ALL nest speakers randomly disconnect from WiFi, will not reconnect until reboot

[Biggsyboi]

Hi,

For ages now, had an issue where any of our speakers will randomly disconnect from WiFi. Ignored it but it gets more and more annoying.

You don't realize it's happened until you try and cast music (doesn't show on list) or say "Hey Google" (response is "Hang on whilst I get connected to WiFi")

No other devices on our WiFi network (TP-Link Deco Mesh), are having any problems

Affected Devices:

1 x Home Mini

2 x Nest Mini

2 x Nest Audio

1 x Home Max

We have 1 x Chromecast; I'm not sure if this is also affected.

Once a unit disconnects, it starts broadcasting it's setup WiFi name and the Google Home App shows "Set up Nest Mini" etc. It refuses to reconnect to the WiFi when trying to set it up using the menu. The ONLY way to get it to reconnect is to power cycle the device, in which case it then reconnects to the WiFi and starts to behave normally until the issue happens again at random.

I spoke to Google Support about it, but so far they've not resolved the problem. They made me factory reset every single speaker, which didn't resolve the problem. They want me to set up my smart home entirely from scratch now - routines, devices etc, hours of my time.

I've checked the security on our WiFi network, it's compatible with these speakers. I've also assigned each speaker a specific IP address, this hasn't resolved the issue, either.

When the issue occurs, I've also tried connecting the unit to a mobile hotspot and it couldn't.

Again, the only way to get the unit to reconnect to anything, is to restart it.

Any help is greatly appreciated

[plod_along]

I also have this problem. I started another thread and was asked to tether the google mini/nest mini to personal hotspot and see what conditions cause the dropout. I’ve been busy lately and not got round to doing this and the thread is now closed by moderators. 

I also use a mesh WiFi solution (FRITZ!Box router and repeater). I THINK that maybe, on occasion, the mini speaker switches band and/or switches access point on the mesh wifi. I THINK that during the switch the speaker briefly disconnects and reconnects. Not sure how it looks on your router settings but the google devices show on mine as being connected to the network, but not to the internet. 

I think that a possible solution might be to access the router settings and broadcast 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz on separate SSIDs. I personally haven’t tried this as I like a more seamless transition and I’m hopeful for another solution. Nest mini are the only devices on my home network that have this issue. 
If I discover a fix while tinkering, I’ll let you know. However I can only thing to split SSIDs at this stage and only connect them to one band (2.4Ghz potentially as this covers more range)

[Juni]

Hi folks,

Thanks for posting here in the Google Nest Community.
 

This is not the experience that we wanted you to have, let me help you out. 

@Biggsyboi, when did your issue begin? Were there any recent changes made before the issue started? Could you provide us with the case number that was provided when you contacted our support team so we can further check for you?

@plod_along, thanks for the detailed information you provided.— these are of great help! Let us know if this worked for you by updating this thread.
 

Keep me posted.
 

Thanks,

Juni

[Azarco]

Hey all,

We wanted to follow up and see if you are still in need of any help. Let us know if you are still having any trouble from here, as we would be happy to take a closer look and assist you further.

Best,

Alex

[Azarco]

Hello everyone,

One quick final check in here since activity has slowed down. We'll be locking the thread in the next 24 hours, but if you still need assistance, feel free to start a new thread in the Community and we’ll be happy to help.

Regards,

Alex

[Biggsyboi]

Hi Juni!

I can't remember when this issue began to be honest - it's been going on a long time and we used to only have one or two devices and we used our Google speakers a lot less, so it wouldn't have been as apparent.

It MAY have began when we purchased our Deco Mesh system. But it's hard to blame that, when nothing else in the house is having any connectivity issues.

My case number was 8-0681000033472 I believe

Thank you!

[Biggsyboi]

That's an interesting theory! Unfortunately, I'm unable to test it because the TP-Link Deco Mesh doesn't support changing the name of your network between 2 frequencies - So unless I want to lose one of them entirely, I can't stop them from changing between 2.4ghz and 5ghz.

For me, when the issue happened and then I switched on the hotspot on another mobile device, I still couldn't get the Google Nest Mini to connect to it. I still had to reboot it.

[plod_along]

My guess is that the google speakers have some sort of network stability issue. 
I’m no expert, but my theory is that the speaker internet connection drops when it switches to a different access point in the mesh. 
What I don’t understand is why it only started happening (or became noticeable) when I upgraded my router to the AX (wifi6) model. Maybe some sort of technical incompatibility with newer technology?

Sometimes the connection sticks for a while, sometimes it sticks for minutes/hours before dropping. 

I’m lazy - I like google to switch my lights on and off for me from the comfort of my sofa. It’s so annoying when you get the “Hang on while I get connected to WiFi” response and have to get up, switch off, switch on and do your lights while you’re at it. 

[Biggsyboi]

I think I've seen other forum posts in the past that they disabled the mesh 'jumping' feature of their WiFi network and the problem was still happening, but don't quote me on it.

One of my Nest speakers (experiencing this problem just like all the others) are situated directly next to my main Deco unit, the other Deco is on the other side of the house and so I'm not sure that this is the issue.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was jumping between frequencies though and then giving up.

I'm kind of shocked that these units wouldn't keep logs for troubleshooting...?

My house mates want to switch to Alexa because the connection for our speakers are so randomly unreliable, but I'd love it if we could get these working.....

[Muddi]

Hey folks,

Chiming in to be sure everything is covered here. To eliminate network issues, please try setting up your device using a mobile hotspot. Please note that you will need two mobile devices for this setup (one will serve as a router and the other to be used to set up your Nest Mini). 
 

@Biggsyboi: Upon checking, our team sent you an email last Dec. 18, 2022, for additional steps that you can try. Have you had the chance to try it?

Cheers,

Muddi

[Biggsyboi]

Hi Muddi,

Thanks for your response!
My original post explains I've tried using a mobile hotspot to set up the device when it disconnects in this way. This didn't work. I'm fairly sure it's not a network issue on the TP-Link Deco side, since currently nothing else is experiencing problems - That means phones, laptops, a PC, TVs, Firesticks, smart bulbs - none of these devices have connection issues.

As for the mentioned email of Dec 18th 2022, my original post also explains that I've factory reset every single device as requested, but setting up my entire smart home including routines all over again, I think is pretty unreasonable.

Surely the Google/Nest speakers have logs that can be checked as to what's going on with their internet connections?! Setting up my smart home from scratch will take me hours

[Muddi]

Hey Biggsyboi,

I understand. Please fill out this form with all the needed information. I’ll keep an eye out for your response specifically, so please let me know once you’ve filled it out.

Cheers,

Muddi

[Biggsyboi]

Thanks Muddi,

I've filled out the form

[Muddi]

Hey Biggsyboi,

Sorry for the delays. We got your form — we'd suggest keeping track of your inbox as our team will be emailing you soon for more details. 

@plod_along: Sure! I'll keep the thread open. I'll just update the thread with the resolution.

Cheers,

Muddi

[plod_along]

Please could you keep this thread open while it’s being reviewed and we have a solution?

Many thanks 

[Biggsyboi]

I'm kind of wondering how long until we should expect some sort of response? As mentioned before, it seems to happen at complete random and it's happened to multiple devices over the last 2 days and so I have to go round pulling out their power cords to reset.

Thanks

[Biggsyboi]

Just to confirm, I sadly haven't heard anything yet, and nothing in my email inbox. The Home/Mini devices are being particularly bad at the moment, 4 devices disconnected 2 days in a row. Yet sometimes, 1 device will disconnect in a 2 day period so it's very random.
Tried again to use my phone hot spot to set one up after it disconnected, it doesn't connect to that either so I don't know how it can be a problem with my routers.

I noticed however, in the Deco app, the devices that disconnect actually appear to still be connected but don't have an IP address. I also noticed that when setting up the devices, I had agreed to send logs etc from the devices to Google, so I'm confused as to why they asked me to start my entire home from scratch before even taking a look at any logs?

[Juni]

Hi Biggsyboi,

It appears that our support team already contacted you via email.  Please continue the conversation there, as this thread will be locked after 24 hours.

Regards,

Juni

[Biggsyboi]

Hi Juni. The reason I made this thread was because it wasn't going anywhere. I factory reset ALL my speakers, and then I was being asked to restart my entire google home setup from scratch - unfair in my opinion, a low effort on Support's part that would cause me to lose hours of my life.

This thread shouldn't be closed, so that I can publish the solution if it's found

[Biggsyboi]

Also, I have been messaged again by support and though it's more in-detail, it's still standard troubleshooting steps where some of the steps I've been asked, do not appear to be relevant to my issue. Such as taking a look at MAC address filtering where the connection problem is intermittent, and carries on even when switching to a different WiFi (Hot Spot from a 2nd mobile phone)....

[plod_along]

I had the same issue where the devices were showing as connected to the home network, just not to the internet.

I contacted my ISP a couple of days ago to check if I had incorrect settings or a faulty box. They recommended that I factory reset my router. Approx 48hrs later and no disconnects. Fingers crossed this keeps up. Might be worth a go!

I still think there’s an issue with the google homes though. If I was having network issues, it’s strange that these are the only devices that don’t reconnect properly. 

[Muddi]

Hey Biggsyboi,

My apologies if it's taking longer for us to send you an email. I followed up with the team, and I'll update the thread as soon as someone sends you an email.

@plod_along: It's nice to know that your issue is now fixed. Let us know if you have further questions or concerns about your device, and we'll be glad to assist you.

Cheers,
Muddi

[Muddi]

Hi Biggsyboi,

We understand that you want to keep the thread open. However, it is best if you could reply on email to keep the ball rolling and for faster resolution. These will also avoid confusion on where to update you. Also, your case is now with one of our Senior Support team who's working closely with our Product team.

@plod_along: How was your device? Let us know if you still need help.

Cheers,
Muddi

[Biggsyboi]

Understood you don't want to confuse things, but maybe someone else with the same issue has something to add?

I have found the support process frustrating so far as you know. The latest exchange was that when I said "When the problem happens, the speaker will also not connect to a hot spot on a second mobile phone", part of the response I got was " Can you please try to set up at least 1 or 2 of your speakers to a completely different WiFi? Or maybe with a mobile hotspot from a different mobile phone"

[Muddi]

Hey plod_along,

We appreciate your efforts. To further isolate network issues, please try setting up your device using a mobile hotspot. Please note that you will need two mobile devices for this setup (one will serve as a router and the other to be used to set up your Google Home/Nest device device). 

@Biggsyboi: We appreciate your feedback.

Cheers,

Muddi

[plod_along]

Sorry, I still haven’t got round to connecting to mobile hotspot. Once connected to mobile hotspot, what are the next steps? 

[Biggsyboi]

More information I recently discovered - The speakers will intermittently also reconnect themselves. This can take a long time - we're talking over 24hrs. I have 2 Nest Audio speakers where the outlet for them is not easily accessible, and so I am not able to regularly reset them, but they reconnected themselves after a while. 

When the fault occurs, Bluetooth also stops working. I have a Windows PC that connects to the pair of Nest Audio speakers for casting music, and the PC cannot connect to the speakers when they're disconnecting themselves from WiFi.

If you look on the Deco app when the fault is occurring, the speakers look disconnected but if you open them up, it says which Deco the speakers are connected to but they don't have an IP address.

[plod_along]

After 2 weeks of no issues since factory resetting my router, 3 of my google speakers disconnected last night and have not reconnected. 
There is no event in my routers event log. 

I thought the router factory reset had done it but apparently not!

[plod_along]

Unplugged the speakers this morning and plugged back in again (approx 9am). Just checked again now (8:20pm) and they are all offline again. 

Has a solution been found yet?

These devices are meant to add convenience to people’s busy lives but this issue causes more inconvenience! 

[Biggsyboi]

Glad they didn't close the thread before you had the chance to add input. What new WiFi mesh are you using again? I found on my Deco when I looked closer it looks like the speakers are maybe connected to the WiFi still, but they lose their IP address

[plod_along]

I’m using a FRITZ!Box router with a FRITZ!Repeater as supplied by my ISP. 
When looking into the settings, I can see the devices there with a network IP 192.168.178.xx but not connected to the internet. 
It’s akin to seeing “Connected, No Internet” on WiFi connections on a Windows PC, but all other devices connected to the network have an internet connection. 
I wouldn’t mind if this was an occasional thing, but it’s gone back to disconnecting within minutes at times. 

[Biggsyboi]

Does your system have a 'beamforming' function that increases signal strength in the direction of further off devices? I wrote to my router's manufacturer, and they suggested I turn this off. It's been 48 hours and the connection appears to be stable to all the speakers - I'll be more confident after 1 week as this issue is so random.

They also released a patch with the following patch notes, I'm thinking this applies to me? I have updated my routers

"Improved stability with 802.11AC 5G client devices such as Chromecast/Google Nest/Samsung A series phones." 

[Muddi]

Hey Biggsyboi,

I appreciate your time sharing your resolution here. 

Cheers,

Muddi

[Biggsyboi]

Well shoot, it didn't work. After about 72 hours, we had 3 speakers disconnect. One of the speakers that disconnected, is under 1 meter away from the router.

[plod_along]

Sorry that didn’t work. 
I’ve also been trying suggestions from my ISP - changing cable between optical terminal and router/ resetting to factory settings. 

If I continue to have issues, I might push my ISP to replace my router. 

Its just very strange that it is ONLY the google speakers that are losing internet connection. It is also strange that they connect to the network but not to the internet. 

[Muddi]

Hey plod_along,

We appreciate your efforts. We'd be happy to take a look into this for you. Please fill out this form with all the needed information then let me know once done.
 

@Biggsyboi: One of our team has sent you an email about the additional steps.

Cheers,

Muddi

[Muddi]

Hey plod_along,

We got your form — we'd suggest keeping track of your inbox as our team will be emailing you soon for more details. 

Cheers,

Muddi

[plod_along]

Thank you Muddi. I followed the advice received and changed the DNS settings to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 then restarted my router and speakers. This only seemed to work for a day though. Just waiting on further advice. 

[Biggsyboi]

Hi Plod_Along, looks like other people do have this issue.

Check out Google speakers keep losing wifi on new router ("H... - Google Nest Community

Latest response I got from Google Support on this is that the speakers won't support WiFi 6. I'm at a loss now, it's seeming so far that I either would need to switch my speakers out for another brand such as Alexa, or downgrade my WiFi?

"Most WiFi 6 routers are backwards compatible however our Google Home speakers and display don't fully support WiFi 6 hence the disconnecting issue. There are some router settings that are not fully compatible with our devices which include band steering. Meanwhile, we can try replacing one of the Google Nest Audios to check if the same behavior persists."

[Biggsyboi]

At this point, it looks like Google Support are no longer willing to help me. When I checked out with the latest Nest Audio pair just before Christmas, I started an online chat with someone on the Google page.

They were very reassuring, that if these Nest Audio speakers suffered from the same disconnecting issue as my older speakers, the problem would be resolved.

They did have the problem, and I raised a Support Ticket. Over the time it's taken to find the cause, Google Support have now said the window for a refund has closed. This feels a little trickster-esque

This is the latest response from Google Support, very vague, and not very helpful:

"Sorry, I can't process a refund if it is out of the refund period already. 

As far as the compatibility is concerned, WiFi 6 is still not fully supported with Google Nest speakers and it may or may not work."

So if you have this problem and you're asked to contact support, this saves you from letting them waste your time telling you to factory reset all your speakers and then also recreate your entire smart home from scratch - it's just delay tactics whilst your window to return the speakers expires.