Wired Wifi Pro Backhaul Questions

[mjolnir]

So I've wired my Wifi Pro to my router like so:

Verizon FIOS Internet > Verizon Router > Google Nest Wifi Pro (Basement) > NETGEAR GSS116E Switch > Two more Google Nest Wifi Pro Points (Living Room & Office - along with other devices in the home from the switch.)

Everything seems to be working correctly and I seem to have faster Wifi speeds. However:

• Google Home does not say that the router & point are wired. Should it? It just says they have great connections (which is better than before I wired them.) This could be totally fine but want to be sure
• When I test my mesh connection is says they are great, but only shows the points, not the main router. I think when they were wireless it showed all three (see screenshots below.)

Thank you in advance for any assistance!

Showing all three devicesOnly showing the points in the Mesh test.

[MichaelP · Accepted solution]

Here's a screenshot of a Google WiFi system that has a wired secondary. Should be the same for Nest WiFi Pro:

I've highlighted the place where it shows connection type of "Wired".

I can't really help with your Verizon router, but as long as it's connected in place of the "modem" in the diagram you pasted above, it will be outside your Nest WiFi Pro network, so it would not be an IP address starting with 192.168.86.x.

I would probably use a tool like traceroute to figure this sort of thing out myself, but I'm a UNIX/Linux/macOS user for the most part, and I don't know what the exact Windows equivalent is (but there probably is one). If you do a traceroute to something like www.google.com, you'd see multiple lines of output with the first one being 192.168.86.1 (your Nest WiFi Pro primary / router unit), and the next one would be your Verizon router (since you likely have double NAT, unless you've put it in bridge mode, in which case you might not see it in the traceroute at all). If the next line has an address starting with 192.168.x.x. or 10.x.x.x then that's likely it.

[MichaelP]

Hello @mjolnir 

I will try to address your questions as best I can:

• Yes, when secondaries are wired to the primary, they should show as "wired" in their connection type. Not showing wired indicates some kind of issue, either with wire quality or, more likely in your case, loop detection / spanning tree – see below.
• I don't have a wireless mesh to compare with, but the wired mesh I have access to shows only the secondary / point results in the screen following a mesh test. So, I would say this is normal and not a concern. Even though wireless mesh nodes will talk to each other, a mesh test focuses on how well each secondary / point can talk to the primary. So, the primary doesn't have a mesh quality rating for itself.
• Spanning Tree Protocol support is often referred to as "Loop Detection" or "Loop Prevention", and that appears to be how it's described in the GS116E manual and web management interface. Select System > Management > Loop Detection to disable it. Here's the manual I found this in: https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/GSS108E/GSS108E_GSS116E_GSS108EPP_UM_EN.pdf 

There does not appear to be a setting to enable flooding of STP BPDUs, but that would only be necessary if the switch blocks them when loop detection is disabled, and not all managed switches do that. So, try disabling loop detection first, and give your Nest WiFi Pro system a few seconds to settle, then re-run a mesh test and check the secondary connection type to ensure it shows as "wired".

[mjolnir]

Hello Michael - thanks for your quick response.

• Do you have a screenshot of your Google Home App you could share of your setup, showing the "wired" in connection type? I can't seem to find one online and just wondering what I should be seeing. I've looked online for a screenshot but can't seem to find one.
• That totally makes sense about not having to show the primary one.
• I have Loop Detection disabled by default so that's good too. I actually unplugged the switch after I redid the network so that it would get a new local IP so that seems OK.

Also, do you happen to know how I would find the IP of my Verizon FIOS router? Last night I was still able to access it but then today the same IP would not work, it was strange. When I go to 192.168.86.1 I now get to the Google WiFi basic page. I have Fing and it gave me an IP address which worked last night, but after a reboot I could not get to that IP and I don't see it in Fing or when I use ipconfig.

I did set everything up based on this diagram.

Thank you!

[MichaelP · Accepted solution]

Here's a screenshot of a Google WiFi system that has a wired secondary. Should be the same for Nest WiFi Pro:

I've highlighted the place where it shows connection type of "Wired".

I can't really help with your Verizon router, but as long as it's connected in place of the "modem" in the diagram you pasted above, it will be outside your Nest WiFi Pro network, so it would not be an IP address starting with 192.168.86.x.

I would probably use a tool like traceroute to figure this sort of thing out myself, but I'm a UNIX/Linux/macOS user for the most part, and I don't know what the exact Windows equivalent is (but there probably is one). If you do a traceroute to something like www.google.com, you'd see multiple lines of output with the first one being 192.168.86.1 (your Nest WiFi Pro primary / router unit), and the next one would be your Verizon router (since you likely have double NAT, unless you've put it in bridge mode, in which case you might not see it in the traceroute at all). If the next line has an address starting with 192.168.x.x. or 10.x.x.x then that's likely it.

[mjolnir]

Ah ok I was just expecting to see the "wired" part on the previous screen, I verified my two points show as "wired." Should the main Point show as wired? on my version it does not although I do see aa WAN IP and a LAN IP.

[MichaelP · Accepted solution]

No, the primary / router unit won't show as "wired" because it's always wired (to your internet service). It's a router+firewall, while the secondary / point units are just layer 2 bridges.

[mjolnir]

I used tracert in a Windows command prompt and found it there, thanks for the advice, I was not aware that was there. You've been an excellent help, I really appreciate it!