Among the innovations presented by Google in the technological field also stands out the new Google Wifi, a modular router that promises to solve once and for all the problems of connection to wireless networks on very large environments or with many interferences, so as to always have the WiFi signal powerful and with great speed anywhere in the house, even if it exceeds 100 square meters (which is very difficult to implement with classic modems or routers without using repeaters or using Powerline technology). In this guide we will show you the secret of the modular routers offered by Google, how to connect these devices to the modem in our possession and where you can buy Google Wifi to be able to try it at home.
Currently prices are quite high given the technology used, but it is easy to assume that they will drop as soon as the technology used (WiFi Mesh networks) spreads.
READ ALSO -> Best WiFi Routers to connect your home wireless devices
How Google Wifi works
Google Wifi is nothing more than a router (therefore it must necessarily be connected to a modem provided by the operator or configured personally) that uses a different technology to expand the coverage of the WiFi network, that is the Mesh network .
To explain in simple terms what a Mesh network is, just imagine a series of WiFi routers that constantly communicate with each other and share most of the available resources (as in P2P networks), so as to offer a speed for each access point high transmission, comparable to that obtainable if we were very close to the classic modem (which uses a server-client technology).
By positioning the various routers at the right distance, we will be able to increase the coverage of the WiFi signal much more effectively than using WiFi repeaters (used so far to extend the signal of a WiFi network with poor coverage).
When we connect a device (PC, notebook, smartphone, TV or whatever) to one of the routers offered by Google Wifi all the other routers organize themselves to allow data packets to travel in the shortest and fastest possible path among all the routers, so as to get to the gateway router (i.e. the one connected via Ethernet cable to the classic modem) in the shortest possible time, thus increasing the transmission speed.
So while the single Google Wifi router performs very similar to any other WiFi router, the union of multiple Google routers allows us to significantly extend the coverage of the wireless network in the home by losing very little speed, even with 5 or 6 rooms away ( or if we have a multi-storey house, we can finally cover them all without problems).
The downside is that each router must know the exact position of all the others, so as to always know which is the best path: once placed they must not be moved at all, otherwise the effectiveness of the Mesh network decreases significantly.
The potential of the Mesh network created with Google Wifi can only be perceived by using at least 3 routers, while the benefits are reduced if we use a single router or 2 routers.
If we can cover the house well with a classic router, it does not make much sense to place a single Google Wifi as the performance is completely similar to that of a medium-high end router (the cost is similar.
If we cannot cover the house well with a single router, it is better to focus on Google Wifi by purchasing at least 3 units and placing them in specific areas of the house, so as to increase coverage without losing speed.
How to connect Google Wifi
Once you have purchased the Google Wifi package, connecting and configuring it is very simple: you choose which unit will act as a gateway (i.e. Internet access), then connect it via Ethernet cable to the modem provided by our operator or configured personally (we recommend disable any other WiFi network to avoid interference).
Once the gateway is connected, we position all the other units where we deem it appropriate (always trying not to go too far, within 15 meters): the trick to creating an effective Mesh network is to make sure that the units are "in sight" or rather see by eye and, if this is not possible, that they are as straight as possible with the nearest router (and with the least number of obstacles).
Once placed, we connect all the units to the electrical network and configure the Mesh network that we want to create using the apps provided by Google and available for both Android and iOS; download links are available here -> Google Wifi (Android) and Google Wifi (iOS).
Through the app it will be possible to access the configuration panel so as to choose the name of the WiFi (Dual Band) network, the access password and the organization of all the Google Wifi units connected to the network.
At the end of the configuration we will be able to access the Internet as on any other WiFi modem: by connecting to the WiFi network with the chosen name and typing the password.
The specifications of each router are available below:
- Wi-Fi 2 x 2 AC1200
- Simultaneous dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz) compliant with IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac standard
- TX Beamforming
- Bluetooth Smart Ready
- 2 Ethernet ports
The specifications are very interesting and in line with the most powerful routers, but Google Wifi definitely wins for the appearance, presenting itself as small devices with a minimal and very modern design with a light bar in the center to indicate its correct functioning.
Where to buy it
Google Wifi can be purchased with a single router or with the pack with three routers included, so you can immediately try the functionality of the Mesh network.
We can also buy other single units to expand the already created Mesh network, since there is no physical limit to the number of configurable Mesh routers (in theory we can also place 10 or 100 of them!).
The site where to buy the single Google Wifi router is available here -> Google Wifi (139 €).
During the purchase phase it will be possible to choose whether to buy the pack with 3 Google Wifi, suitable for large homes, at a cost of € 359.
