Nest Hub connected, stuck at link account with new router

[Gravity0904]

My Nest Hub has worked perfectly for several years with several routers. Today, I replaced my router with a Linux machine doing IP masquerading and IPv4 forwarding. I'm using Pi Hole for DNS. I'm using the same WiFi AP with no configuration changes. From the start, I was able to play music on it by starting it somewhere else but it told me there was something wrong, with no indication of what, if I tried to talk to it. I did a factory reset and got it connected but it fails after I go through the whole setup. It is connected and still plays music but says it needs to link to my account. In the app, I see it fail, but afterward, it shows up as a normal device with no indication of a problem. I'm able to reboot it from there. I tried disabling Pi Hole temporarily even though it wasn't blocking anything. I gave the Hub a static IP assignment and defined 8.8.8.8 as its DNS server, then did another factory reset with no change.

Everything else works, including some very old Chromecasts and speakers, all minis, and a Hub Max.

[Muddi]

Hey Gravity0904,

Thanks for visiting the Community.

Sorry to hear that you're having connectivity issues with your Google Nest Hub. We appreciate all your efforts. In order for us to eliminate any network issues and also be able to check the firmware and operating system version of your device, could you try setting up your device using a mobile hotspot. Please note you will need two mobile devices for this setup (one will serve as a router and the other used to set up your Google Nest Hub).

Let us know how it goes.

Cheers,

Muddi

[Muddi]

Hey Gravity0904,

I just wanted to follow up on this. Feel free to respond if you still need help with your device.

Cheers,

Muddi

[Princesss]

Hi there,

I haven’t heard from you, so I’ll be locking the thread in 24 hours. Thanks for posting!

Best,

Princess

[Gravity0904]

Thanks for giving me the time warning. I haven’t had a lot of time to look at this, but I was working on it as you were posting that.

As I expected, it completes setup that way, just like it worked on the old router. I’m sure the problem is with the firewall on the computer I have sharing the Internet connection, probably with the masquerading setup, not with the device. Like I said, it has been working fine and only stopped with a recent network change.  I’m hoping someone has seen this before and can help. 

I’m running firmware 4.20210608.1.1146075

[Princesss]

Hi Gravity0904,

Thanks for the update.

Let's go ahead and check these settings:

• Check that your Google Home device is receiving power from a wall outlet. If your Google Home is receiving power, you will see a blinking white light on the back of the device.
• Make sure that your Google Home device, wireless router, and device used to set up the Google Home (e.g. phone or tablet) are in close physical proximity to one another -- within 15 feet, if possible.
• Please note: Networks that require you to connect through an authentication page (also called a "captive portal") are not supported by Google Home. This is typical of hotels, schools, dorms and businesses. 

Configuring your Router Settings

• Be sure to enable or disable the following router settings to allow Google Home to communicate properly with your router and network. All routers are different, so each setting may or may not appear on your particular router (or may be named differently).
• Keep in mind that resetting or making changes to your router settings may have unintended consequences. If you need help or have questions/concerns, contact your router manufacturer or internet service provider (ISP).

Enable: Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), multicast, Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP)
Disable: AP/client isolation, virtual private networks (VPNs), proxy servers, IGMP Proxy. VPNs and proxy servers should be disabled on your computer as well (if applicable).

Here's some additional information to keep in mind:

• If you're having trouble connecting to a 5GHz connection on a router that is running DD-WRT firmware, please change the wireless mode setting to "mixed" and then try setting your Google Home again.
• Hidden networks: If your network is hidden (i.e. does not broadcast its name/SSID), you'll need to manually input the network name and password. To do this, go to the network selection drop-down list, select "Other," and manually input the name and password.
• MAC address filtering: If your router has MAC address filtering enabled, you'll need to add the MAC address of your Google Home to the list of filtered devices. You can find the MAC address listed at the bottom of the Google Home app during setup.
• Security: Google Home supports WEP, WPA, and WPA2 wireless security protocols. These protocols prevent uninvited guests from connecting to your wireless network, and encrypt your private data as it is being transmitted over the airwaves.

Let me know how it goes.

Best,

Princess

[Princesss]

Hi Gravity0904,

Chiming in to check if you still need help with this?

Feel free to update this post, otherwise I’ll be locking the thread.

Best,

Princess

[Gravity0904]

I'm still working on it. I have to make some major configuration changes on my Linux router since the way I built the firewall is incompatible with the things I have to do, which is actually that way for good reason since upnp is really bad for security. I try to do things according to best practices. If I can't do this and be safe, I may not do it at all, but I'm not at the point of giving up yet. 

As I work from home and can't be down, the time I have to do it is limited. Having to bump this thread like this to keep it open is really annoying.

[Gravity0904 · Accepted solution]

I got it working after setting the firewall on my gateway to default allow on the internal interface, which suggests that setting up UPnP would fix it. I really hate both of those solutions. I'm considering simply retiring the device if that is what it takes to make it work. That's just bad security practice.