we analyze the new Google Wifi

Internet connection has become a key element in developed countries. In Europe, fiber optic penetration is one of the best in the world and this means that homes and businesses have access to the network at significant speeds.

However, operators do not always give us a router powerful enough to cover the entire area of ​​our home, especially if we live in a house with several floors or a very large floor.

We had the opportunity to test Google’s new mesh router system, which went on sale in Europe a few days ago. This is not the original Google Wifi, but the second version.

The pack they gave us is that of three rooms, key because we wanted to put it to the test in a house of almost 200 m2 built. The reality is they are slightly lower than 195, but we also tested the coverage on the patio and decks. In theory, each unit is capable of covering 85 m2, although this depends on the internal obstacles of the house.

The speed of the optical fiber is, in theory, 600/600 Mbps, and in the Google Home app we have shown speed tests of 611/556 Mbps, which confirms that the main satellite, the one connected to the router, you take the maximum speed provided by the mobile operator.

The installation is very simple

One of the things Google can brag about is that it doesn’t make the user dizzy with hundreds of steps when setting up the new WiFi system. The process is really simple.

One of the three parts must be connected to the operator’s router using the Ethernet cable and to the current with its conventional adapter.

When we do, we enter the Google Home app and click on the + symbol in the upper left corner. We select “New Device” and wait for you to find it.

When this is the case, we will have to perform a few more steps, consisting of pressing a few buttons on the screen. We first select the option Set up new devices, then we scan the QR code that is under the device.

When we’re done, it will ask us if we want to configure the other two satellites. In the event that we only have one, we’ll be done.

In our case, we put one on each of the three floors of the house. Note that on the top floor, by moving the device away from the core of the staircase, the application indicated that the coverage could be improved. We brought it closer to the home communication center and had no problem.

Improve Wi-Fi coverage, but with goals

Contrary to what happened with Google Nest Wifi, these Google Wifi do not have a speaker or support for the Google Assistant. This makes the price cheaper, of course (99 dollars one unit and 199 dollars three), but also that we have fewer functions.

So, this device has only one task: to improve the coverage of your Wi-Fi signal. Does it do it? Well, I say yes already, but with a few buts. In the following table, you can see the upload / download speeds for each floor.

Try a smartphone

Try a computer

In this second case we see how the download speed is lower on the ground floor with Google Wifi.

We performed several tests with different speed tests. Oukla, Google and Netflix. Depending on what we tested, we had results or others, sometimes quite different.

Of course, we have always compared the results of the two routers carried out at the same time with the same test.

The application allows to increase the control of the network

Another advantage of this system, which it shares with the Google Nest Wifi, is that Google Home allows use parental controls, create a guest network, take speed measurements …

It is convenient to integrate it into the same app that we use for home automation, in case we have the Google ecosystem.

Yes, there is an option missing in the app to know if we are connected to the nearest satellite because although this is what it seems, we cannot verify it.

conclusion

Google Wifi is a device that improves the coverage of our Wifi network, but not uniformly. This is especially noticeable in the main router and is that when we move away, the mesh network helps, but the drop in speed is quite noticeable.

It is also true that the comparison with the operator’s router depends on the router it gives us, and we did it with the one from Vodafone which, honestly, is not bad at all.

Google is advanced in this product segment but still has plenty of scope for proposals such as Amazon’s eero, which seems to have a head start in speed in satellites that don’t connect to the operator’s router.

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