You can even program it to cut off access to certain family members at, say, dinnertime. It also keeps track of each device connected to the network and how much bandwidth you're using at any given time. Using the app, I could then monitor the strength of the WiFi connection for each router, as well as the speed of the signal from my internet service provider. The whole process took less than 20 minutes. I then returned to the app to select each router and connect it to the network. I did have to launch it a few times to locate the three routers, but once I accomplished that feat, the rest was painless.Īfter plugging in each unit, I switched between the setup procedure on the app to the network settings on my phone to plug in a network ID and password. Like the eero, Google WiFi has a mobile app (available for Android and iOS users) that makes the setup relatively easy. And so, I was eager to give the Google WiFi router a try. When the WiFi-connected speaker in the kitchen produced choppy sound a few weeks back, effectively ruining our Thanksgiving soundtrack, it nearly spoiled my meal. My roommates, accustomed to poor connections and preoccupied with "real lives," can live with this less-than-stellar connection. And though this setup provided me with good WiFi service, the kitchen-midway between the two routers-still sat in a no man's land plagued by inconsistent speeds. So I purchased a second Airport Extreme for my room, connecting it to the one that already existed with a Powerline adapter-a device that essentially converts the electrical wiring into computer cables. The bedroom I occupy was about as far as could be from the in-house Apple Airport Extreme router, cut off from the signal by a number of dense walls and heavy wooden doors. When I moved into a four-bedroom Brooklyn apartment with three roommates earlier this year, I immediately became the WiFi Czar. The device also works in concert with the OnHub router that Google released in 2015, linking as a satellite via Google WiFi's mobile app.Īnd, yes, if you'd prefer not to buy the Google WiFi router three-pack, you can purchase the routers individually for $129 a piece. Google states clearly that the Google WiFi router system and the mobile app that accompanies it "do not track the websites you visit or collect the content of any traffic on your network." Let me begin by addressing the big privacy question. So pricewise, Google WiFi beats that one, too.īut how does the Google WiFi router stack up against its three rivals? Well, to answer that question, I decided to take Google Wifi home to my Brooklyn apartment for a trial run. Netgear launched an Orbi two-pack (a router and one satellite unit) in August for $400. But, at $300 a pack, it's a bargain, at least compared with the $400 Luma and the $500 eero systems. Like the eero and Luma routers, the Google WiFi router is sold in a pack of three units that link together to create what's called a "mesh network," blanketing your home in WiFi. Google's new wireless router arrives in stores today.
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