP Printer needs the same; it could not. My T-Mobile microcell needs the same; it could not. My daughter's Dell system hub could not. Attempts to micro-manage what are supposed to be plug and play devices by adding our own IP addresses did nothing. So while most wifi connected devices worked (aside from the aforementioned connected devices) none of those that are required to be hardwired did.

I'm not one to give up easy. I went to Google support, and they said first the problem is the printer, so on-site HP Tech Support came, and the printer was fine. When connected directly to the modem, it got the IP address and worked. Then Google support said the problem is the switch, so I replaced that but the results were the same. I reported back to Google on this and they failed to respond; so not only didn't the hardware work properly, the support didn't respond.

I did poke around a lot of support areas on the internet and have concluded there is an impenetrable firewall set up in the LAN on the hardware Google Wifi that simply will NOT let a hardwire device access the internet. If there was some setting or switch on the app, the Google support folks didn't know or tell me. Not every connected device has the ability to alter IP settings, etc. Though my printer did, the tech couldn't get it to work if the Google Wifi was between the internet and the printer. My T-Mobile microcell has no controls at all.

The issue here is that we are all not equipped to have EVERYTHING work off of WiFi. My printer for example ONLY has ONE LAN port--no AirPrint, no Wifi. My microcell needs a hardware connection. My MacMini works best when hardwired. These are facts that cannot be changed.

So, back to Costco to return the Google Wifi today. I'll go through the painful process of re-establishing my older wifi network with the TP-Link AC4000 today...not a happy camper with the hardware from Google nor their service and support. 😡

3 REPLIES 3

Jeff
Community Specialist
Community Specialist

Hey, mdsalemi.

I'm sorry to hear about the bad experience you've had with your devices and Google WiFi. That sounds like a frustrating experience. I'm also sorry that you had bad experience with support. It looks as if you've decided that the product is not for you, but I did want to follow up to see if there's anything I can still help you with on this. If you have decided to keep the product and make use of it, please let me know and we can work on sorting out your issues. I look forward to hearing back.

Thanks.

mdsalemi
Community Member

Absolutely no way this mesh system can work with connected devices. The support team couldn't even understand what I was trying to do. (complex stuff like connect a network printer...)

Plugged everything back into a conventional AC2200 router's ports through the switch, and all is well.

Jeff
Community Specialist
Community Specialist

mdsalemi,

Sorry we couldn't help you find a workable solution here. I'm going to go ahead and close this topic as we've reached our conclusion on this one. If there's anything else I can do for you, please feel free to open up a new thread.

Thanks.