WiFi Pro dropping connection

[mad-mushroom]

After many months of rock solid reliable performance my (3 unit) Google Nest Pro WiFi mesh has begun to misbehave. I'm noticing increasing frequency of WiFi drop outs, where the indicator light on the router and/or other base units switches from stable to pulse/flash mode and devices lose their WiFi connectivity.

This is often short term, between 1-5 minutes, and doesn't appear to be related to loss of service via my ISP  i.e. LAN connectivity only, where the DSL (ISP) signal light on modem is stable. My ISP has performed appropriate line tests etc., and not identified any service issues. 

[UK Internet Service Provider (PlusNet), FTTC broadband connection, with dedicated modem only unit connects direct to Nest Pro router]

Although somewhat random, rather annoyingly this frequently occurs in the evenings when streaming something on TV, but it can also occur at other times throughout the day. 

I've tried all the usual tricks (from what I can find on these and other forums) such as rebooting, IPV6 on/off, no UPnP, etc.  

[luciaaa]

Hi, @mad-mushroom,

Thank you for reaching out to the community. I understand how frustrating it must be to experience frequent Wi-Fi dropouts with your previously reliable Google Nest Pro system. It's especially annoying when it occurs during important activities like streaming. I'm happy to help you find a solution.

To better assist you, I would like to know: 

• Do you have a modem router combo provided by your internet service provider (ISP)?
• Are there any special characters included in your username or password?

In the meantime, please follow these troubleshooting steps: 

Ensure your Wi-Fi network's SSID and password are free of spaces and special characters, including apostrophes, commas, underscores, quotation marks, and UTF-8 characters (emojis). Removing these characters can help prevent connection issues.

Change the DNS:

1. Open the Home app.
2. Tap Favorites.
3. Tap WiFi, then Network Settings, and then Advanced Networking.
4. Tap DNS.
5. Select Custom, then enter "8.8.8.8" and "8.8.4.4.".
6. Tap Save.

Additional Notes:

• IPv6: If you have IPv6 enabled, you'll need to specify a custom IPv6 DNS address. Check if IPv6 is currently enabled on your network.
• Alternative DNS: If you encounter issues with the Google DNS servers, you can try using your ISP's DNS instead. This will only use your ISP's DNS and not add Google's DNS.

By following these steps, you can manually configure your network to use Google's public DNS servers, which are known for their speed and reliability.

Please let me know how it goes.

Best regards, 

Ana

[mad-mushroom]

Thanks for the reply. I have a modem only unit (originally supplied by my ISP) that then plugs directly to my Google WiFi Nest Pro router via Ethernet cable. So there’s no double NAT, second router, issue here. 
My password is for high security somewhat complex, with multiple characters, but it always has been and devices connecting to the mesh WiFi are not really the problem here.  Never any problems individual devices connecting when the WiFi is on. The problem is temporary total loss of WiFi distribution signal from the Nest Pro mesh system, as indicated by the flashing pulsing light on the router and other two mesh units.  
For several months there were no problems and I was very pleased and impressed with the stability of the Google WiFi Nest Pro mesh system but more recently I’ve noticed an increased frequency of drop outs. It’s almost as though the router has started failing during busy times. I have also noticed I that it can run very warm (to touch).
I note that a firmware update has been distributed to the Google Nest Pro WiFi units in the last 48hrs so perhaps that will help settle things down. I’ll continue to monitor and report back.

[luciaaa]

Hi, @mad-mushroom,

Thank you for your prompt response. I appreciate you clarifying that you only have a modem.

Sometimes, this can be the main problem. To ensure optimal performance with your Nest WiFi Pro, you'll need to confirm that your Internet service provider has set your modem in bridge mode.

Even though you may only see a modem and the Nest WiFi Pro router physically, it's possible that your modem is currently configured as a modem/router combo. Please contact your ISP to request that they set your modem to bridge mode.

As an additional security measure, I recommend changing your password and removing any special characters it may contain.

Please let me know how it goes.

Best regards, 

Ana