Google Announces Nest WiFi • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Announces Nest WiFi

#51

Post by ssully » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 3:57 PM UTC

I got a single Google WiFi router (home is small enough to not need the mesh) last year to pretty terrible results. I mainly got it for more frequent firmware updates, and easy administration via their phone app (easier to use then my Netgear Nighthawk; i.e. can show my wife how to use it).

Everything worked great with it for the first few months, but then I started getting severe speed drops - specifically I was seeing download rates of 20MBps or less, when I should be getting 350MBps or less. I did all of their recommended troubleshooting (reset router, reset modem, restore to factory settings and reupdate the firmware, move router away from potential sources of interference, etc) and could not solve the issue. I still had my Nighthawk and ended up spending an afternoon testing the two, and the Google WiFi router would consistently drop speeds, while the Nighthawk stayed rock solid.

I ended up just sticking with my Nighthawk and throwing my Google Wifi in a drawer. I was outside their return window, and honestly just had no desire to try and go through Google's customer service (or finding out if it even exists for their WiFi devices). Long story short, it was the worst experience I've ever had with a router and I would hesitate to ever try their WiFi devices again.

Re: Google Announces Nest WiFi

#52

Post by atonse » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 3:57 PM UTC

ljcn wrote: post #43

fjabre wrote: post #36

I detest the fact that Google bought Nest. Now I have the pleasure of logging into a convoluted Google UX instead of the familiar Nest UX. And here we have another intrusion of Google into our home. It's clear Google has no respect for anyone's privacy and is now a part of the problem.

Why did you migrate? I was given the option to but haven't (yet, nor been forced to).

I have stubbornly not migrated. I expressly advise people who value their privacy to not to get NEST now for this reason.

EcoBee is a great HomeKit-aware thermostat and you don't need to sign up to their account to use it (although it'll keep nagging you to, it's not required).

Re: Google Announces Nest WiFi

#53

Post by jasonvorhe » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 3:58 PM UTC

cbolton wrote: post #32

tyingq wrote: post #4

"The Nest Wifi point also has a speaker with the Google Assistant" Ahh. I see.

What are you suggesting exactly? Presumably the buyers are happy to have a product with the described features, which include "Google Assistant", which answers to your voice.

That they are evil because they said speaker instead of device with a microphone.

Re: Google Announces Nest WiFi

#54

Post by cbolton » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 4:00 PM UTC

fjabre wrote: post #36

I detest the fact that Google bought Nest. Now I have the pleasure of logging into a convoluted Google UX instead of the familiar Nest UX. And here we have another intrusion of Google into our home. It's clear Google has no respect for anyone's privacy and is now a part of the problem.

Any device like this is an intrusion in the user's home (that the users agrees to), and it seems to me that Google is one of the companies that has the most respect for users' privacy.

Yes they collect a lot of data, but 1) that's exactly what allows them to provide the services that their users want, 2) they are very transparent about it (see My Activity), and 3) they seem to take security more seriously than the competition.

Re: Google Announces Nest WiFi

#55

Post by dewey » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 4:03 PM UTC

uniformlyrandom wrote: post #20

dewey wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the more worrying aspect is that they probably deprecate it in a few years and you don't get any firmware updates any more.

Every single router vendor does this. It is an issue, but it is not a google issue.

Apple released an update for the deprecated AirPort from 2013 just in May this year.

https://www.macrumors.com/2019/05/30/airport-base-station-fi...

Re: Google Announces Nest WiFi

#56

Post by zrail » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 4:04 PM UTC

dannyw wrote: post #21

I like my routers dumb and without a speaker and microphone.

Personally I like my routers smart and in a rack in the basement. Agreed on the lack of speaker and microphone though.

Re: Google Announces Nest WiFi

#57

Post by wmf » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 4:05 PM UTC

bpodgursky wrote: post #48

rainyMammoth wrote: post #14

Don't buy a Wifi router from Google. We all know that they are incentivized to collect data from you

"Don't buy consumer electronics from Google to help them build non-advertising revenue streams, we want to make sure that only DoubleClick is ever profitable."

The HN hive mind theory is that Google consumer electronics exist solely to collect more data to target ads at you better. It's all advertising.

Re: Google Announces Nest WiFi

#58

Post by krisroadruck » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 4:05 PM UTC

albertzeyer wrote: post #34

spacedog11 wrote: post #10

How is this different than the already existing Wifi Mesh devices?

I also wondered about that. From the blog post: * "making it even better" * "includes the Google Assistant" (I guess this means its Google Wifi + Google Home combined?) * "Nest Wifi is more powerful than Google Wifi, delivering up to two times the speed and up to 25 percent better coverage." I'm a bit wondering why it has the "Nest" name tag.

The 2X speed increase is just coming from better MU-MIMO adoption, moving to 4x4 on 5G from 2x2. This is pretty old tech. 4x4 MU-MIMO has been available for several years now (since 2016).

Re: Google Announces Nest WiFi

#59

Post by josefresco » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 4:05 PM UTC

ssully wrote: post #51

I got a single Google WiFi router (home is small enough to not need the mesh) last year to pretty terrible results. I mainly got it for more frequent firmware updates, and easy administration via their phone app (easier to use then my Netgear Nighthawk; i.e. can show my wife how to use it). Everything worked great with it for the first few months, but then I started getting severe speed drops - specifically I was see…

I have a Nighthawk and think the mobile app is pretty simple/useful. I'm curious, what was it the Google offering had that the Netgear didn't offer / do well?

Re: Google Announces Nest WiFi

#60

Post by lbotos » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 4:06 PM UTC

ssully wrote: post #51

I got a single Google WiFi router (home is small enough to not need the mesh) last year to pretty terrible results. I mainly got it for more frequent firmware updates, and easy administration via their phone app (easier to use then my Netgear Nighthawk; i.e. can show my wife how to use it). Everything worked great with it for the first few months, but then I started getting severe speed drops - specifically I was see…

Ya know, I'm literally experiencing this right now and It's befuddling. For the past week or so, I've been using fast.com and only from my Macbook Pro do I see the speed drop. My phone on wifi only will maintain 200Mbps++ I'm really mad because it's been seamless until now.