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Google Nest Wifi Pro 6E Router Review – Software

The Google Nest WiFi Pro 6E Router does not have it’s own ‘standalone’ software client or a browser/desktop GUI app, but instead is part of the Google Home application service – a mobile app for Android and iOS for managing your smart home devices. Although there are many ways to make this router accessible through third-party tools, and/or an awkward web browser experience for some users, Google Home is the best way to control it. The app made it extremely easy to add the router to your home network. It used Bluetooth to identify the router’s presence, and then in the background worked to connect to the router.

Next, you need to set up the router’s location. It is only for mesh users, or devices that are already connected to the Google Home Nest/Network network, and it can be skipped.

That’s all there is to it. Very easy and straightforward. The fact that you need to have a google account and are somewhat restricted to only using the Google Home app is going to annoy some users, but once it is setup, it is very user-friendly to access and configure on the fly. The Google Nest WiFi Pro 6E Router will allow you to add more mesh points, which will enhance your Google Home experience. Although the settings work as expected, port management and client device management are a bit more complicated than I thought.

Since my internet connection to the office was very slow, I didn’t think running an internet speed testing on the Google Nest WiFi Pro 6E router would provide much useful information. I have a network signal, coverage and bandwidth test in the works (coming to youtube and the blog next month), but I did connect my Google 6 Pixel Pro phone to the Router, which connected via the 6Ghz frequency and gave me (at a distance of 2.3 metres) a speed of 1,814Mb/s over 1,921Mb/s – VERY impressive wireless bandwidth (1.8Gb and 1.9Gb – almost double that of a wired ethernet connection, but obviously i was in closer proximity that many would be in typical use).

Although the Google Nest WiFi Pro 6E Router does have an integrated speed tester, my office connection was very limited so it did not score well. It has nothing to do the router, but more with my 2nd location’s internet speed!

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As mentioned earlier, the network controls and management of the router’s features are quite user-friendly (with all options having a sub-heading to explain their purpose) but it did feel a little limited and less configurable than a number of high-profile WiFi 6/6E routers in the market. I appreciate that a mobile application needs to keep things concise, but that is the reason why a companion desktop GUI or fuller screen browser configuration/overview tool would be much more useful to the more tech-savvy. Still, most/all of the surface-level router configuration tools you would want are here.

You can also create subnetworks or controlled safety networks with the Google Nest WiFi Pro 6E router. The guest network can be banded to devices, or made much more restrictive in its network reach. The guest WiFi does not have a login portal, but it has standard SSID password authentication. The family wifi feature allows you to create access rules (safesearch, site white/black lists, scheduled access, etc) as well as the option to fix a level of access/rights to devices as they appear on the network. So, you that will allow you to ensure the access levels of a device like a child laptop or a work PC are unable to circumnavigate the rules on the client side.

You can also have the Google Nest WiFi Pro6E Router’s bandwidth priority set to certain services or applications. This includes giving conference calls and VoIP, and zoom activities, PoS (Priority Of Service) in the allocation of bandwidth. Online gaming can benefit from low latency and high bandwidth, which can have a significant impact on your K/D. They do mention Stadia (bit embarrassing, now that Google has dropped the streaming gaming platform for 2023), but having this user-friendly PoS and QoS (Quality of Service) adjustments present in this user-friendly fashion will benefit novice users who didn’t want to tinker in adjusting the access levels of particular ports, IPs and Mac addresses manually.

The thing is, as a standalone piece of software, the Google Home application IS very good – As a smart home application for those that do not want to go through the hurdles of learning about network settings, IoT services, bridging connections between devices to allow voice commands via an assistant device and more. The Google Home app can be used to manage and adjust the Google Nest WiFi Pro 6E router. However, it is not an extremely deep piece of software. It is tremendously user-friendly, has most/all of the settings that you would find on your ISP router (Firewall, Port forwarding rules, etc) as well as a few Google extras in the family WiFi management. But more technically minded users are going to find it a little rudimentary, too rigid and being locked behind creating a google account a little offputting.

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Main Scenario: I Have One Modem/Router Thingy And Use The Wifi From It In My House/Flat

Google WiFi can probably help in this scenario.

• Google WiFi is probably faster than your current Wifi – but you might need a new modem/router with “Gigabit ports” to get the very best speeds from Google WiFi

• Google WiFi is probably faster than your current Wifi – but you might need a new modem/router with “Gigabit ports” to get the very best speeds from Google WiFi

Particular Scenario: If you own a home and have one modem/router,

• The Google WiFi pods can improve coverage in places where it is difficult to get WiFi. The bigger the house the more likely it will be that Google WiFi will be able to improve coverage, perhaps even into your garden and shed or garage. Of course, it will require more WiFi pods and hence more cost to do that. This is what I do

• If you live in a house then the Google WiFi pods will, most likely, improve the coverage and speed in those hard-to-get-to places for your current WiFi. The bigger the house the more likely it will be that Google WiFi will be able to improve coverage, perhaps even into your garden and shed or garage. It will cost more to install WiFi pods, and therefore more expensive. (I do this)

Particular Scenario: If you have only one modem/router and live in a tiny flat,

• Google WiFi is likely to look better than your existing modem-router if you are living in a smaller apartment. If you know what to do, the Google WiFi app is likely to work faster than your existing method for configuring and controlling your WiFi. Google WiFi will probably be a tiny bit faster. But you probably should NOT buy it for your flat unless your current WiFi is, say, more than 5 years old.

• Google WiFi is likely to look better than your existing modem-router if you are living in a smaller apartment. If you know what to do, the Google WiFi app is likely to work faster than your existing method for configuring and controlling your WiFi. Google WiFi is likely to be slightly faster. However, you should not buy the device for your home if your existing WiFi system is older than five years.

Specific Scenario: if you have reasonably high-spec devices you want to connect over WiFi

• I have a mixture of new and old devices. Previously most devices connected to my old WiFi at around 100Mbs. Upgrading to Google WiFi made no difference to the older ones that were slower than 100Mbs in any case. A newer laptop that I use now connects to Google WiFi at 300Mbs. So if you have lots of new tablets, smartphone or laptops (or even PCs with a good WiFi card) you might suddenly enjoy a very welcome speed boost. (I do this)

• There are a mix of old and new devices. Previously most devices connected to my old WiFi at around 100Mbs. The older devices that had been slower than 100Mbs did not experience any difference when upgrading to Google WiFi. A newer laptop that I use now connects at 300Mbs with Google WiFi. If you own many new smartphones, tablets or laptops (or PCs equipped with WiFi cards), you may notice a significant speed increase. This is what I do.

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• At the time of writing I have about 25 WiFi devices. I guess that’s a reasonable amount and many of them don’t do too much. But if you have LOTS of WiFi devices doing lots of stuff then several Google WiFi pods could very well help spread the load of managing and connecting these devices. Thus if you are planning to progressively transform your home into a ‘connected home’ then something like Google WiFi is going to be a good foundation upon which you can add those connected devices in the future. You build a house by starting with the foundations, right? This is what I do.

• As of this writing, I currently have 25 WiFi devices. This is a decent number, but many don’t do much. If you have many WiFi devices that do a lot of different things, then multiple Google WiFi pods can be a good option to spread out the work of connecting and managing these devices. Google WiFi will be an excellent foundation for you to add connected devices to your home in the future if you plan to transform it into a connected home. It is said that you build your house starting from the foundations. (I do this)

Google Wifi Review

Google’s WiFi looks good and generally WORKS WELL in both the original form and revamped NEST form – I’ve got both at home.

For some people, Google WiFi may well be a waste of money. It also has some sloppy bits.

It could prove to be the solution for many other households who need fast, home-wide WiFi access

For those difficult-to-reach areas, fast home WiFi is available. It’s generally great, but please be cautious

Google Home WiFi is unlikely to make your home Wifi less reliable. The upside, however, is BIG SPEED IMPROVEMENTS. You can get significant WiFi speeds boosts, and you can get them anywhere inside your home.

You may need to setup Google WiFi in a unique way – this is not something that everyone will be able to do. However, if your needs are unusual you will find the process very easy if you just follow the steps. The app also has some great features to help you control how your WiFi works and lets you tailor how it works for different people and devices. If you liked this, you might also be interested in

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The design is modern and you will pay more for Google.

I like mine. It’s used daily by my family and business, and it is a great purchase. If they were, say, PS20 each I would have one in every room – but they’re not, so I have 4.

Pros

• Your household will have WiFi coverage from two or more devices
• SHOULD improve WiFi speeds for most people
• For the average user, it is simple to set up
• Only one WiFi name (SSID).
• Potentially FASTER than some wired networks (yep!)
• GREAT place to start for your connected home of the future
• Ability to turn off the internet for your kids from your smartphone (he he he)
• Ability to boost the speed of all the tech YOU use ( #Ssssh )
• Enjoyable aesthetics

Cons

• Can be expensive, often now on sale as other companies produce similar products
• Complex WiFi/Network configurations are possible but a PITA and beyond the average person’s ability.
• What is Google WiFi?
• What can Google WiFi do for me?
• What Do I need to buy?
• Why is Google WiFi Rubbish?
• What about ME?
• What is Google WiFi MESH Network?
• Google WiFi Setup Tip
• Caveat Emptor – Google WiFi Review
• Case Study – Google WiFi Review
• The Connected House
• Google Nest WiFi: The Differences
• Google Next WiFi Specifications
• Take Out
• Google WiFi Prices Availability and Discounts