Weak Connection

[brownel02]

I have a split level home of roughly 2700sf.  My nearest neighbor is about 1/2 mile away.  No new services/devices have been added to my house although 1 wall was removed to create a more open concept.  My services come into the basement (power, cable, internet...).

Case 1: For the past 3 years I have had my 1st Google Wifi set up in the basement attached to my router.  My 2nd point is in my dining room (1 room and 1 floor away), 3rd point is in the living room (2 rooms away but within eye sight, no walls).  

I started having internet issues about 3 months ago (weak connection, dropped service, tv (in living room) buffering.  All speed tests show 450+Mbps and all connecting lines are CAT6.  I followed these instructions (they have been given multiple times on this forum): 

*Do a full power cycle of the network - this will allow the entire network to re-establish connections. Here's how to do it properly.

• Disconnect the power cable and Ethernet cable from the Google Nest Wifi router.
• Disconnect the power cables from the other Wifi points.
• Disconnect the power cable from the modem.
• Allow the power to stay disconnected from all for 5 minutes.
• Connect the power back to the modem only and wait for it to fully boot back up.
• All lights should be lit up before moving to the next step.
• After the modem is back online, connect the Ethernet cable to back to the Google Nest Wifi router's WAN port (globe symbol).
• Connect the power cable back to Google Nest Wifi router and to other Wifi points.
• Allow the all Wifi points to be fully back on.

These instructions made no difference to the signal quality, still showing as Weak on both of my wifi points.  

Case 2: I moved my Main Google Wifi to the 1st floor running new CAT6 back to my router (30').  My 2nd wifi spot is now in the living room (eye sight to the main Google wifi modem) but the signal still shows as a Weak connection. No 3rd wifi puck is currently installed.   

Any help on getting my service back to stable before I ditch these pucks?

Thanks

[Bdey13024]

Yes, mine is back to failing/weak signal regularly

[crwmlw]

Jumping on the band wagon, Had Google wifi for the past year with no issues. Starting around November speeds have decreased, weak signal etc. Purchased a Nest router to replace one of the google pucks that was the original router and speeds slightly got a little better but only if your right next to it. Im also getting weak signal on my access points now as well.  Come on Google, whats the story here. We all keep getting blown off.

[Crom2022]

Nothing has changed for me since the firmware update. When usage is high all my 4 points go 'weak signal.' I had more than one device going at over 40MB download speeds, XBOX, Netflix on smart TV, etc. Speed check with a device on a point with a weak connection had the device at over 40MB but then still stated max speed available for said device was 4MB. There is a serious bug that needs to be worked out. 

[crwmlw]

This Google wifi sucks, spent a lot of money and time trying to get this setup and nothing but problems. I was on the phone  with tech support over 2 hours the other day, removing points, adding points, placement etc. Speed test 10 FT from nest router would show at 250-300 then drop to 25-30 using multiple speed apps, all show the same results. Figured I'd try the AT&T Gateway's wifi and what a difference, my whole house gets around 600mbps and same with upload. Id love to keep the at&t gateway the only problem is I cant get a signal outside the house in my yard or detached garage. I wish Google would get this fixed. I understand wifi speeds wont get close to an ethernet connection but Google is getting me next to nothing. Might be time to sell it and find something else. 

[Friedham]

Having the same issue. Have a router and 4 points. All are showing weak connections even the one that has line of sight and is only 30 feet away. Used to all have strong signals but recently they’ve all changed to weak. 

[Bdey13024]

The updated firmware has not fixed any of my issues. Not only do I have a weak signal, but my points drop offline completely and require a restart at least once a day. I am very disappointed in the absolute lack of effort to fix this problem.

[Raymondo]

Had the same problem and spent days on the phone with Google.  Tried everything you described but couldn’t get a strong WiFi signal to the points.  Kept dropping devices throughout the house. After days trying to get it corrected, I gave up and bought a Linksys Velop Intelligent Mesh System.   BTW, the Google mesh system worked fine for years before failing, but Google kept blaming someone else. 

[Eight2Five]

Hey everyone!

Seems like we all have the same issues of google wifi working great during setup/ at the point of restart and then deterioriates over the day until weak conection from the nest wifi point. Was wondering if anyone had a fix or work around? Really frustrating to daily reset the network via the Home App or hard reset the modem/router

[Bk4186]

This just reaffirms my believe that Google has become a company that makes **bleep**ty products and services. I use to believe in Google and have many of their home products and the P6P which is a horrible phone that you'd think they didn't even field test. But no longer will I give them my money.

[BjornSigurd]

NO BUY

I was considering Google wifi/mesh/nest, but will not buy after having read this thread.  It appear as if there is a real problem, and that Google not is able to fix it.

[Raymondo]

I dumped mine and bought a Linksys Velop mesh system.  Far superior to Google. 

[Tyrone_Steel]

Was eyeing these. How's your experience so far with them? Dumping my google wifi this weekend.

[Raymondo]

Have had it for a month. There was a learning curve, but I’ve got it working like a charm. I bought a 3 node kit and added one additional wall plug node. I have a 3 level home and I’m very happy thus far.  Linksys support is second to none.  

[Nizzle505]

Over the last week I started having this same issue with "weak connection" 1 router, 2 points. 2800sqf home. Router is in center of home (great room), AP in my master bedroom which is just 1 room over, and 1 AP upstairs in loft. Home is open floor not walks or ceilings between router and loft AP. 1 walk between master AP and router. Current spord test shows 843Mbps Up / 40Mbps Down. Sent feedback from Home app as suggested above

[RickO1]

Three points right now, one on each floor. Basement connected to modem. Kitchen point directly above basement point and wired to tv. 2nd floor directly above kitchen point and wired to tv. Signal drops out frequently. Modem and internet signal appear to be stable.

[EdwardT]

Hi RickO1,

Thanks for letting us know. Have you tried doing a mesh test? Also are there any devices near your Google Wifi points that could cause interference like speakers or microwave?

Thanks,

Edward

[RickO1]

Yes to mesh test. It just says to move them. If they have to be closer than they are, they're really useless.

[RickO1]

No to interfering devices.

[EdwardT]

Hi RickO1,

Thanks for the response. Points work best when they’re no more than two rooms away from each other. For example, if the far end of your house has weak Wi-Fi, don’t put a Wifi point in that exact spot. Instead, put it partway in that direction. Try to place it in an elevated position like on a shelf.

Thanks,

Edward

[EdwardT]

Hi RickO1,

It's me again. I wanted to check back in to see if you have other questions and concerns. Feel free to let me know if you do. 

Thanks,

Edward

[RickO1]

Hi Edward,

Thanks for checking in but I wish you had help to offer. The system simply doesnt work well. It was marketed as a whole house system but I suppose I would need a point in every room, and that would lead to its own set of challenges. When I'm able to afford it I'll be investing in someone else's system that works better.

[Malycto]

Adding to the pile of people who have replaced their Nest WiFi over this issue. It's been months and while somewhat better it's still a subpar system AT BEST. New system got online and has been working better than the Nest ever did (faster speeds no issues ever). Best of luck if you are sticking with it.

[Bdey13024]

In addition to the poor performance of the connection of this system, I am experiencing a new and equally as frustrating issue. Certain apps on my phone will not load through wifi. Instagram, SecurID authenticator and Amazon Shopping are the ones that cause me a problem most frequently. In order to use any of these I have to turn off my wifi connection. My wife has these same apps on her phone and they work perfectly, but she is unable to use Facebook Messenger or MyFitness pal. Note that none of these websites have any issue connecting via any other devices other than our cell phones.

[AsiaAsberry]

Same problem! Only had my Nest for a little over 2 months and now getting weak/OK connection on devices. So frustrating because everything was fine until last week. No help from customer service. Can't use phone data because I barely have service in my apartment. I just have to suffer through constant buffering or pages not loading at all. Highly considering switching out of the Nest/Google Fiber all together. This is sooooo frustrating.

[DylanKC]

Just wanted to add visibility. I am having the same issue. I have 2 Nest routers (one wired, one point), 1 Google Wifi router (wired) and 1 access point. I seem to have the most trouble with the access point where after a reset it is great connection but then for no reason it will change to weak and I will completely lose internet on that side of my house. I notice that the AP is quite hot to the touch. 

One thing that I have majorly noticed looking through the support pages is that this issue is common and seems like it started within the past 1.5 years. This makes me think it is a firmware issue that could be fixed but it sure is taking a long time for a problem that is "actively being worked" 

[CheckForUpdate]

My router just crashed today and I had to perform multiple factory resets for it to see the internet.  I checked and my firmware is: 14150.43.81

The last time this happened was when I received the last firmware update.

[Mammirati]

I am having the same issue with my 3 pucks. They were all reading great connection for about 10 months and now all of a sudden 2 out of 3 say "weak connection" and speeds are very slow

[CheckForUpdate]

Done with this malarky.  Replaced with TP-Link Deco XE75.  Works great! Buh-bye!

[Jhonleanmel]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the information, Jeffrey.

Anth92 and Friedham, the last firmware version is 14150.43.81 which was rolled out last May 2022. We do not have any news to share what the new version number will be. 

CheckForUpdate, I'm sorry you feel that way.

Your Google Wifi will automatically receive over-the-air updates about any software and hardware-related fix or firmware updates as long as it's constantly powered on and connected to the Wi-Fi network.

Best regards,

Mel

[Crom2022]

The product has quite a bit of issues but here are the settings that have made mine functional. I am not spending more money on another system and hope this one will be fixed in time.

Note the following:

• This never came up as part of installation instructions but was something I noted on my XBOX; double NAAT. Ensure your ISP router has been switched to bridging mode.  Best to have only one device generating IP addresses for devices on the network
• I was having issues with dropped signals on some devices specifically smart TVs and my video enabled doorbell. Apparently some of these devices, per manufacturers and other websites, do not work well with IPv6. I disabled that in the Home App and no dropped Wi-Fi since
• WPA-3 set to OFF. Older devices just stopped working. Could not connect at all
• Preferred activities all OFF 

The system has been working well with these changes.

Sometimes a point may have a weak signal but it tends to be the one with nothing connected at that time likely meaning in some way the system is meant to work that way??? The dropped signals have stopped though, most importantly.

[Jhonleanmel]

Hi Crom2022,

We appreciate your help.

Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns ― we'd love to help.

Cheers,

Mel

[Jhonleanmel]

Hey Crom2022,

Checking back in should you still have some questions here. Let us know by replying to this thread. 

Best, 
Mel

[Jhonleanmel]

Hey Crom2022,

We haven't heard from you in a while so we'll be locking this thread if there is no update within 24 hours. If you have any new issues, updates or just a discussion topic, feel free to start a new thread in the Community.

Best, 
Mel

[Glynne]

I am still having problems it seems quite simple that the 5g is overpowering the 2.4.  Other dual band systems do not do this, and like others after spending a lot of money on this system, I am very disappointed, poor engineering and design. Ive taken to setting up an older TP link that receives all my IoT.  If I knew this at the start I would never have bought the Google nest 

[Jhonleanmel]

Hi Glynne,

Thanks for posting ― let's see what's going on.

The Google Wifi point(s) uses the same name for both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz band networks. This means that the Wi-Fi network uses both radio bands. But keep in mind: while both bands can be used, the personal devices (a smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc.) will connect to only one radio band at any given time. Nest Wifi, Google Wifi, or OnHub attempts to select the band that will deliver the best performance for your device. Currently there is no option to manually disable either of the bands or to connect to them separately.

A quick question: what devices need to connect to the 2.4Ghz band?

Give these steps a whirl:

Create a hotspot with a mobile phone. However, 2 mobile phones are required:

1. Use the first device to create a hotspot (mobile phone).
   • How to set up a mobile hotspot:
     • Android
       1. Go to Settings.
       2. Tap the Network & internet option.
       3. Select Hotspot & tethering.
       4. Tap on Wi-Fi hotspot.
       5. Set up the hotspot name and password same as the primary network.
       6. Choose the AP Band > 2.4 GHz band > Apply.
     • iOS:
       1. Go to Settings.
       2. Tap on Cellular. Tap the slider to turn Cellular Data on.
       3. Under Cellular, tap the slider to turn Personal Hotspot on.
       4. Tap the slider next to Allow Others to Join.
       5. Set up the hotspot name password the same as the primary network.
          1. To change the hotspot password, under Personal Hotspot > Wi-Fi Password.
          2. To change the hotspot name, go to Settings > General > About > Name.
2. Use the second device to connect to the mobile hotspot.
3. Disconnect all of the Google Wifi or Nest Wifi points from the power outlet.
4. Connect the device to the 2.4 GHz band of the hotspot with the same SSID and password of the current network (case sensitive).
5. Once connected to the hotspot, plug in your primary Google Wifi point or the Nest Wifi router.
6. Turn off the hotspot and check if the device automatically connects to the Google Wifi network.

Let us know how it goes.

Best,

Mel

[Glynne]

Hi Mel, thanks for your response. The issue is generally not connecting but having IoT drop out, and when that is on my house heating system you can imagine the issue, cold or overheated rooms. The TRVs connect but ones closer to the nest repeaters drop out constantly. 

Other IoT I have to place a number of meters away from any of the nest units. If the 5g drops out they work great. The nest system obviously has a propensity to overwhelm the 2.4g if this is not the case what else could it be?

[Glynne]

BTW TRV is Thermostatic Radiator Valve 

[Jhonleanmel]

Hi Glynne,

Thanks for the added details. 

Give these steps a whirl: 

1. Make sure that there is minimal to no interference (concrete, bulletproof glass, metal, mirror, etc.) and the points are no more than two rooms apart.
2. Remove any special characters in your network name and password.
3. Set a custom DNS at 8.8.8.8 on the primary and 8.8.4.4 on the secondary server. Hit the save/ floppy disk icon on the upper right.
4. Unplug the power from your Google Wifi devices for 2 minutes.
5. If the issue persists, try factory resetting your network.

Let us know how it goes.

Best,

Mel

[Glynne]

Hi Mel, 

Please see responses below

1. Make sure that there is minimal to no interference (concrete, bulletproof glass, metal, mirror, etc.) and the points are no more than two rooms apart. Its just a normal brick built house
2. Remove any special characters in your network name and password. None
3. Set a custom DNS at 8.8.8.8 on the primary (do you mean router)and 8.8.4.4 on the secondary server (do you mean nest points?). Hit the save/ floppy disk icon on the upper right.
4. Unplug the power from your Google Wifi devices for 2 minutes.
5. If the issue persists, try factory resetting your network. (that would be a nightmare... multiple IoT devices and I did try this some time back to no avail)

[Jhonleanmel]

Hi Glynne,

Thanks for the update. You can set the DNS by following this guide: Change your DNS server
 

Keep us posted.

Thanks,

Mel