Severe problem with changing WiFi network

[SunnyRio]

I regularly take my Google Home Speaker to my parents' house. Obviously their Wifi isn't the same one as my Wifi. When I get there (or get back home) I have to tell the speaker to change Wifi network. So, I can't see it with my phone (fair enough, the speaker isn't on any Wifi network at the moment). I then tell my phone to connect to the Speaker's access point. This works. Yet the Google Home App can't see the speaker? WHY?!?

So, I looked it up on the internet and apparently I have to call it a new device. Completely and utterly unintuitive. And why can't I just talk to it and tell it what Wifi to use?! Why do I need another device (my phone) to help it out? What idiot wrote the code in this thing? Seriously, fix this, now.

Maybe I should have bought an Alexa.

[MplsCustomer]

@SunnyRio 

Google Nest does not make it easy to change Wi-Fi settings for its devices. In fact, their recommendation when changing to a new router/modem, Google Nest's first recommendation is to set the network name (SSID) and password to the same values used on your old router/modem. That means it is simply not practical to move a Google Nest device like your Google Home Speaker back and forth between Wi-Fi networks. Google Nest's processes and the Google Home Speaker are not designed for the speaker to be portable.  The speaker is not a portable bluetooth speaker; it's a Wi-Fi speaker.  (I think any Wi-Fi speaker would have some challenges in switching between Wi-Fi networks.)

To do what you want to do, you would need a Google Nest "home/structure" in the Google Home app for the Wi-Fi at your residence and another for the Wi-Fi at your parents' house. Then, to take the speaker to your parents' house, Google Nest's process would be:  1) Remove your Google Home Speaker from the Google Nest "home/structure" in the Google Home app for the Wi-Fi at your residence; 2) Do a factory reset on the Google Home Speaker; 3) Re-install the Google Home Speaker in the Google Nest "home/structure" in the Google Home app for the Wi-Fi at your parents' house. When you took it back home, you'd have to reverse the process.

You can access the Speaker's access point because that's separate from the Speaker connecting to a Wi-Fi network.

(I'm just another Google Nest customer.)

[SunnyRio]

That makes no sense at all.  My phone moves between both WiFi networks just fine without even asking me, it uses whichever one it can pick up, and it has google assistant on it too, and it cost me less than the speaker.  It should work fine, my phone is actually connecting to the speaker's access point.  I should then be able to say to it "use this wifi and forget the last one".  What on earth is this "home structure" you speak of?  All I need it to do is connect to a different network!  It's the simplest thing ever!

[MplsCustomer]

@SunnyRio 

I'm just another Google Nest customer reading this forum, and can only tell you what I think I know.

Our phones were designed to be portable, and have the ability to store multiple Wi-Fi network names (SSIDs) and passwords. In contrast, Google Nest's speakers can only store one Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and password. And Google Nest did not make it easy to change a speaker's Wi-Fi network:

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/7170507?hl=en

Your Google Nest "home/structure" is the name or nickname you've given to the collection of Google Nest devices on the same Wi-Fi in your residence. The name or nickname displays near the top of the initial screen in the Google Home app or the Google Nest app. Google Nest does not clearly document the fact that you need a separate Google Nest "home/structure" for each Wi-Fi network. It's possible to have more than one Google Nest "home/structure" on your Google account in the Google Home app; you could have one for your primary residence, and another for your vacation home, and another for a rental property, and another for your office, and another for a family member's home--each on a separate Wi-Fi. Customers with a large home or property who have set up multiple Wi-Fi networks need a separate Google Nest "home/structure" for each Wi-Fi network. Here's Google Nest's Help on "homes":

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9155535?hl=en#zippy=

Google Nest did not design its speakers to be PORTABLE Bluetooth speakers. While you CAN play music on your speaker using Bluetooth, to pair the speaker via the Google Home app requires that the speaker be in the same Google Nest "home/structure" as your phone. I don't know whether you can find your speaker on Bluetooth via your phone; I tried with one of our Nest Hubs and couldn't find it. I think "pairing mode" has to first be enabled for the speaker in the Google Home app. But here's Google Nest's Help on the topic:

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/7381505?hl=en#zippy=

I don't know the purpose of the Wi-Fi access point on the 1st Gen Google Home. I can't find any documentation on it, and our Nest Hubs don't have that feature.

[SunnyRio]

I see no reason for the structure to get in the way of changing the Wifi.  I might have a nest structure of 5 devices, then move one to another wifi, why shouldn't it still just work?  But if I command it to turn off the lights, it could say you're on the wrong network.  Or.... use that thing called the internet to switch them off remotely!

Where are those pesky workers that usually "chime in" repeatedly then close the thread after 24 hours before I've read it?  Not that they give any useful information.

[MplsCustomer]

@SunnyRio 

Well, if you move one of your Google Nest devices from one Wi-Fi to another (say from SSID "MyHome" to SSID "YourHome"), it will keep trying to connect to "MyHome" but will fail since the only available Wi-Fi network is "YourHome". And since the device can hold only one SSID, it does not know about "YourHome", so it can't work. And if you say "turn off the lights", there's no way for Google Nest to know it's on the wrong network because it can't communicate with it at all. And if your Google Nest device configured for "MyHome" is physically located at a residence where the only Wi-Fi available is "YourHome", there is no way to reach that device via the internet because the device is not connected to the internet.

[SunnyRio]

No, because when you move it form myhome to yourhome, you tell it you've done so.  It's now connected to yourhome.

[MplsCustomer]

@SunnyRio 

I did not design this, but Google Nest's process for "telling" your Google Nest device it's being moved from the "MyHome" Wi-Fi to the "YourHome" Wi-Fi is this:

1) Remove the device from the Google Nest "home/structure" for "MyHome" in the Google Home app while you are on the "MyHome" Wi-Fi network.

2) Do a factory reset on the device.

3) Re-install the device in the Google Nest "home/structure" for "YourHome" in the Google Home app while you are on the "YourHome" Wi-Fi network.

Only then is the device connected to "YourHome".

[SunnyRio]

Not necessary to do all that.  I just added a new device on the new Wifi network, without doing anything on the old Wifi network.

[Dan_A]

Hi folks,

@MplsCustomer, thanks for the help.

@SunnyRio, do you have a Google Home or a Google Home Mini or a Nest Mini? Also, adding to what MplsCustomer has already mentioned, Google Nest speakers can only be connected to 1 WiFi connection. Changing WiFi requires a factory reset if you want it set up on that specific connection. Is your speaker already connected to you preferred WiFi?

Keep me posted.

Best,

Dan

[SunnyRio]

It's an original Google Home.  No, you do not need to reset.  I simply added the device again when I was at my parents' house, and told it what the Wifi settings were when asked.

[MplsCustomer]

@SunnyRio 

Maybe your older original Google Home is more flexible than the devices we have now.

[SunnyRio]

I guess it's no bother to factory reset it.  Not like there's anything stored on it anyway.

[Muddi]

Hi SunnyRio,

To confirm, are you still having issues connecting your device to your network? Also, have you tried resetting your device?

Cheers,

Muddi

[SunnyRio]

Sorted, as I said in the first post, I just had to call it a new device.  Others have said a reset can be needed first.

[Muddi]

Hey SunnyRio,

Good to hear that! t looks like we can consider this one complete, so I will lock the thread shortly unless I can help out with anything else. 
 

Cheers,

Muddi