We have three nest mini speakers. Two of them behave perfectly.
One of them does not!
I can detect it and add it in the Home app and use it, but then a day or two later it'll stop working, but in a different way each time. I can then re-add it (though sometimes only after a factory rest), but then it'll forget its settings again a day or two later, or say it can't find the network, or say that I need to log in to the Home app first. It's infuriating.
I kept a log recently:
Background
This particular Mini Nest hub is located in the Spare Room (and so is known in the Google Home app as “Spare Room speaker”, which I’ll abbreviate as “SRS”).
We have two other Mini Nest speakers which work without any problems, anywhere in the house, including in the same Spare Room. However, the SRS keeps losing its connectivity.
Symptoms
30/01/2024 12:00
Me: “Hey, Google!”
SRS: “I can’t find the Wifi network. You might want to check the modem or router connections”
The Wifi is working fine for my other wireless devices, including my Samsung Android mobile phone, on which I launch the Google Home app to check the status of the SRS. It’s showing as Offline. When I select it, the app tries to connect but it fails.
I try a reboot of the SRS by removing the power cable. After which I try a voice command again:
Me: “Hey, Google!”
SRS: “I can’t find the Wifi network. You might want to check the modem or router connections”
The Google Help Centre suggests checking to see if there’s “...an available network such as ‘GoogleHomeXXXX’ (where XXXX is a random number”). There isn’t, but my mobile phone shows there is one called “Spare Room speaker.ynm”.
I am able to connect to this network (the phone quite reasonably issues a warning that Internet may not be available), but the Google Home app is still unable to connect to the SRS.
Time for another Factory Reset of the SRS (I must have done this about 20 times by now!), and I remove the SRS from the Devices list in the Google Home app.
Factory Rest complete, I now tap the + sign to add a new device in the Google Home app. The app finds it (although only after switching the microphone back on!)
The SRS is now working.
31/01/2024 19:05
The SRS is still working (it told me a joke). Not visible in Spotify, but could use it with BBC Sounds, then the SRS appeared in Spotify. The speaker works for the rest of the evening.
01/02/2024 11:22
Me: “Hey, Google! What time is it?”
SRS: “Please log in through the Google home app.”
In the Google Home app the SRS has disappeared from the list of Devices…at least as that name. There is a device called “NestMini 932”. I tapped on that device and was able to add it to the Spare Room room. Its name is now “NestMini6932”, but I’m able to rename it to “Spare Room”, and use it with Spotify.
02/02/2024 21:00
SRS worked fine
05/02/2024 20:35
Me: “Hey, Google!”
SRS: “I can’t find the Wifi network. You might want to check the modem or router connections”
Google Home app shows the speaker as “Offline”.
The SSID “Spare Room.ynm,” has reappeared.
Power cycled the speaker.
Me: “Hey, Google!”
SRS: “I can’t find the Wifi network. You might want to check the modem or router connections”
I connect to the .ynm network to see if I can re-attach the speaker to my home wifi. I cannot. So I try to add a new device. Google Home shows “Nest Mini found. Would you like to set up this device?” I choose ‘Yes’.
The SRS is back online.
08/02/2024
SRS worked
09/02/2024
Me: “Hey, Google!”
SRS: “Please log in via the Google Home App”
In Google Home app, the SRS is listed in Favourites (where I’d added it a few days ago), but it skips away! It’s no longer even listed in Devices (except perhaps as a mysterious device called “NestMini 61”).
I try adding “NestMini 61” to the Spare Room, which works. I rename it to “GoldFish”. It’s working again.
15/02/2024
Me: “Hey, Google!”
SRS: “I can’t find the Wifi network. You might want to check the modem or router connections”
I connect my phone to ‘Goldfish.ynm,’
Goldfish is still listed in my Google Home app, but I can’t connect to it. I use the + icon to add, from where I am able to see the Nest Mini and set it up.
14/03/2024
Haven’t tried to use the speaker for a while, but today…
Me: “Hey, Google!”
SRS: “Sorry. Something’s not right. Wait a few minutes and try setting up again. You can also try unplugging this device and plugging it back in.”
Speaker shows as Offline in the Home app. Am able to connect to its own “.ynm,” WiFi and am then able to try to re-add it, but at the “Nest Mini found” screen I just get a spinning wheel for a while before it connects.
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Don't be mistaken in to thinking that because the last entry is a month ago that means the unit has settled down. It hasn't. I just felt that I'd written enough entries in the log.
