Google Nest Hub Max - More Google Home Connectivity Problems and Questions

[dch]

I was able to get a Nest Hub Max setup for my father who is in an assisted living facility.  The goal of doing this was to allow him to make and receive video calls using Duo.  He also enjoys the pictures that I setup for him.  To get the Hub Max setup I needed to setup a travel router, as it was not allowing me to connect with Google Home from my iphone.  

Now that I have connected I am having 2 more problems:

1. When I am on his local wifi network I can connect using Google Home from my iPhone and administer the Hub Max.  Even when I get home I am able to connect and administer his Hub Max using Google Home from my iPhone.  However, at some point (anywhere from a few hours to a few days) I can no longer connect to his Hub Max.  I can still call with Duo but I need to “fix” the Hub Max remotely as I noticed he turned the volume down somehow and I needed to bump it for him to hear the call.  When I go back to his location and get on his wifi I again can connect.  What causes me to no longer be able to connect to the Hub Max remotely?
2. My Duo calls were not going through to him this morning, yet he was able to call me.  When I went to visit him I noticed that he somehow turned “Do not disturb” on?  I see where you can do this from the Google Home app, but how can someone do this from the Hub Max itself without issuing a “Hey Google .. Turn do not disturb on” command?  He has a tendency of hitting the screen and not knowing what he is hitting. 

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

[frances]

Hello dch,

Thanks for reaching out! I would be more than happy to help answer your questions regarding the Google Nest Hub Max! 

1. You can only control devices when they are all on the same WiFi network.
   • For example, when I switch my phone to LTE/data, I am unable to control or connect to my devices as they all need to be on the same network. The Google Home App will not show my devices or any controls. However, once my phone is on the same WiFi network, the Google Home App shows my devices and lets me control them. 
2. On the Google Nest Hub Max itself, to access 'Do Not Disturb' mode: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the quick settings menu, then tap Do Not Disturb . (Circle with line in the middle)

Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. We're here to help!

[dch]

I don't quite understand.  I have an apartment in California.  When I am not there I can connect to my Nest cameras using Google Home and other devices to change settings or view the camera.  Why would I not be able to do this with my father's Nest Hub Max at his Assisted Living Facility?

[frances]

Hi dch,

Thanks for your patience! I looked into this situation and have some information I would like to share.

First, do you have any Home and Away routines set up? This would allow you to control a device without being on the same WiFi network. 

Also, there are some limited controls and actions that you can do on the Google Home app while on another WiFi network. However, you cannot manage the device. For example, you can send out Google Assistant requests or control lights. This is why you are able to do a duo call, but unable to actually change that device's volume.

Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns, thank you!

[frances]

Hi there,

It's been a few days since we have heard from you. Just checking to see if you have any other questions or concerns. We're here to help!

[frances]

Hi All,

We haven't heard any updates from you. I'll go ahead and lock this thread. If you're still experiencing problems, feel free to start a new thread and we'll be happy to help.