Google Wifi as a replacement for Airport network?

[psychonaut]

I have been using Google Wifi (3 units) for a few days now, so let me share my initial thoughts in hopes of helping some of you.

I made the switch from 2 AirPort Extremes hardwired together to create a roaming network in my 3200 sq. foot 2 story home. I did not have dead spots with my AirPorts but did have weaker areas in my home that impacted speed. My kids frequently complained about "lag" in online games.

I have DSL - 1 gigabit up and down, fiber to the curb so its a straight line connection to my router of choice.

I looked at all the different options out there - Netgear Orbi, Amplifi HD, Eero, Plume and more but ultimately went with Google Wifi because of its simplicity.

Quick thoughts on my Google Wifi experience (I have more info on my YT channel):

1. Setup was painless - Unplugged my AirPorts and set up my Google Wifi within 30 minutes. I created my network with the same details as my AirPort network so that my devices could seamlessly reconnect and they did. FYI - I sometimes peak out with almost 30 devices connected to my network at any given moment and time.

2. Out of the 3 Google Wifi units that I have only one is connected wirelessly - my first two devices are connected via ethernet to reduce some of the overhead network processing. This was one of the additional reasons I went with Google Wifi - they support ethernet backhaul where the Orbi / Amplifi HD do not.

3. So far I have not had any connectivity issues or drops. This was my major concern. In my research it became clear that if I wanted the absolute fastest Wifi I would need to go with the Netgear Orbi but the Orbi has reported issues with disconnects from Nest Cams, Ring Doorbells and more.. the only work around at this time is to turn off implicit beam forming but this is not something I was willing to do. My Nest Cams, Nest Thermostats, Sonos Wireless speakers, Philips Hue, Amazon Echo and more all work flawlessly.

4. Gaming - So far no issues with PC, Xbox One, PS4 or Wii U gaming online. My Xbox reports the NAT as open and PS4 interestingly enough says NAT Type 2 (moderate) but has not shown any signs of problems. My kids report NO LAG and are fully enjoying the new setup.

5. Signal and Speed - With my AirPort Extremes I had areas of my home where my Wifi signal would drop by a bar or two and speed tests could dip as low as 5-15mb on my iPhone 7 plus. After setting up Google Wifi I get full signal everywhere in my home (2 Google Wifi units placed on the 2nd floor and 1 unit on the 1st floor) and speed tests on my iPhone 7 plus are showing anywhere between 35mb to 150mb. If I test on my MacBook pro i'm seeing Wifi speeds as high as 500mb plus down and 300-400mb up. I wont get into specifics here but feel free to ask away. Generally Google Wifi outperforms my AirPorts by a minimum 2x's. Wired connections however are about the same as they should be.

My Summary so far:

Google Wifi is NOT for anyone looking to get into the "nuts and bolts" of their router. It's more for those wanting a simple solution that gives a few options such as port forwarding, device priority and the ability to pause wifi on certain devices.

It may not beat out the Netgear Orbi in terms of speed but it makes up for it in simplicity, the software interface (so long as you are not looking for full router control) and compatibility with IOT devices out of the box.

As someone who has been using Apple routers for years, I feel like I fit the target market for this device and am very pleased with my decision to make the switch. My connections have been rock solid, I like that I can check my home network status when I am not at home (some wont like this as yes you do connect your google account to this router), My speed has improved and quite simply "it just works for me". Keep in mind however these devices only have 2 gigabit ports on them so if you want to hardwire devices invest in a good gigabit switch.

Lots to cover, I know I did not answer it all here so let me know if you have questions.

 

[gwerhart0800]

I have been using Google Wifi (3 units) for a few days now, so let me share my initial thoughts in hopes of helping some of you.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I don't have a way to make the backhaul via a wired network, so the Netgear Orbi with it's dedicated wireless backhaul might be a better choice. I am insanely jealous of your network connection. I live in the hogbacks west of Loveland/Ft. Collins, CO and my only option (besides satellite) is a wireless ISP. My service is supposed to be 7/1 Mbs, but I am lucky to get 3/1 Mobs. (I can tell when the kids get home from school when I am working from home!) The Orbi, Google WiFi are definitely overkill, but we are looking to move and I would prefer to get something that works in the next house with (hopefully) better network speeds.

Out of curiosity, how dense is the WiFi in your area. (I have 500+ ft to the next nearest house and only see a few SSIDs.) I am curious on how these perform in high density areas with lots of radio traffic.

 

[steve62388]

(I have 500+ ft to the next nearest house and only see a few SSIDs.)

That would be my dream. My current network neighbourhood (and it's pretty good at the moment):-

 

[steve62388]

SmallNetBuilder has a review up.

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-reviews/33038-google-wifi-reviewed

 

[Altemose]

One of our network architects at work was looking at getting the Uniquiti Networks UniFi system for home (maybe a bit of a group but at work)

The UniFi platform is a fantastic start for networks at home and on a large scale. The price, feature set, and design are fantastic and they are easy to deploy. The downfall of migrating from a regular "wireless router" setup to something like UniFi is the need for an independent router. That being said, I have deployed UniFi at both the school where I work in I.T. for as well as in residential settings and there has been no issues at all. The system takes care of itself and never requires my interaction. Since deploying it two years ago, I have had to interact with one AP and that was due to a bad P.O.E injector. That is a fantastic success rate considering how hot the building is during summers as well as the location of the APs and equipment.

I don't think those are using mesh, at least from what I can tell reading the specs there. It looks like each AP is hard wired back to the hub.

Yes. The UniFi system is not a true "mesh" system. The closest functionality that UniFi offers is zero-handoff roaming which uses the APs to determine where the client connects, and on the client side, there is only one visible AP.

 

[blaine07]

I recently read quite a bit about this mesh stuff. Needed a new router for our ~2k square foot home sooner than later. I determined, for me, mesh is too much in infancy and price needs to come down a bit for me to me truly sold on it. For the meantime I went ahead and got a Asus 88U to hold me over for a few years until mesh is out of infancy, or obsolete LOL & price more reasonable. Really like the Asus 88U for my application and needs. Worlds better than Neargear X4V2.

 

[kryten42]

The UniFi platform is a fantastic start for networks at home and on a large scale. The price, feature set, and design are fantastic and they are easy to deploy. The downfall of migrating from a regular "wireless router" setup to something like UniFi is the need for an independent router. That being said, I have deployed UniFi at both the school where I work in I.T. for as well as in residential settings and there has been no issues at all. The system takes care of itself and never requires my interaction. Since deploying it two years ago, I have had to interact with one AP and that was due to a bad P.O.E injector. That is a fantastic success rate considering how hot the building is during summers as well as the location of the APs and equipment.



Yes. The UniFi system is not a true "mesh" system. The closest functionality that UniFi offers is zero-handoff roaming which uses the APs to determine where the client connects, and on the client side, there is only one visible AP.

I have a separate router already from my wireless network, so that is not an issue for me.

My biggest issue is I would like to wire the house with Cat6 cables and use PoE switch for something like the UniFi setup. That is just time and money, neither of which I have right now for this

 

[Altemose]

My biggest issue is I would like to wire the house with Cat6 cables and use PoE switch for something like the UniFi setup. That is just time and money, neither of which I have right now for this

Keep in mind that only certain UniFi models like the AP-Pros accept standard 802.3af/802.3at POE. The lower models like the standard UniFi AP require a proprietary switch or the use of POE injectors.
[doublepost=1481815479][/doublepost]Actually found out that UniFi just upgraded their APs, but the budget models still require injectors.

 

[kryten42]

Keep in mind that only certain UniFi models like the AP-Pros accept standard 802.3af/802.3at POE. The lower models like the standard UniFi AP require a proprietary switch or the use of POE injectors.
[doublepost=1481815479][/doublepost]Actually found out that UniFi just upgraded their APs, but the budget models still require injectors.

I was looking at the Pro models anyway.

 

[Altemose]

I was looking at the Pro models anyway.

Those work great off a regular POE switch. I run those in every classroom at the school and the regular APs in the halls. System holds about 30-45 clients on the Pros and up to 25 on the regular APs easily.

 

[kryten42]

Those work great off a regular POE switch. I run those in every classroom at the school and the regular APs in the halls. System holds about 30-45 clients on the Pros and up to 25 on the regular APs easily.

Should work great for 3000 sq ft house then Will use one of the weatherproof ones for outside too most likely as we work out there a lot in the summer.

 

[Altemose]

Should work great for 3000 sq ft house then Will use one of the weatherproof ones for outside too most likely as we work out there a lot in the summer.

UniFi is hard to beat for the money, and that is precisely why they are spreading like wildfire across the education sector especially. Let me know if you have any questions about implementing that and I will be able to give you a hand.

 

[profcrow]

I have been using Apple network products for years and years and years, but now it appears that Apple is discontinuing their network devices. My Airport Extreme has become flakey where it seems to turn itself off (no green light) requiring me to unplug it and plug it back in to revive it. (This is the same thing that happened to the last one.) It is just about 2 years old. So, I am now stuck looking for a replacement.

Google has introduced their Google WiFi product that seems to incorporate many of the things I liked about the Airport ecosystem ... simple application on phone to administer the network, attractive appearance, etc. Additionally, they state that the nodes also include 802.15.4 & Bluetooth radios that will be enabled in the future.

I am asking if anyone has tried the Google WiFi as a replacement for their Airport hardware and what their opinions are about it.

Pal, I am devoted to Apple, but sometimes Apples loses it way. They have with their Airport towers, etc. Mine were always crashing and goofing up. My wife got tired of me messing with the setup and calling our internet provider to see if they were screwing up. We have a BIG house that is lath and plaster (like concrete), so always figured there would be some problems. Well, a friend of hers has a home with similar problems but bought the 3-part Google Wifi system and said they never had a failure after that; so, my wife figured she would take a chance and surprise me for Christmas.

Skeptically, I went through the setup spreading the three parts across the home, started 'er up and bang, it worked from the first seconds and has never gone down a single time since Christmas Day. And, the signals are great!!!

Buy it, you will love it!

Now if we can just get Apple to quit trying to sell me a monthly music plan and stick to making their products great again! Where did I hear something like that?!?

Prof.

 

[gwerhart0800]

Buy it, you will love it!

Prof.

Yes, I installed a 3 node Google Wifi network last fall to replace my failing Apple Extreme and I have had no issues with it. The ability to check the network remotely from the Google Wifi app is a nice capability.