Out of all the Google Home and Nest products I’ve tried over the years, none have been more impactful than the Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro. It’s a mesh Wi-Fi router system that integrates with the complete Google Home ecosystem and offers full network coverage for your home. I enjoy the Nest Wi-Fi Pro router so much that, in addition to the three routers and access points I own, I’ve convinced friends and family to invest in one of their own. There’s just one problem—the Nest Wi-Fi Pro, released in 2022, only supports Wi-Fi 6E.
If you haven’t heard, Wi-Fi 7 represents a major technical leap for wireless networking, and many of your favorite devices already support the standard. The latest flagship iPhone, Google Pixel, and Samsung Galaxy models support Wi-Fi 7. However, your devices can’t take advantage of the increased speeds if you don’t have a Wi-Fi 7 router to go with them. The upgrades that come with a Wi-Fi 7 router are enticing, like 8K video streaming and low-latency virtual reality connections, but I’d rather stick with the Nest Wi-Fi Pro instead.
Google’s Nest Wi-Fi Pro is the best router I’ve ever used
The mesh system is simple, reliable, and fast
Wi-Fi routers typically come with proprietary apps, clunky hardware, and the need for constant troubleshooting. Before switching to the Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro, I used everything from the dreaded routers provided by my internet service provider (ISP) to premium options from Netgear and Asus. Eventually, I gave Google’s mesh router system a shot, and it was the best decision I ever made. My network’s uptime has been nearly 100% since I switched, with the only outages being the result of my ISP, not my router.
It’s easy to mistake the Nest Wi-Fi Pro for another piece of tech due to its sleek design, which doesn’t include a bunch of buttons, lights, ports, or antennas. It’s an orb offered in four colors that blends into your space. There are only three ports on the back—two Ethernet jacks and a power port—and a singular status light. One Ethernet jack is used to connect the router to your modem, while the other provides a hardline connection to another device, like a computer or printer. The design is so simple that it’s effectively foolproof.
The hardware is top-notch, too. A single Nest Wi-Fi Pro router can cover up to 2,200 square feet of space, and you can add extra access points to extend mesh coverage for larger homes. It supports Matter and works as a Thread border router, so it can connect with the newest smart home devices. The router is smart enough to fix common connectivity issues on its own and sends a notification to your mobile devices if the Wi-Fi network goes down or access points become unavailable.
Nest Wi-Fi Pro fits perfectly into my Google Home ecosystem
The Google Home app actually makes network management easy
For people as deep into the Google Home ecosystem as I am, owning the Nest Wi-Fi Pro is worth more than a Wi-Fi 7 router. Rather than using a poorly designed app, the Nest Wi-Fi Pro is managed by the regular Google Home app. I can manage network settings, run speed tests, create guest networks, and reboot the mesh system all from the Home app on my iPhone or Android phone.
Nest Wi-Fi Pro offers a surprising amount of device management features and parental control settings. There are optional preferences I didn’t know I needed on a router, like a Preferred activities toggle that prioritizes Wi-Fi performance for video calls. There’s nothing more frustrating than seeing a fast speed test result while your Google Meet conference freezes, and Google’s smart bandwidth prioritization ensures that never happens with Nest Wi-Fi Pro.
The router works better with other Google Nest products, so it pays to go all-in on the ecosystem. Nest Wi-Fi Pro owners enjoy stronger live connection with Nest Cameras, more responsive smart speakers and displays, and faster 4K streaming on Chromecast and Google TV hardware.
Wi-Fi 7 isn’t worth giving up my Nest Wi-Fi Pro
Not when Wi-Fi 6E is still good enough
Wi-Fi 7 is still in its early stages of adoption, and most people probably don’t need to upgrade. There are quite a few qualifiers needed for a household to take real advantage of the faster speeds. For example, if your internet plan provides speeds lower than 1Gbps, a Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E router will likely handle all your needs. In my case, I have a lot of Wi-Fi 7 devices and multiple VR headsets, so there’s certainly an argument to be made for upgrading—especially for future-proofing.
Despite all the benefits, I won’t be upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 until Google refreshes the Nest Wi-Fi Pro to support the upgraded networking standard. It’s the fastest and most reliable Wi-Fi system I’ve ever used, and that matters more to me than a new spec. Google has a tendency to neglect its smart home hardware, and it’s unclear when the three-year-old Nest Wi-Fi Pro will be due for an update. Regardless, whether it takes Google one year or five to make a Nest Wi-Fi Pro that supports Wi-Fi 7, I’d rather stick with my Nest system than switch to another brand.
Hopefully, Wi-Fi 7 comes sooner rather than later, because Google’s Nest Wi-Fi Pro is my favorite router, and I’d love to see it get even better.
