Computer Shopper - July 2017

signal drops. With client steering, Google
gently nudges devices to disconnect from
one access point and reconnect to a
stronger one. Indeed, monitoring via
the app, we noticed our devices
would switch from one access
point to another, maintaining
signal strength and speed.
There’s no need to configure
wireless channels either, as Google
uses a dedicated sensing radio to
monitor surrounding interference,
changing settings automatically as
required. Cloud-based machine
learning lets Google automatically
create a schedule, changing wireless
channels at set times during the week.
Finally, you don’t have to worry
about updates, as Google will
automatically download and install
them for you. Really, Google Wifi is a
brilliantly simple system that you can
just plug in and forget about.
INTERNAL OPPOSITION
Internally, each access point has dual-band
wireless, with 2x2 1,200Mbit/s on a single
5GHz band. In comparison, BT’s Whole Home
Wi-Fi has tri-band wireless, with dual
1,733Mbit/s 4x4 5GHz bands. On paper, BT
certainly has the advantage, with a lot more
network bandwidth available.
Using dual Google Wifi access points,
we measured an average throughput of
329.25Mbit/s at close range, 431.06Mbit/s on
the fi rst fl oor and 164.6Mbit/s on the second
fl oor. This is better performance than we saw
from the BT Whole Home Wi-Fi, bar secondfl
oor performance. BT’s higher number of
access points and higher bandwidth seemed
to make the difference in this test.
Likewise, testing in the garden, just
outside of the kitchen window – a traditional
dead spot – we found BT to be the winner.
We got throughputs of 153Mbit/s with
Google Wifi and 185.11Mbit/s with BT Whole
Home. At the bottom of the garden, BT
managed to give us 56Mbit/s compared to the
37.7Mbit/s from Google Wifi.
MEDDLING KIDS
Where Google Wifi shines is through the app
and configuration options. Family Wi-Fi is the
best of the bunch, letting you group together
multiple devices and then set schedules for
their internet access. For example, you can let
an older child have more time online with
their laptop and tablet, shutting down a
younger child’s tablet earlier. You can also
⬅ Each Wifi access point is equipped with
two Gigabit Ethernet ports
to your Google Wifi; however,
everything connected to Google
Wifi can see your entire home
network. If these last couple of
paragraphs have made alarming
sense to you, Google Wifi won’t
present any problems, but if it all
sounds a bit baffling, BT Whole
Home Wi-Fi might be a better fi t
– it simply integrates into your
existing network.
The only way around Google’s
configuration issue is to use a single
device in Bridge mode; however, if
you’re going down this route, you’re
better off buying a dedicated router.
There’s no option to configure
the DHCP range of IP address that
Google Wifi hands out, either. That
shouldn’t cause too much trouble,
though, and you can use the app to reserve
a device an IP address; effectively, this is a
quick way to give out static IP addresses.
SIMPLER TIMES
Aside from the slightly quirky way in which
Google Wifi works, the system is rather neat,
and the app (and the control it provides) is
the best we’ve seen. Really, this system makes
wireless networking and device control super
easy. Whether or not it’s the right product for
you, though, depends on what you want to do.
BT’s Whole Home Wi-Fi is slightly more
expensive (although that said, at the time of
writing it was on sale for just £200), but its
network integration is neater and long-range
performance is better. For larger houses or
ones with a few dead spots, BT’s system is
the best choice.
Google Wifi is a brilliantly simple system that you can
just plug in and forget about
⬆ The Google Wifi app provides plenty of
configuration options
manually pause internet access by group, too;
it’s a brilliant way to get children’s attention.
Google has a built-in guest network, which
is something missing from the BT Whole
Home Wi-Fi. You can select which devices
people on the guest network can see. For
example, you can hide your NAS, but you
could make your Chromecast available so that
guests can stream photos to your TV.
The one downside of Google Wifi is that in
mesh mode, it operates in Network Address
Translation (NAT) mode. This doesn’t affect
performance, but it can make configuring
some port-forwarding services, such as for
games, tricky. In effect, you have to set up
port forwarding on your main router and the
Google Wifi, which can break some services.
Access from one device to another can be
confusing, too. A device connected to your
original router can’t see a device connected
If you can get by with two access points,
Google Wifi is an excellent, easy-to-manage
alternative. Finally, if you want to replace
your existing router, the Netgear Orbi is an
expensive option, but it’s by far the fastest
whole-home Wi-Fi product we’ve tested.
David Ludlow
SPECIFICATIONS
MODEM Gigabit Ethernet • WI-FI STANDARD 802.11ac •
STATED SPEED Not disclosed (2.4GHz), 1,200Mbit/s (5GHz)
• USB PORTS 0 • WALL MOUNTABLE No •
WARRANTY One year RTB • DETAILS madeby.google.com •
PART CODE Google Wifi
5GHz close
5GHz 1 fl oor
5GHz 2 fl oors
329.25Mbit/s
431.06Mbit/s
164.6Mbit/s
0 200
400
600
See page 72 for performance details
ISSUE 353 | COMPUTER SHOPPER | JULY 2017
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