As Google continues to expand the capabilities of its Google Nest product, an increasing number of interactive capabilities are becoming available as well. The array of smart home products now includes speakers, displays, devices for streaming, smoke detectors, and routers and security systems.
But its not always easy to get them to play nice and work together. This is especially true of the routers, which inevitably play a pivotal role in any smart home system. And one of the biggest questions that comes up about routers is whether they can be used as Wifi points with a Google Nest Wifi Router. Simply put, can nest Wifi router be used as a point?
The answer is yes, but it does require some knowledge and preparation, and you’ll need to follow some specific steps. What follows is a description of the those steps, along with the required setup procedures.
What You’ll Need
Start with what you’ll need to do this. The list includes the router, the additional Wifi devices you want to add, the requisite Google account, and a Android or iOS device running a relatively recent version of the operating system (5.0 or later for a phone for Android, 6.0 for an Android tablet, or 12.0 iOS for an iPad or IPhone).
You’ll also need an updated version of the Google Home app, along with an ISP that works with Google Wifi. And finally, of course, you’ll need the router.
Performing the Setup
The next step is to set up the Nest Wifi router. To do this, download and set up a home for the Google Home app, then choose a location for the router. It needs to be connected to the modem, which must be connected to the Internet. The router should be placed at eye level in a visible location.
The Ethernet cable should be connected to the WAN port of the router, which in turn is connected to the modem. When you plus the router into a wall outlet, the light on it will display a white pulse, which indicates that it’s on and ready to be set up.
This is where the phone (or tablet) enters the picture. Use it to open the Google Home app, then tap the Add device or Add service prompt. Once again, you’ll need to select a home, so select your Nest Wifi router.
After that you’ll need to scan the QR code, which is on the bottom of your device. Hold your phone approximately five inches away to scan it, or use the setup key on the bottom of your device if you can’t scan the code.
The next step is to select a room for the router, then give your Wifi network a name along with a secure password. It will take a few minutes for the router to add the network, and you can also add another Wifi device by tapping “Yes” after the appropriate prompt so you can add the point.
Adding the Point
Once you’ve done all the setup work, you’ll be able to add the Wifi point. Keep in mind that all points, including routers, are treated as points in the mesh network, so once you decide where to place your point you can use the Google Home app to start and complete the setup.
The procedure to add the point is analogous to what you did during the setup process. Start by opening the Google Home app, then tap the prompt to either add a device or add service. Be sure to set up the new device under the menu to do that, and select a home if you’re prompted to do so.
After that you’ll select the device you want to set up as a point following the”Next” prompt, and once again you’ll need to either scan the QR code with your phone or enter the setup key that’s located on the bottom of your device.
This should connect the point. When you hear a sound coming from your speaker, hit “Yes” and follow the instructions from the app itself to finish the setup. You can also add other points by tapping “Yes” once again, or you can repeat these steps later on if additional points become necessary.
Once you’ve got all your Wifi devices in place, the app will conduct a mesh test that will allow you to confirm that everything is working correctly.
Other Considerations
There are several other things you need to know, starting with the troubleshooting procedures if these become necessary.
Start by unplugging your modem, router and the int, then plug them back in. Make sure you check the connections, and do another double check to ensure that everything is connected to the right Wifi network. You can also do a factory reset on your router or your point to as another troubleshooting step, but if this doesn’t work it’s time to call support.
Also, its important to note that these points can’t be hardwired because they don’t have LAN ports available.
The array of features and things you can do with Google Home is both comprehensive and unusual, but its important to make sure that any smart home device must be compatible with Google Home. This list includes devices such as SimpliSafe Home Security, Vivint Smart Home automation products, Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and many others.
The best way to use the point is to start slowly when you go to add products. Start with the speaker and the display, then take advantage of the added range provided by the point by adding one device at a time. Test each device carefully so you don’t have to go back to square one if you have problems, and make sure to establish a set of procedures to name each device as you go to add them.
Other procedures you may want to consult include things like how to do factory resets for your devices, the steps necessary to perform a mesh test, and how to alter your setup of you’re using a network that uses VLAN tagging.
Most of what you’ll be doing will be fairly basic, but the more of these procedures you know about and study up on, the more success you’ll have implementing the features of your smart home with Google Nest.
