Google Nest WiFi Pro review: Some things old, some things new

I don’t live in a particularly large apartment, but my home is prone to WiFi dead spots inside and outside the building. While some routers and modem-routers do a good job of providing usable WiFi in the back of my apartment, the better solution is mesh WiFi: multiple networking devices used to blanket the whole home. Technically, mesh WiFi devices like the Google Nest WiFi Pro can be used as single devices, but whole-home wireless coverage typically comes from meshing two or more identical-looking satellites.

Google sent me a three-pack Nest WiFi Pro to review, and while the single-unit tests weren’t overly impressive, the three-unit tests led to mostly impressive results. Before we get into those, though, here’s a look at today’s most popular NBN plans from our comparison engine.

What we like about the Google Nest WiFi Pro

Despite being a couple of years old, the Google Nest WiFi Pro still manages to stand out as the best WiFi mesh system I’ve reviewed since the TP-Link HX510. And the first impressive part is the price, more so if you’re snagging the three-pack version, which you absolutely should. After all, it’s not really a mesh WiFi system with a single unit, and the value of three is much better than the single unit.

Initial configuration is a breeze, which is important for mesh WiFi systems because they’re supposed to offer straightforward setup. I particularly appreciated that the Google Home companion app detected I was using a three-unit system. Each Nest WiFi Pro satellite was set up in around 10 minutes, which included an automatic firmware update. The egg-like devices feature a discrete design and are compact enough to fit anywhere in a vertical orientation.

The user-friendly trend carries over from setup to everyday use, too, and those who typically spend time with the Google Home app (even in passing), should find monitoring and tweaking a breeze. Google Home has an intuitive layout for the most important settings, while tinkerers can dig into more options via ‘Network settings’. I was able to quickly switch IP addresses for the network without issues, which should mean most users won’t bemoan the missing web portal.

The Google Home app also runs occasional speed tests, which is a great way to track speed issues if you notice a decline during real-world use. My apartment is connected to the NBN via FTTC technology, and the speeds read more indicative of the fibre connection to the telecom pit than what my FTTC modem is receiving, which is an unexpected bonus.

In terms of the actual speed tests and overall WiFi performance, two Nest WiFi Pro units were enough to tame the wireless dead spots in my apartment. Adding a third unit to the mesh WiFi network initially felt like overkill for my apartment space, but it did have added benefits like impressive speeds to my garage, not to mention more consistent latency scores. As for everyday performance, the Nest WiFi Pro rarely skipped a beat when it came to a full range of internet tasks, including wireless file transfers, downloading and uploading files, video and voice calls, online gaming, streaming, and web browsing.

What we dislike about the Google WiFi Pro

While the price for a three-pack is great, the cost of a single Google Nest WiFi Pro isn’t low enough relative to the competition. That’d be less of a concern if the single-unit performance was better, more so in comparison to the extremely impressive performance on offer from the three-times-cheaper TP-Link HX510.

During my single-unit appraisal, the Nest WiFi Pro failed during multiple speed tests in the study. While my apartment study is a common trap for underperforming WiFi, that typically translates to slower speeds, not full-blown dropouts. From what I could ascertain, it seemed like the single-unit configuration hung onto the 6GHz band for longer than it should’ve, instead of switching to 5GHz or 2.4GHz. Thankfully, dropouts were rare occurrences even with the three-unit mesh WiFi system but, admittedly, still happened during longer sit-down tests in the bathroom.

The 2.4GHz band performance was more off than on in my tests. At its most impressive, the 2.4GHz band offered unprecedented speeds to my garage with a manageable 11% dip in WiFi download speeds. At its worst, the 2.4GHz band had a 76% and 64% degradation to download and upload speeds, respectively (with a single unit), and a 76% and 66% hit to the same with three units. That’s not ideal, particularly for anyone looking to use WiFi outside a home with thick external walls.

It was also strange to see a ‘fair’ 6GHz signal rating—better only than ‘poor’ but still behind the ideal ‘good’ and ‘excellent’ Pixel WiFi strength ratings—for the two-unit and three-unit tests performed at my TV, which is half a metre from the Nest WiFi Pro router. Given the range limitations of the newer 6GHz band, I suspect the mesh WiFi system was favouring a connection to the Nest WiFi Pro unit at the other end of the lounge, rather than the one right in front of it.

As a tinkerer, I’m not a fan of mesh WiFi systems shunning web portals in favour of watered-down companion apps, and the Nest WiFi Pro is no exception to this trend. Still, I do appreciate what is available in the Google Home companion app, which allowed me to do most of my regular network tweaks. The bigger concern is the inconsistent Quality of Service (QoS) feature. What little QoS there is only kicks in for video conferencing, and I had mixed results where the QoS was seemingly non-existent with video streaming at times but appeared to be working automatically at others.

The other gripes are physical, starting with the wide power adaptors, which hogged space on a power board. Then there’s the lack of Ethernet ports, which are limited to 1Gbps speeds. While those speeds are fine for most homes, they’re not futureproofed for NBN 2000 plans and beyond. More practically concerning is there are only two Ethernet ports per Nest Wifi Pro unit, which effectively drops to one port on the Nest Wifi Pro used as a router because one is relegated to the modem.

Google Nest WiFi Pro – Final Thoughts

The Google Nest WiFi Pro hit Australia in late 2023 with 2022 tech. Despite this, the WiFi 6E innards and overall performance are a solid fit for most homes seeking wide wireless coverage. Get two or more and you should be able to eliminate WiFi dead spots in your home. While it does have some detractors, the everyday performance relative to the three-pack price makes the Nest WiFi Pro a worthy purchase in 2025.

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