20 Best Internet Speed For Gaming (2023 Updated)

I have other TP-Link products that I have been satisfied with, so I bought this router to upgrade the speed from an older Netgear router I was using. It is pretty much an upgrade on every level. The range is much farther.

I can now get wi-fi signal out in my detached garage. It can handle network demand of three TVs, two gaming PCs and half a dozen other phones and tablets. My work PC’s wireless connection speed went up 157 Mbps after upgrading from a wireless N adapter (Wi-Fi 4).

And it cost me about $70 as of Feb. 2022, so it definitely didn’t break the bank. The reason I didn’t give it five stars, despite being a pretty great upgrade, is the fact that it just would not work well with a previously 100% reliable and working TP-Link Wireless N USB adapter.

All the other devices in my house use 5 GHz, but this older adapter could only connect at 2. 4 GHz. On Win10 64, it would connect and say it had internet, but then pages wouldn’t load and apps that needed internet wouldn’t work.

Sometimes it would reconnect itself somehow, other times I had to manually disconnect and reconnect to get it working again. This would happen every two to five minutes. The adapter was for my work computer, so I need consistent and reliable connection, and this was obviously unacceptable.

Router has latest firmware, turned on/off OneMesh, changed 2. 4 GHz channel, relocated router and adapter. nothing would stop the adapter from losing connection every two to five minutes. A quick google search shows that it’s not just me with this problem.

pretty common issue with their 2. 4 GHz support with newer routers. The next day I went out and bought an ASUS AC1200 USB Wi-Fi adapter (another $30) that has 5 GHz support. It works great and it’s way faster, but I was mainly concerned about a reliable connection, which it also has no problems.

I’m just a little ticked because it feels like I was “forced” into upgrading because something that previously worked fine with LESSER hardware was made non-functional because of this “upgrade. ” So my main point is that if you are planning on upgrading to this router from a wireless N or older model router, you might have to plan on upgrading your wireless adapters, too, if they can’t use 5 GHz.

Otherwise, a very good value for the upgrade to Wi-Fi 6.

I bought this as a replacement for my Telstra router and despite some initial hiccups I’m glad I did. Pros: * Speeds, WiFi 6 and WPA3 support are great. * Can actually change the DNS settings to whatever you like.

* Has support for static routes and WPA2-Enterprise which is a nice bonus. * Has a decent advanced config page with a good amount of settings to mess around with * Has an app that lets you configure your network from your phone, however I haven’t used it Cons: * Setup OOTB was a bit of a pain.

It pays to read the manual even if you’re technically inclined as the settings required for a HFC NBN connection are different than FTTN and FTTP. Namely I had to set the MAC address to “Clone current device address” for a connection to a cable modem (i.

e HFC NBN) to work. I wish this was documented in the setup wizard as well. * IPv6 support: Furthermore, this was also difficult. TP-Link’s terminology doesn’t seem match up with the documentation that most Aussie ISPs provide for v6 support.

In particular on my HFC setup I had to set the IPv6 WAN to Dynamic with the “Get IPv6 Address” set to “Non-address” and the LAN set to “SLAAC+RDNSS” for it to work. Failing to do the former would seem to generate IPv6 addresses on the LAN side but prevent routing out to the internet.

* WiFi range is a bit less than I’d like, however this may the result of “Smart Connect” (band steering) being enabled. Overall I’m extremely satisfied with this router even with the above issues.

I purchased this router a few weeks ago, it has exceeded my expectations. I bought this to replace an existing Archer 1750 router, as we needed something that could keep up with 20+ devices and 4k streaming with minimal issues.

This router handles the demands of my household with no issues. Some of the reviews mentioned the lack of customizing the settings. This router has the ability to modify down to granular settings, by default the Admin site is set to basic, you’ll need to toggle to advanced to open up all the settings.

For example, I wanted a dedicated SSID for my bedroom TV so that it would be the only item connected to ensure seamless streaming. I went into advanced, turned off the tri-band and now have three SSIDs available to connect to, the 2.

4, 5g, and the secondary 5g. This router is also mesh ready, I paired it with a TP Link extender that was mesh compatible and now have a solid connection throughout my home without having to switch between router and extender.

TP-Link customer support is solid as well. I have fiber internet and wanted to use the router directly from my ethernet wall outlet, without the use of a modem. After receiving my PPPoE credentials from my internet provider, I called TP-Link and they talked me through the settings to configure this router saving me a modem rental fee.

Overall, I really love this router, like LOVE LOVE LOVE. I had a Netgear Nighthawk RAX50 that started off decently but no matter what, the 5GHz band would lose internet connectivity throughout the day and rebooting only worked so many times.

Usually, I had to reboot my TiVo or Phone to keep the connection going and that was troublesome. With this router, I haven’t had that issue and I can connect my TiVo Stream either 2 out of the 3 bands (doesn’t support AX yet and doubtful it will without a hardware refresh when the spec matures).

Port forwarding is straightforward once you work out where it is located. I like the presets that are offered but I am use to it being in either Firewall Settings or advanced – port forwarding/triggering but it isn’t a killer issue.

The Aura Sync works well with my motherboard and I am happy about that. I didn’t think I would ever become an RGB guy but I must admit, I am starting to like it (EVGA Mechanic RGC Keyboard, Logitech G903 and wireless charging mousepad with RGB, this router, plus Corsair Cappellix 240 Rad and block with ARGB fans).

This works well with my aesthetics. The price is a bit high, got mine on sale, but it is new tech so it is expected. I have no qualms about it and so far it is living up to the billing. One thing I am disappointed in is the limited options of LAN ports and only 1 2.

5G port which can be used for WAN or LAN connectivity. With my Spectrum modem, I can use a 2. 5G connection for Internet and with my Motherboard having the option, direct modem connection offers me 1,036 MB/s down and 47 MB/s up.

With the router, using Spectrum’s speedtest site: I am pulling 800+ and 35+. Not a huge drop off. You won’t go wrong with this purchase but it may be best to wait for the spec to mature a bit more and see if they do a hardware refresh with more LAN ports and a second 2.

5G port for motherboards that can take advantage of them. The Merlin UI is fantastic but if you are used to using 3rd Party Firmware, the new AX/E routers aren’t supported and may not anytime soon. DD-WRT and other sites are having a hard time not only securing newer model routers but also getting the Broadcom and Qualcom chips to be readable.

Make of it what you will but thought I would offer a heads up. ENJOY! ASUS ROCKS!.

Solid for the most part. Pulling about 800 mbps down with 1. 2 gbps plan through xfinity. Three items of note: 1. This router/firmware does NOT have smart parental controls. Was willing to pay for subscription, but it doesn’t have it.

2. Smart Connect should be offered for guest network. Not ideal that you have to have 3 guest networks if you want all 3 bands available. 3. All of my iOS devices (iPhone and iPad) stay connected to the wifi, but lose internet about once a day.

After extensive trouble shooting, realized it’s the bitdefender for armor app. Overall it’s a solid product and will keep armor subscription, but slightly annoying I have to disconnect/reconnect wifi or restart web protection within bitdefender for armor app to get internet to work again.

Same problem as the following link, hopefully they get it fix soon: https://community. netgear. com/t5/NETGEAR-Armor/Losing-internet-on-iPhones-with-Armor-App-installed/td-p/2107111.

I purchased this ASUS ROG GT-AX6000 as an upgrade to my ASUS RT-AX82U mesh system. No issues with the previous router. I pay for 1Gbps/1Gbps up/down on fiber with Cat6 going to router and other clients.

I’ve consistently gotten 3mbps upload speeds hardwired to one client. I’ve completed several firmware updates to include Merlin firmware. It did not fix the issue. Tested WiFi upload speeds to an AX client (iPhone 13 Pro) and was able to get an avg of 80mbps at the most.

I contacted ASUS support to have my router repaired under manufacturer warranty. I was out of the return policy due to me being optimistic and waiting for firmware updates to rollout. I was hoping this was an isolated issue and possibly defective hardware.

I’ve done plenty of research on the ASUS forums and Reddit. It is a known issue without a fix. I had detailed troubleshooting to rule out other variables such as my ISP and cables. Believe me, I wanted this router to work.

I specifically noted in my troubleshooting notes to ASUS that to please do not send me a new unit and just test/repair this known issue. ASUS sent me a brand new router and no details on diag/tests being done.

The current work around that I have found to work is to enable dual-WAN and set it to use WAN(2. 5Gbs) port and Ethernet LAN 4. I set LAN 4 as primary and 2. 5 WAN port as secondary. I left 2. 5 WAN port unplugged.

I now can have functioning 1Gbps up/down speeds. I don’t recommend this router (until they have a solid fix) for those that require >1. 5Gbps up/down speeds from ISP. I work 100% remote with over 17 years experience in Cyber Security.

My ASUS RT-AX82U performed as expected while waiting for my ASUS GT-AX6000 to be repaired. As of this writing, (22 Sept 2022) there are no known fix to this issue. I hope this review helps. Kind regards.

Its easy to setup this router via their Asus app. But the network gives up and cannot reach 1 level up nor down. The speeds reduce drasctially if you move away from it. I have 5 Gbps At&t network and this router(has 2.

5Gbps max output when you are close to the router)hence doesn’t meet my requirement. Will opt for Netgear Orbi instead. One more thing would like to add here is if you are planning to go above 1Gbps internet plan do remember you need to upgrade your switches from 1Gb port to 5Gb or 10Gb port(expensive ethernet/SFP+ switches).

Also, I would recommend CAT6A/CAT7 cables to get the best speeds for all the devices. Only a few routers in the market have 1 x 10Gbps port on it. If using it on a PC then you also need to upgrade your LAN/NIC card to 10Gb to get the most out of your network speed.

I wanted to replace an Asus AC3100 with a router that was capable of AX for a select number of new devices (iphone 13’s). The previous one was fantastic with excellent range (two slow spots in the house) for a 3,400 square foot house and almost never required a reboot.

Extremely happy so far. The range seems to be very similar but I am now getting slightly faster speeds on all 5ghz legacy devices as well as significantly more speed with AX devices. The router has been stable and I have not has to reboot once since I turned it on.

I love Asus routers plus you do not have to pay additional fees for some of the features like other brands. Please note, that the previous Asus router before the AC3100 was terrible but I am glad I kept with them.

Sometimes you just get a bad one.

IšverstiShow in original languageI admit to being guilty of neglecting the benefits of a good router, as long as the internet is flowing then I don’t even think about my router. Having had some time to try out the Netgear Nighthawk Axe7800 I am prepared to admit there is a real benefit to a good router with good features…so I’ll be packing this router back up and rolling back to my old router.

In the box you get the Nighthawk router, an Ethernet cable, and the power cord/AC Adapter plus the usual setup guide (which is only to tell you to download the app to setup and diagram your router ports).

Setup was simple, in fact it was way easier than I expected/dreaded! Per the app instructions I took down my old router, plugged in the new one, let it run a process while showing me tips on features of my new router, and then it recommended I can keep my existing network name to avoid having everything sign-in on the new router.

I was skeptical about the ease of setup but darn it so far nothing hasn’t logged back in automatically! The router features four LAN ports, a 1G internet/LAN port, a multi-gig internet/LAN port, WPS button on the front, and a USB 3.

0 port to connect a network drive. So mostly what you’d expect but with that multi-gig port to allow for future proofing your router and a USB 3. 0 port instead of the standard Mini-USB which used to be standard.

The size is moderate without being large, instead of having an array of antennae to move around to get a signal this one has two wings that stick up approximately 105 degrees (90 degrees but out away from the router body).

Once it’s set up you get to access all the features of the router via the Nighthawk app: Device Manager, Security, built in Speed Test, Parental Controls, WiFi Analytics, WiFi Settings, Guest WiFi Network on/off, and a Traffic Meter.

As a parent who has battled with apps and programs that supposedly allow for time limits and curfews the Parental Controls was my first stop…and really 75% of my review score. Looking at the manufacturer website they talk about the Parental Smart Controls and all the options to keep kids safe and productive but they don’t talk about the annual fee.

Yes, you have built in controls to turn the network off for certain profiles (say putting kids devices as a group and adult or appliance devices on a seperate always on group) but those smart controls advertised are an extra monthly or annual fee.

Netgear Armor, the security options on the router? Another monthly or annual fee and it’s even higher than the parental controls! By default the Security menu only gives you a score of how safe your network is and a few ideas about making sure your password has a minimum length and special characters.

What is free with your generous purchase of this router? Well the Guest Network is nice so you can set a simple password for when company is over and otherwise turn it off, it’s on other products but feels simpler and more binary here via the app.

Speed test and WiFi Analytics are cool for times when you’re checking if you’re being throttled or just have more traffic on the network (I never felt like the network was overloaded like I have with my old router, so another point for Netgear).

The Analytics even lets you get base readings from each room and compare them so you can see where the internet is having a hard time reaching and where its best (ironically my back bedroom was better than the living room near the router!).

Maybe I’m asking too much but the amount this router costs should cover parental controls at least, if not the network security advertised on the box. We have enough monthly fees with streaming services, video game subscriptions, cell phones, internet providers, satellite radio, online shopping clubs, etc.

For a premium product this feels cheap and scammy! That’s not to say that as a device to connect your home to the single internet modem it fails at its job, far be it. I think as an internet networking device it was easy to set up, the app is simple and easy to understand (although I’m tired of all the apps I have for each appliance I buy, this one is worth keeping), and its providing a better signal than the router I got years ago.

It comes down to what your internet is worth and if you’re OK with bells and whistles listed on the package being an extra charge once you get it hooked up out of the box. For me, that is bad business and I’m marking it down for that.

If you just want internet everywhere in your home with no hassle then I highly recommend it.

IšverstiShow in original languageThe Netgear Nighthawk RAXE300 router featuring WiFi 6E looks like a Star Wars spaceship. The fins are 6 preoptimized antennas for the 2. 4, 5 and 6 GHz bands. At this point the 6GHz band has less traffic but like all of the higher bands – the higher the band the shorter the wavelength so shorter range and the possibility of it being blocked by household objects.

The unit comes with multi-Gig wired connections with a1Gps and a 2. 5G Ethernet port or 2Gps link aggregation plus 2 additional Gigabit Ethernet ports. So in total, you have five LAN ports available, or four if you want to aggregate, which is about on par for the current Wi-Fi 6E router market.

Unfortunately, I only have 1Gps internet at this point but next year I should have 2. 5 with Google fiber coming to town. It also has a USB 3. 0 connector to hook up a shared storage device. With speed up to 7.

6Gps and up to 40 devices for its WiFi this is the middle of the road for Netgear’s new RAX RoutersYou get a limited free subscription to Netgear Armor a security shield from Netgear and if you have kids Netgear’s Smart Parental controls which helps in their management for time and accessibility.

The box also has screw hold on the bottom to allow for wall mount but you will have to put it high up to get the antennas out of the way. Setup is easy and one can accomplish this with Netgear’s App or the traditional web browser access.

Network access is available through the direct wire, traditional WiFi setup or WPS. I have one WiFi 6E device and I was pleasantly surprised at the speed available on the 6GHz band with this device. It is fast enough for HD movie streaming and some non competitive gaming with speeds up to 7.

8 Gbps. The USB 3. 0 storage was simple to set up. Netgear claims the RAXE300 can cover up to a 2,500 square feet home, I didn’t have any coverage problems and it was unphased by local network interference my neighbors generated.

The App is straight forward to use. You will still need the router page for more advanced controls like QoS and port forwarding, the App can do other things the router page can’t. In particular, I found it handy for testing signal strength while optimizing the RAXE300’s placement.

IšverstiShow in original languageMy slight arachnophobia had always kept me away from some of the higher-end routers out there, looking like biomechanical spiders from some twisted future. Fortunately, the Nighthawk AXE7800 eschews traditional antennae in favor of two large fins on either side.

As I unboxed the device and showed it to my wife, she said it looked like a robot stingray. I told her that I thought it looked like a cool space ship that maybe Darth Vader or the Emperor would shuttle around in.

She said “that’s fine, it can go live with the Star Wars toys at the top of the cabinet. ” It’s a good thing that it does fit right in with my large statuette of Boba Fett escaping the Sarlacc pit and the Darth Vader coin bank, because otherwise I don’t know where else I would put this thing.

Due to the size, it can only really be in one orientation, laying down with the fins folded up and out, which makes it take up a space of about 13 inches wide by just under 6 inches tall. Quite the footprint for something that’s basically supposed to stay out of the way.

At least it looks cool up there with the giant C-3PO. The phone app is pretty bare bones when it comes to any actual administration. I can’t set up static IP addresses for my various devices through it.

Setting up port forwarding similarly requires you to do it through a web browser. It does have a built in speed test. I just wish it had more features besides being able to reset the password to the various hotspots.

There is some kind of subscription to a set of security features called Netgear Armor that you also get a 30 day free trial for. I’m not sure what will happen after that. The subscription’s regular price is $99.

99 per year. I do like that the router is smart enough to recognize my various smart devices, and show me what they are instead of just the MAC address. My smart lights, thermostats, phones, video game consoles, computers, tablets, and printers all showed up as their brand names, which made it super simple to reconfigure the various services and automations that I have set up that have IP address hard-coded in.

With as many devices as there are on my network, and the proliferation of streaming not only movies and music, but now entire video games that are played over the cloud, the Netgear Nighthawk has been performing well, making sure that all the devices in every corner of the house have the necessary bandwidth.

I have had TP-Link routers for years. This was to upgrade our AC1900, which still works but wifi speeds were not as good as they could be. Most of devices are new, however beware. In our case, I had to return this.

The software is super easy to use and gets setup very quick. The bad, if you have any old 2. 4ghz device that can not be manually setup then you might have a probably with it getting to connect. The TP-link software while great, this model does not have any fine tuning.

We have to older smart devices that do not like smart connect or the wifi band ssid sharing. There are some ways around this issue, but then the smart connect feature of most wifi6 devices is useless.

With this tri-band you can create 3 separate ssids that will get your older and new devices up and running, the problem is now they are all potentially on separate networks. That’s the kicker. If you have different devices on 3 different networks then when it comes to using wifi apps you have to switch ssids to connect with those devices.

Very annoying and well with the older AC1900 router that wasn’t a problem. If you are a tuner, this Archer 3200 is not for you, unless you change the software to DD-WRT which nulls your warranty.

The GT-AXE11000 is an excellent upgrade over an aging Netgear router. It extended the WiFi range significantly and the router itself has been rock solid after upgrading to the newest firmware. The range is so good, I don’t have any current need to extend it with AiMesh.

Other reviews do a good job speaking to the functionality, so I’ll just add that the accompanying android app is a pleasure to use opposed to some competitors products. You really don’t appreciate that simple quality of life upgrade until you’ve tried to configure/maintain other routers with subpar software.

Overall, even though this router is priced at the higher end of the consumer spectrum, you’re paying for the latest and greatest in performance. Pros: Great range and solid connection 6e WiFi band and a 2.

5G port Enterprise level routing configurations Excellent built in networking tools and consistent firmware updates (so far) Cons: Subjective visual aesthetics (Not a huge fan of the colored lights, but they can be turned off.

) Only LAN 4 ports (Full disclosure, this review is left based on a 90 day added extension to product warranty. This in no way biased my final opinion of this product or the accompanying rating. ) Enjoy the router and piece of mind that probably won’t need to upgrade for quite some time.

I do love this router. But. I upgraded from another ASUS flagship that I had been using since 2016 or so. That worked well, but it would lose my entire network and needed a reboot. A weekly reboot schedule on that worked.

Until end of last year when it just plain stopped working and wouldn’t post anything. I ran out and got this axe11000, happy to have an excuse to upgrade. It set up easily and I really like the ASUS app.

I stuck with ASUS because reboot aside the old router was great for me. Also randomly the old router started working perfectly again a week later but we decided in these times it’s critical to have a backup router for work lying around.

So. I have 33 devices or so on my network including an ai server that is always up for a project smartphone app that people randomly use 24/7. So, I was happy to not have the 3-5 minute weekly downtime on the weekly reboots of the old router.

However. After a couple of months, this router also will drop all connections completely until it is rebooted, every ten days or so. We do the usual. Watch movies streaming. Internet. Video chats. Robovac Alexa thermostat usual out stuff.

So now I have set it up for a weekly reboot. It is faster than before and streaming is much more stable. I’m super happy with that. But, all I’ve really done for my server is reduce the weekly downtime from three minutes to one minute.

Otherwise this is a great router and if not for my 24/7 server I say 99. 9999% of you will be thrilled with a weekly reboot, to keep it running tip top. But I seem to need to try my luck with the new axe16000 and hope the new chipset, 2ghz slight speed bump and 2GB ram will make it super stable like I want.

I am for sure being super critical, and I am super grateful for the dynamic dns that ASUS makes available to tinkerers like myself. I know I am expecting enterprise level performance from a gaming router.

So keep that in mind. This router is freaking awesome. Rock solid when stable. However, it will go completely to zero every couple of weeks unless you reboot.

I’m not going to waste time on how great the router is. Look at the specs, see the reviews. It is what it is. fantastic! Cons: the ASUS logo has a lighting flaw on it. I know, it is petty. I’m paying $430 and always ‘eye magnet’ right to that flaw everytime I look at the router.

Example, why have a laptop RGB keyboard and not use it, same with my router. if it has a RGB logo, I’m turning it on. You can turn it off but I have seen google pics and youtube videos of other GT-AX6000’s with perfect logo and flawed logo like mine was.

Seems to be something ASUS should fix considering it is one of the most expensive, if not THE most expensive, dual band WiFi6 router on the market. Also, the antenna do not light as it may deceive you to believe.

No idea why the see through red plastic antennas. I did not buy this for bling, but if it has it. make it work correctly. Price. $399. Meh. it is expensive. Considering the AX11000 is slightly more (even the same on ‘occasion’) why? The AX11000 is Tri band.

Then you have the RT-AX86U. $269 (lower when on sale) Dual band. I refunded the router. IF you don’t mind the $ or the flaw on the (top right corner not lighting up correctly) logo, it is a great router, just pricy.

Runs warm to the touch. 2. 0ghz processor is snappy but gets warm.

IšverstiShow in original languageWe purchased the 2 pack Nest Wifi Mesh router as a replacement for our older Apple AirPort Extreme. We could never get it to function properly, eventually returning it to the store.

I’m digitally native, fairly technically competent and work in a technical field (engineer). These routers could not consistently maintain an internet signal. We have Xfinity internet. I imagine this is a very common setup in many homes using Nest routers.

We tried the router with two customer owned modems, an older Arris DOCSIS 3. 0 unit that has worked perfectly with the AirPort for about 6 years (can’t remember the last time it even needed a restart) and a brand new Arris DOCSIS 3.

1 modem. We contacted Xfinity each time before switching to be sure they were activated in their system and receiving an internet signal. The router had the same issue of not being able to obtain/maintain an internet connection with both modems.

I had to call technical support 3 separate times over the short time we had this unit. In the end, they blamed Xfinity, who in turn blamed Arris. But given that we had the same router issue with two separate Arris modems, and that each time when we reconnected our old AirPort, everything worked fine again, the variable here clearly is the Google Nest router.

The Google Home app, which controls the device, is cumbersome. It’s designed for ease of use, but this also means it’s a “black box” with minimal user control should adjustments be needed. I’m still not sure if the issue we had was hardware or software related, but in the end it doesn’t really matter as Very glad I was able to get a refund and try a router from another manufacturer.

If you do plan to purchase one of these, in addition to price shopping, be sure to pay attention to the return window the retailer you’re purchasing it from allows. We found national retailers vary from 15 days to 90 days.

If a defect doesn’t immediately present itself, in my experience, Google’s warranty isn’t where you want to be stuck, so those extra days may end up being valuable.

IšverstiShow in original languageHomes differ. I don’t want to suggest that competing products are intrinsically inferior to this product, but I did try out 4 different makes of mesh systems in my home and found the Google Nest AC 2200 three pack somewhat better than the competition in my home.

The mesh systems I tried were the Netgear Orbi AC 3000 two pack, the Amazon eero 6 four pack, the TP Link Deco S 4 four pack and the Google Nest. All systems were comparable in price, around $ 250, during the Cyber Monday sale window, except for the TP Link system which cost about $ 180.

I would consider these systems mid range mesh systems, not entry level ones. My yardstick was that the mesh had to deliver better speed and signal strength that my existing router and extender combination and had to be stable and consistent in speed.

What I found is that none of the four named systems, all of which claimed 5000 to 6000 square ft of coverage, actually covered my 3000 square ft L shaped home with uniform speeds across the home. I got about 160-200 MBps in one half of my home and only 50-70 MBps in the far end of the other half of the house with these mesh networks.

My subscription is 350 MBps and I get 120-160 MBps in one half and 30-50 MBps in the other half with just my router and extender. The three unit Google Nest based on the older AC 2200 standard gave me better speeds than even the four unit eero 6 mesh which is based on the newer Wi-Fi 6 standard, though the difference was not big: about 15 % better.

Speed apart, the clincher for me was that the two Google extenders in the Nest pack came with built in speakers which could be used as network connected speakers to play streaming audio. Overall, the Google Nest was better in my layout but I wish I could get a true 5000 sq ft mesh with equal speeds across my whole home.

IšverstiShow in original languageI bought this to upgrade my main node as I already had the 2017 version of the 1st gen pucks that worked fairly well. I appreciate that it’s backwards compatible with the older gen and able to use them as mesh nodes without any hassle.

My new home has several walls in between the main node and the locations that it makes to most sense to place the mesh points, so the upgraded antenna on this unit has given my older mesh points a boost.

I’m now getting close to double the speed at the ends of my house. It’s supposedly rated for 2200 sqft which would cover my whole house on its own, but I haven’t tested it out. When replacing the main node I did have to set up everything from scratch and reset the mesh points since there’s no way to transfer an existing network to the new unit.

Other than that, setup is a breeze guided by the Google Home app. My main complaints are the new plug shape and removal of USB C that the previous gen had, the lack of VLAN tagging, limited upload speeds on PPPoE mode, and limited download speeds in general (I get max ~600 Mbps from my 1 Gbps fiber, the ISP provided router got around ~850 Mbps).

If the nest WiFi points had wired backhaul and PoE to use as WAPs I might have considered purchasing them as well. If you want advanced networking features and settings this is not the system for you.