5 Tips For EASY and AMAZING WiFi!

[@rternowski]

i have that same meshforce with 3 nodes. has worked great for several years now

[@slowboy89]

Your videos are great. Thanks for making things, simple

[@AutomateYourLife]

Glad you like them! I like to keep things simple, so I'm glad it's hitting home for you.

[@daveschmarder-1950]

Some great tips, Brian. I have one more to add. With the Google screens, you can see when they become disconnected from the network pretty quick. The Google Home Hub screen next to my router was frequently disconnecting. I was able to cure this by going into my router settings (Asus in my case) and change the bandwidth settings from Automatic to 20MHz. After that everything was just ducky. I've told several on the Reddit group and they also reported success with this adjustment. About 15 years ago, I ran a cat5 cable from my office to the living room. I have an 8 port switch in my office and another 8 port switch in my living room. Works very well for me.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Oooh good tip there Dave! That might be something to share on a Google specific one.

[@daveschmarder-1950]

@@AutomateYourLife I thought your viewers might find that handy. Since I'm full in on Google Home and only have one Alexa device plugged in, I can't tell if it is Google specific. BTW, did my first Duo call using my Nest Hub Max. Worked great! Probably will do more. Better than having actual visitors. :)

[@AutomateYourLife]

AHAHAHAHA! Yeah, you keep more of your food/drinks!

[@SpaceStrike]

@@daveschmarder-1950 what devices do you connect via Ethernet?

[@daveschmarder-1950]

@@SpaceStrike I connect two desktop computers, a VOIP telephone box, Wyze cam hub, Vizio TV, Roku box, and an Android box, and my printer.

[@houstonshomeautomation3524]

Great video I've tried about about 5 diffrent routers in 2 years too, with all of your same problems . I even did Google wifi for a spell but I was upset when I couldn't get my tuya lights on it because they were 2.4 ghz..... something I probally missed. I just went through the PAINFUL 9 hour long process of converting my home wifi to 2 smart things hub Routers . 60 wifi devices and over 100 zigbee and zwave devices at this point. I am loving the simplicity of everything!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Ahhhh! That sounds like a good one. You did the double duty there with the ST Hub/WiFi and that's a great way to go about it for someone with so many zigbee/z-wave devices. The Tuya stuff connects now flawlessly to Nest WiFi. Just did a bunch last week.

[@ryamelp]

Some ISP's are using Mesh systems from Eero, Plume, Minim. Power line adapters do not always work on surge strips. The strip will view the data as dirty power and try to filter it out. If the power adapter is connected to the same circuit as a high power draw device like microwave. The microwave turning on can kill your connection on the adapter. They do not jump electrical panels. I do however want to know how the data from the power line adapters do not back feed into the plant.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yeah so the good surge protectors (and definitely battery backups) will strip the signal. Yep!

[@sliderALT]

Where do you find those insert videos of people destroying stuff all the time? Those things are hilarious!

[@AutomateYourLife]

ahhahahahaha, it's just a site that I have a subscription to. It's fun to try and find that stuff.

[@natesilverman8107]

Great video, Brian! 2 Questions: 1) Which powerline adapters do you use and/or recommend? 2) I am considering the new Amazon eero 6 dual-band mesh Wi-Fi 6 router, with built-in Zigbee smart home hub with one or two extenders, but wonder how you feel that compares with the Nest Mesh reviewed above?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hey Nate! 1. I've used Netgear for most of my time, though I've tested a few others and still come back to Netgear. 2. Eero's going to be great, and I'm recommending it for lots of folks. I don't think you can go wrong there. The only thing I haven't tested personally is just how many devices it can hang on to, but I'm betting the number is easily 50 for the router and more with each of their Mesh extenders.

[@natesilverman8107]

@@AutomateYourLife Thanks for your swift reply, as the eero 6 release is days away now. Also re your powerline choice.

[@amywhitaker3961]

I recently installed a (TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System (Deco S4) - Up to 5,500 Sq.ft. Coverage, WiFi Router and Extender Replacement, Gigabit Ports,Seamless Roaming, Parental Controls, Works with Alexa, 3-Pack) that’s $150 and it was easy to install and works fantastic.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Great Amy!

[@TjFruichantie]

Great video! Curious, how much of an impact does the modem itself impact your overall wifi connection speeds?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hey TJ - Well, it's a limiter! Everything travels through it, so it can be a big pain for overall speeds. However, in terms of WiFi it only becomes a limiter when it can't handle traffic throughput for the overall system. That can be a big deal, so it depends! You'd have to look at expected speeds through it to determine for your situation.

[@TjFruichantie]

@@AutomateYourLife I'll have to check that out. We upgraded our router from our ISP provided unit to the Orbi RBR20 plus satellite and have amazing coverage and speeds now.

[@macinman]

Hey Brian, just thought I would share some things I've done to help network stability as well. First, for most of my time with high speed internet, over the past half a decade, I used the Airport Extreme products which in later generations were dual band 2.4, and 5Ghz. The latest, and final generation is also 80211ac compatible. They support up to 50 clients per devices, and I never had any issues on any counts with those. I am using a TP-Link Archer C4000 now as my current router. I'm not sure what it's max client count is, however it's a Tri-band router, so I'm sure it can hold more than a dual band. Things are rock solid here. The other thing I do, is I hard wire all devices that have the option, and ONLY use wireless for devices that have NO other option. This too, seems to keep the network clean and running smooth. For the wireless channels I let the router handle those automatically as well, and I disable ALL features that I don't need so they don't take memory, bandwidth, or CPU processing power away, or cause other unnecessary complications. Last, I only connect devices to the 5ghz network which can benefit from it. For example: the Echo devices without a screen, that are just Audio, don't need the 5Ghz band, they connect to either 2.4, or 5 at the same speed according to the PHY info i gathered when checking connections. This also ensures a more stable connection further away, as 2.4 can travel further than 5. So while I know you targeted this more toward the average user without any tech experience / background: For someone who does have experience and tech knowledge, I still find managing things manually a good option vs letting the router do Everything. Have a great day!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Great stuff here! Lots people can listen to here if they want to get in a bit deeper in terms of management.

[@macinman]

@@AutomateYourLife I forgot to mention in my initial comment that I mainly got a new router because Apple has discontinued the Airport line of products so long term support was a concern. Even though my Base Station still works perfectly. I will say because the TP-Link is wave 2 of AC compliant, that it does give additional speed.

[@justinw6448]

little advice is needed if you have time. I'm using a netgear x6s and a netgear ex8000 mesh wifi extender. I have around 50-55 wifi devices on it. it seems like the system gets lagging at times like there is too many devices on it. have I gone beyond my set up and should be looking at a different mesh set up?

[@AutomateYourLife]

So I don't think you're beyond it yet. That's a pretty good system, but I don't love the extender part. It could be struggling to keep up, but I'm betting it's some of the extra features you have running on the x6s and maaaaaaaybe some disconnects/reconnects are slowing it down.

[@leogodreau9505]

Thanks Brian. I've often wondered if the EOPs were actually worth it. After wiring Ethernet over most of the house, I still have a couple of spots that need better connections (Sonos surround speakers cut out) so I think I will try some there instead of trying to figure out how to wire it by going up in the attic, outside and through my furnace room. With your advice, I know I should upgrade to Google WIFI gen 2 from gen 1 but not a cheap option. Or maybe I should stop adding devices. Gotta go add those 2 Ikea smart blinds now. lol.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Ahahahahahaha! Just do the router first Leo. You don't need to do them all at once! Might find that replacing the router gives you all you need

[@leogodreau9505]

@@AutomateYourLife Yeah. I hesitated when they were on special last week. Sonos support helped but still getting some cut outs so even if it doesn't fix it, it'll still improve things.

[@SpaceStrike]

Haha Brian! My isp gave me eero and it actually seems to work great 20 devices in it high speeds! Only thing, I’m not sure about the modem they gave me. Ya think a modem could be slowing me down(I still get great speeds) or causing me latency?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Modem's can slow you down for sure! Since all traffic is heading through that eventually to get out of your home, it could cause you latency or other issues. Check on some of the specs, but it's just as likely it's about where you are and how many people are on the service in your area, and then the type of service.

[@SpaceStrike]

@@AutomateYourLife oh ok thanks. I’ll have to do my research

[@alanvarughese7368]

the idea of having something we now need to be as reliable as the power and energy in your home... it's true, it can effect outcomes and behavior in your home.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Try taking the WiFi down with kids around eh?

[@alanvarughese7368]

@@AutomateYourLife i quietly say awww snap! WW3 is about to start

[@giancarlogirardi1922]

What do you think of the Samsung smartthings wifi that is a mesh wifi and act as an smartthings hub at the same time with plume technology

[@AutomateYourLife]

I don't mind the idea, but with Samsung making some pretty big changes to their smartthings hardware...I'd hold a bit.

[@dwayneshaffer1914]

Excellent video but why not future proof and buying a Wifi 6 or wifi 6E mesh wifi system. TP=Link has a three device mesh wifi 6 system on sale for $229 at Costco.

[@AutomateYourLife]

You know Shaft...You can obviously go with a WiFi 6 system but I'm not seeing the need for most people right now. I also have seen too many people talking about reliability issues with TP-Link's Deco system, especially when the device number creeps up. I just see too much...

[@ronm6585]

Thanks Brian.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Thank you sir!

[@patrickcadette]

😁😁😁👍👍👍.. thanks for this one...

[@AutomateYourLife]

Thank you for your comments on all of them!

[@Darx97]

My wifi been acting up lately, i guess is because i have too many devices, got a few smart home devices, so when i start to play a game most of the times my entire internet would drop, so i have to disconnect a few of them and then all is fine, I'm thinking of getting the tp-link deco m5, the one with two because my house ain't that big, would that be a good solution ?

[@AutomateYourLife]

I haven't heard good things about the Deco lineup with smart homes. Just device number is a problem. However, I won't have the full story by any means because I haven't tried them personally.

[@Darx97]

A friend got the one with 3 and so far he didn't get into any problems with them, i guess I'll have to look what problems other got, i thought they would be good for basic use because i don't plan to get too in depth with it, just want something that works with not much hassle, and if possible not super expensive

[@Darx97]

Right now i just use the modem from the provider that also has wifi so def the worst case scenario

[@genelevi1]

Good video. Thanks! Since you already have a good ASUS router, why not just add another in AIMESH configuration and be done with it? Works for me at home... no need to go buy more pods...

[@AutomateYourLife]

You know Gene, that's a great question! At the time I replaced that router, there were some concerns about the reliability of AIMesh. I've since seen that they've become better and I'm glad you brought that up. Totally a doable situation.

[@genelevi1]

@@AutomateYourLife Haven't heard of issues, but I'm not listening because I'm not having any :-). I have a pair of older routers, RT-AC68U and I do have both wired together in AiMesh mode and they are rock-solid for years, not to mention give me a bunch of network ports upstairs and in the lower level. But your mileage will vary, as they say. I can slowly start adding Wi-Fi6E routers if I want when I have more Wi-Fi6E capable devices that can make use of it. Thanks for all you do!

[@dutchkel]

I have an eero mesh dual band I just got on prime day. It's awesome. I do have to disconnect my 2nd node in the back of my apt to get devices that only use the 2.4 band to connect and then plug it back in. Prior I had an extender in my house and it said it had full strength but the speeds were not there. I got a 3.1 dcm modem as well. I'm good now. Helped immensely. I am interested in upgrading to a tri-band eventually or the orbi just because it has Circle in it and I want to be able to block websites better. However, right now with alexa eero skill I set up my child in a profile and I can block her devices from wifi at any time. So useful. I have to say that channel switching sounds great. Fing does tell me which channels are best by me so I might have to make some changes. One downside to mesh is the lack of ethernet ports. I had to buy another ethernet switch

[@AutomateYourLife]

Ohhhh! Sounds like your modem might have been causing you some pain there. Orbi's a great solve too, and I think that's a great solution for many homes! I'm really excited to try the new Eero's too, so I'm happy to hear you've enjoyed so much about them.

[@bonghollywood1653]

I preferred having the old Google Wifi as my satellites and use the Nest Wifi as my Parent mesh. Permanent (not mobile) devices are split into a switch plugged in the back of google wifi (which is not available for nest wifi anymore)

[@AutomateYourLife]

That's a great way to do this and shave some bucks off the price of Nest WiFi. The only drawback is Google WiFi won't do as many devices on it, but you're using it for wired devices and that's a great method!

[@NL90000]

Have a D-Link mesh and it starts to cause issues around 30-40 units or so. But I dont feel Nest Wifi is the best option either. It doesn't have Wifi 6 (future proofing) and it actually only have 2x2 antennas for each fervency and most importantly, it lacks a dedicated back haul. So all your 5GHz units have to settle for Wifi 5 and share the space with the back and forth communication between the router/AP. But if you say it can handle 100 units, with both cameras, displays, 4k streaming, gaming, then I'm impressed. Even though its most likely the ethernet over power line (EOP) that's saving you. EOP is good enough for everything but gaming, they do add some extra latency.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Oh the router's 4x4 on 5 GHz, so you can actually run 2 of those if you want to get fancy. Run a wire between the 2 and it becomes pretty powerful. You can get there if you want!

[@NL90000]

@@AutomateYourLife Ok so 4x4 on the router but not AP and only on the 5GHz side? The bulk of smarthome tech (switches, lamps etc) are still on the 2.4GHz, so it would be useful with 4x4 on 2.4. Agree that a wired back haul is preferable, but not doable for most ppl (maybe via EOP). I wish Nest was to release a more powerfull unit with dedicated back haul, wifi 6 and 4x4 antennas on all frequencies. I gladly pay twice the price.

[@garethunderhill]

Have you had any experience with Linksys Velop? I'm interested in setting up the HomeKit secure element as I have a HomeKit oriented smart home instead of a Google one. I have HomeKit secure video and this mesh wifi setup tickles my fancy... Great videos by the way!!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hey Gareth, thanks for the kudos! I haven't used Linksys Velop personally so I couldn't comment with any sort of experience. Linksys has always done well for me in previous setups and with friends though.

[@Darthwein]

Can the EOP run thru a surge protector prior to the wall outlet connection? If so does this lessen the speed at all?

[@AutomateYourLife]

So, you want to connect most of them directly to the wall. However, there are some surge protectors they can get through. It'll depend on the model you buy and the surge protector you're using. A UPC, Never. That's because a UPC provides power from a battery and therefore filters out all power transfer.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Doesn't affect speed though.

[@jordanbeymer3356]

if you purchase nest wifi do you replace your previous router?

[@AutomateYourLife]

I did, but it's not a requirement!

[@CasperBang]

Just upgraded from Google Wifi to Nest Wifi because it's just the easies and offers amazing topology transparency (what's doing what). I do however experience some wifi connectivity issues, all of a sudden a device which is seemingly on wifi has no actual connection. Killing the wifi link and enabling it again usually solves the problem. I fear it may be due to my 3 Nest Wifi cams though I would certainly expect this to be irrelevant. I have my Nest routers (yes 2 routers, not the points) hard-wired rather than Mesh so that could be the issue I guess (though I would be rather disappointed) and also I have the ISP's router/accesspoint transmitting which I should try to disable to try and remedy the problem. Curious whether others experience similar issues with the otherwise wonderful Nest wifi?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hey Casper, I wonder if maybe you're having some interference there suddenly killing connectivity and then a device just isn't reconnecting. I would disable that ISP's transceiver for sure!

[@CasperBang]

@@AutomateYourLife Thx for the feedback. I will try to get hold of the ISP to set their device into bridge mode - as soon as the kids are not using NetFlix that is! :D

[@simulation8083]

I've got a great router (Asus 3200) but literally done this today with tp8630p that supports powerline and acts as a 2.4 and 5 ghz wifi point .I've noticed that the ethernet connection actually runs slower than the 5ghz wifi but seems a lot more stable. Wondering though as I add more plugs and ethernet devices with the 1 ethernet cable from the original plug going back to the router cause a bottle neck?

[@AutomateYourLife]

So...TP-Link's powerline I've never had great results with. Nor their extenders. I'd have to fully understand your setup to comment, but I've used those before and the WiFi portion doesn't run well and causes issues throughout the home entirely. Netgear has always done better on powerline. As for the single cable thing, newer cabling is going to be faster than 5 GHz. However, older true Cat 5 will not be. Might just be as simple as that cable.

[@simulation8083]

@@AutomateYourLife yeah, think this quite a new product. The plugs, have 3 ethernet port gigabit passthrough and 2X2 MIMO with Beamforming Technology, so the signal shouldn't degrade as much over distance . Made a huge difference straight away to my remote satellite tv receivers that are now connected via powerline instead of wireless. One plug connects to the router and the others plug network to it via powerline. Each plug has 3 ports but also acts a 2 4 and 5ghz WiFi which is cloned to my main ssids. I get 380mbits down at the router. So as long as my speed and connection throughout the house is now stable, I should get much fewer drop outs

[@somemovingpictures]

Brian, I noticed through checking out a couple of Netgear EOP devices that there is some speed loss and performance is at slower speeds than Netgear lists. (most probably true of all brands, of course) What I am wondering is what kind of performance I would get using, say, a small 5 port unmanaged hub downstream of the EOP devices. Too much to expect?

[@AutomateYourLife]

You're going to slow that network down pretty considerably if you use an unmanaged one downstream of one of those EoPs. Now, I do that for a small segment of my network that isn't highly data intensive and so it's OK to do it in many situations. Just don't expect speeds that you need for much streaming or gaming. Now having said that, I've managed to test out that situation with cameras and it's been OK. Not amazing performance, but the network can still do it. I'll give you how wild it's got: 4 Port EoP -> Unmanaged Switch -> Managed PoE switch -> Camera (Fine) Also 4 Port EoP -> Unmanaged Switch -> Managed PoE switch -> Wyze Outdoor Cam Hug -> Wyze Cam Outdoor (Fine)

[@futurecactus]

I really think that you would be better off using a single EOP device to a switch than using multiple EOP devices because EOP effectively creates a collision domain out of your power lines. There's nothing to stop the EOP devices trying to talk over each other at the same time. With a single EOP device there will be no collisions because there's no competition, all traffic will go to the switch which is a far superior method of distributing packets.

[@SmartHomeHASHTAGS]

Would you count a SmartThings hub (if connected via WiFi) as one device or is it based on the load of all the devices connected to the hub?

[@AutomateYourLife]

The SmartThings Hub is really just one device when we're counting what's connected to WiFi, but there are many WiFi devices that have been connected to my SmartThings now! Too many...actually lol

[@SmartHomeHASHTAGS]

@@AutomateYourLife 😂🤣...OH?! I didn't know it handled WiFi devices as well. I thought it was only Zigbee and Zwave. I might have to take another look at SmartThings. Thanks 🤔🤗😊

[@futurecactus]

@@SmartHomeHASHTAGS i believe there's the Smartthings ZigBee hub you're thinking of and a separate device for their mesh WiFi hub system.

[@loganfisher3138]

Would you consider making a video on Tasker? I've been getting really into it lately. It feels to me like an integral part of any smart home.

[@SpaceStrike]

There’s another app like tasked that is free

[@loganfisher3138]

@@SpaceStrike Are you talking about Automate? It's only free up to 30 concurrent blocks. After that, it's simpler to use than Tasker, but not quite as powerful.

[@AutomateYourLife]

I don't usually make videos about systems that complex Logan. It's more about fitting my target audience than it is about usefulness. I don't think Tasker fits the ease for function tradeoff I'm hoping for on the channel. At least not yet!

[@loganfisher3138]

@@AutomateYourLife That's fair. Perhaps instead of a dedicated video, more of a comparison video might make sense - highlighting the differences in ease of use, expense, and what is possible between systems like SmartThings automations, Alexa routines, IFTTT, Tasker, Automate, etc. That might be more easily accessible to your intended audience, and would offer a useful point of comparison. Of course, these can all be combined to form an even more powerful smart home, but having a basic understanding of what options exist is a major first step in picking what path to pursue.

[@SpaceStrike]

@@loganfisher3138 yeah that’s the one. I agree it’s not as powerful but you could try to combine tasker and that one

[@thedonofatl7]

I have a google smart home and really want the nest WiFi, but I have recently found out that people have been having problems with keeping IOS devices connected to nest WiFi. Do you know anything about this issue and if it’s still worth purchasing for a IOS user?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hey kowboys - I haven't had this issue personally. I have an iPhone, an iPad, an Apple TV, and haven't seen regular disconnections. It's possible there's a current mismatch that you're hearing about, but this isn't something that I've had any issues with!

[@ktsang6544]

Great informative video Brian! Regarding the EOP device solution, does it give the same internet speed as when you run ethernet cables?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Ahhhhh, now that depends on what you buy. There are different speed versions. In general, I would say that NO device is going to achieve what you can actually achieve through cabling. However, for 99% of families, you don't need any higher than the ones I put in the description link. They are fast.

[@NL90000]

Do make sure they are on the same electric circuits (sorry, not sure about the english term). You can lose a lot of speed and get extra latency if the EOP devices are on different circuits/phases. They usually do a good enough job for everything but gaming.

[@ktsang6544]

@@NL90000 if on the same circuit, is there significant loss of internet speed? Like how many percent loss?

[@NL90000]

@@ktsang6544 if they are on the same, then you should be able to get good performance. Look at some reviews to get a feeling for what result you can expect, maybe even the cheaper models will be good enough depending on your needs.

[@ktsang6544]

@@NL90000 would you know how many percent of the optimum speed can it achieve? Will it be faster than a mesh wifi system?

[@beauthompson5338]

hi Brian do you have a video on using nest wifi with isp router?

[@SmartHomeHASHTAGS]

I would think you would just plug it into one of the available Ethernet ports on the ISP modem/router.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yep! Michael's right! Just plug it in the ISP router instead. Watch the tutorial I reference at the end of this video and I talk about that situation!

[@jaynunes2501]

Ethernet over power is actually a thing? Why have I never heard of this before? Are the speeds reliable? If so, this is amazing! Can you use it to backhaul your mesh system? I agree the nest Wi-Fi is nice but I actually went for the aces tZen because it’s Wi-Fi six and since I needed to replace my old system I wanted to future proof.

[@SmartHomeHASHTAGS]

I don't know how my power cables are installed, whether every single power point is running on the same line, but I had troubles using those powerline adapters on the opposite side of my home to where my input adapter was. Same side... no problems.

[@AutomateYourLife]

So in most homes, it's totally usable and reliable! You'll know in minutes if it's not going to work, but...it's been perfect for me. Backhaul, well...that depends on your system but in general I'd say yes. For me right now, I bring all my hubs down to my main router through it and I also bring my PC the same way. Speeds can be limited with this method, so you just need to think about which ones you buy and the speeds you want.

[@speedracer9132]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention Asus mesh

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yeahhhh, that's just a little more complicated than most people want to go with a router. Not that it's a bad option :)

[@speedracer9132]

@@AutomateYourLife great point

[@fl1ntlock1]

Good video! thats a compliment I never say that...

[@AutomateYourLife]

I'll take it!

[@GunnyPhillips]

I tried both the standard Netgear and Orbi mesh systems and was pretty unimpressed with both. I also tried Powerline Ethernet, which worked OK but both the router-connected device and the nodes need to be on the same circuit for optimal performance, which is not always practical. In the end I went through the trouble of running wired Ethernet in my home and connecting inexpensive AP's. It's a pain to do but it really pays off in the end. I now have 4 strategically placed AP's throughout my home and get consistent and fast speeds everywhere. Mesh is a good turnkey system when it works but it is not the magic cure manufacturers want us to believe it is.

[@AutomateYourLife]

If you're happy, I'm happy!

[@GunnyPhillips]

@@AutomateYourLife Very much so. Thanks for all of your great videos. They are appreciated!

[@SpaceStrike]

Eero WiFi Try it

[@berylwhite2983]

Does google nest WiFi Still work with she who shall not be named?Just wondering

[@AutomateYourLife]

Everything works together! At least in my home. :)

[@adisona5582]

Hello Mr. automate your life. I need some tips to encrypt my Wi-Fi, not just my setting up a password, so I can do better on staying away from the Wi-Fi hackers. How can I do this?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Your biggest defense is that password. You can also use WPA3 encryption on the Nest WiFi, but that doesn't work with a ton of other devices. One thing I've found is great about Nest WiFi for this too, is that you can get a notification every time someone joins your WiFi. This would tell you when someone's come on.

[@adisona5582]

@@AutomateYourLife thank you for the heart in the reply. Also, can I use a virtual private Network to encrypt my Wi-Fi

[@102179mark]

Nest WiFi setup certainly is easy. I was super excited to upgrade from Google WiFi but to be honest, I've never had more issues with my WiFi. I bought the router and two access point pack, and had devices disconnecting like crazy. I ended up using those plus three of the Google WiFi pucks I had previously been using (so six total now) before I got a stable connection to all my devices (I've got around 70 WiFi devices connected at any given time) I've spent hours (at least 4) on the phone with Google tech support trying to figure it out but to no avail.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Wow...I wonder what that's all about. So, I obviously can't help directly but here's the thing I do with situations like this Mark... Look at your oddball devices. Ones that not a ton of people have. Take those off for a few days, reboot your system, and see what happens. Also, look at the fringe devices...so the ones on the edge of the network. Take those down for a day or two and see. Buffers can fill on routers when traffic fails. Also, oddball devices can be doing strange things and maybe there isn't enough knowledge out there about them in conjunction with your system. You might uncover something VERY strange, but very helpful.

[@102179mark]

@@AutomateYourLife Honestly i don't really have much in the way of oddball. Windows computers, Samsung phones, Wyze and Nest cams, Google Homes, Wemo, Hue, Smartthings, August Locks, Playstation, Nintendo Switch, TLC TV, Vizio TV. I've got a couple Toucan cams that if anything would be considered the oddball devices.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Test those TVs and the cams. Plus devices that are in the 10-50% range of wifi signal strength!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Windows PCs could also be...issues of a different sort.

[@102179mark]

@@AutomateYourLife I'll be using the app you recommended in the video to check the strength. I tried using a different app and to be honest got lost with it because of all the different signals from the access point, but I'll give that one a go and see what happens.

[@saad_sati]

I love nest WiFi but omg the internet speed on the mesh is low but the route is fast idk why

[@AutomateYourLife]

You could have a look at the backhaul situation there. I try and keep the heavier streaming devices on routers.

[@AndreasChristodoulou1989]

Honestly. Taking the time to run ethernet is by far the best solution and cheapest.

[@SmartHomeHASHTAGS]

I think Brian lives in a rental property, so if he had to move every 12 months it would be easier (and cheaper in the long run) to use Nest WiFi.

[@AutomateYourLife]

I've had the same Ethernet over Power devices in 3 homes over 10 years. Not sure the $200 I spent on that would have stretched out across wiring 3 homes fully! It's a pretty cheap solution!

[@1MarkKeller]

Oooooooo, that ethernet thingy sounds like a plan.

[@AutomateYourLife]

It's been great for me for maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnyyy years Mark.

[@NL90000]

Do make sure they are on the same electric circuits (sorry, not sure about the english term). You can lose a lot of speed and get extra latency if the EOP devices are on different circuits/phases.

[@gilbertoresendez37]

How do I connect my 2.4 GHz lightbulbs to google mesh wifi without walking outside

[@AutomateYourLife]

Most apps and lightbulbs that you buy new today have the ability to just connect properly. This used to be a bigger problem then it is today. However, as a quick workaround: turn off the system, turn on your hotspot on your phone. Do the connection to that phone's hotspot and then turn on your system. Again, doesn't happen to me anymore and I've set up everything from Wyze, to Smart Life, to Yeelight, and hundreds of other WiFi devices.

[@Vivereee]

Yeah I'm working with 5ghz but some devices do not, so that's kinda annoying.

[@AutomateYourLife]

You do what you can!

[@Plantje1978]

One thing that I do like to point out is Samsung and ethernet. Perhaps it has already been pointed out, but well.... I have a Samsung TV and I'd like to connect as many devices using a cable as possible. To cut a long story short: using my Google Home I can switch off my TV, but if I want to switch it on again Google mentions that my TV is not available. The "solution" of Samsung is to use WiFi rather than ethernet....whut?!? That's not a solution.... it's a work around! Anyway....if you run into this: unplug the ethernet cable and you should be good to go!

[@AutomateYourLife]

So when I was reading this I started thinking...oh that's a power saving feature! Odd that this is the solve. Anyways, I'd check and just turn off some of those power saving "sleep" type features and see if it fixes it! If you already have, then...well...sorry!

[@Plantje1978]

@@AutomateYourLife Thanks! I was pretty sure, I disabled all sorts of power saving, but checked it anyway. And no, there was no setting to change. The only "solution" is using WiFi rather than an ethernet cable :(

[@DavidFerreira1986]

Man, you are wrong in some situations, you need to dig more about Networking. For exemple, you are talking about 50/60 devices limit.......its false, your router can have unlimitess devices as long you dont exhausts the range of ips that you have! Another thing....all your smartdiveces are not always connected, most of than Have a deep spleep connection until needed. More: Powerline is not reliable and its not fast lol. The best way to distribuite network in house, is having Operator Router in bridge mode with a non wireless router (ex.: ubiquiti), connect some mesh hub for wireless like TP-Link AC1200) and its done. the router that receive the bridge shoud manage all devices, and the cable should be not less than CAT6 wire inside the walls. Everythign else is a waste of money, that you should considere to invest in the previous stuff that I mention before

[@Tachikoma-sj6kz]

your first claim is inaccurate to say the least - whilst the theoretical limit is dictated by the IP range there are many factors that will effectively cripple routers, especially ISP provided ones, long before you get anywhere near that number.

[@DavidFerreira1986]

@@Tachikoma-sj6kz if you buy a router that I mention before, and do a brifge from operator router, you take controll of all range of ips that you want.....soo inacurate wehre?

[@Tachikoma-sj6kz]

​@@DavidFerreira1986 you didn't specify that router you said "your router". Most people are using ISP supplied routers which simply aren't in the same league as the one you specify. There's an abundance of articles easily searchable that explain why the theoretical limit does not equate to a practical limit. Thats one of the reasons ISP support forums are full of articles advising router upgrades. In more recent years this has become less of an issue but there are still significant numbers of people who are impacted by poor router performance because ther are too many devices connected to their wifi.

[@DavidFerreira1986]

@@Tachikoma-sj6kz I'm quotting myself lol "The best way to distribuite network in house, is having Operator Router in brdge mode with a non wireless router (ex.: ubiquiti), "

[@Tachikoma-sj6kz]

@@DavidFerreira1986 and given I didn't challenge that you point is what exactly?