Google’s chic Nest Wifi mesh router now available in Singapore

Google made a big impact in the home networking space when they launched Google Wifi back in 2016.

It offered performance that belied its compact looks. Though it might lack features found on full-fledged routers, it was dead simple to use. I bet even your grandma could set it up in less than 10 minutes.

Three years on, Google has updated its mesh networking system in a big way with the new Nest Wifi.

The Nest Wifi system consists of a dedicated Nest Wifi router which you plug into your modem, and the network can then be expanded with Nest Wifi points.

According to Google, the router itself can cover an area of up to 120 square metres, while a router and a single point can cover up to 210 square metres. Slap two points to the router and the network covers up to 300 square metres.

To make it look good in homes and prevent owners from keeping them in cabinets (yes, many people actually do that), Nest Wifi actually looks classy and chic, thanks to a design inspired by ceramic pottery. In other words, you wouldn't actually mind displaying the Router and its points out in the open at home. 

Like its predecessor, the Nest Wifi will be dead simple to use, with Google assuring that anyone can set it up just minutes.

In another incentive to leave it out on display, each Nest Wifi point will also be a Google Assistant speaker, so it can play music and listen to voice commands to control smart home devices.

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The Nest Wifi mesh networking system supports Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac). The Nest Wifi Router is a dual-band AC2200-class router, while each Nest Wifi Point is a dual-band AC1200-class networking device.

Reviews overseas have praised the Nest Wifi system for being faster and smarter versions of standard mesh routers with handy capabilities to host guest networks and pausing internet connections to selected devices. 

The Nest Wifi router and Nest Wifi point retail at $229 and $199 respectively, and they are now available on Google Store, Challenger and Courts.

This article was first published in Hardware Zone. Additional reporting by AsiaOne.