Each device includes two Gigabit Ethernet ports. Google Wifi ships with Wifi points, an ethernet cable for the primary Wifi point, and power adapters for each Wifi point. Setting up your Google Wifi network takes only a few minutes, depending on the number of nodes needed to install. Keep in mind how Wi-Fi signals travel is affected by the materials in a home, so even a home of the same size might need more or fewer nodes. My home is approximately 2,200 square feet across three floors. Most homeowners will want to start with the 3-pack and will then have to decide whether adding more nodes is best. Google Wifi, available in a 3-pack or 1-pack, provides 1,500 square feet of coverage per node. The rest function on your network wirelessly. Mesh starter kits typically ship with two or three nodes with only the one connected to your modem requiring an Ethernet cable. And because Wi-Fi broadcasts from each node (also called Wifi points), and not just a single router, you can extend your coverage with ease by added more units at any time.Īs you move around the house with your devices, you’re always automatically connected to the nearest node, thereby guaranteeing a consistent, fast signal. Unlike a router-and-extender setup, there’s only one network under this scenario. One device, called a node, is connected to your current modem while placing other nodes around your home. Mesh networks like Google Wifi replace an existing Wi-Fi network. Additionally, most range extenders cut your bandwidth in half since wireless is half-duplex, which means connected devices can’t send and receive information simultaneously, thereby slowing things down. Depending on the number of extenders, this system quickly becomes inefficient since you must manually switch your devices back and forth between networks as you move around. In large homes and those with more than one floor, Wi-Fi range extenders are used to re-broadcast the router’s signal, usually by creating a separate network.

A traditional home network includes one router that’s either connected to or part of a modem.

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