Category: Google Wifi

A new feature is starting to roll out to the Google WiFi app that brings the ability for you to test individual device connectivity on your wireless network.  The feature will allow you to see the connection health of an individual device on the network which can be handy if you are troubleshooting a constantly buffering Chromecast device as an example.

Today, the Google WiFi app can test the overall network health and its connection to the Internet.  That will remain in the app but will be augmented by this new feature.  You will be able to select a device and test its connection which will give you more information on the performance of that device, not just the overall network’s performance.

A new update to the Google WiFi app is rolling out in the Play Store today, bringing a somewhat minor change:  App Shortcuts.  The update is build BV10144 for those keeping score at home and should land on everyones account over the course of the next few days.

Once updated, you can long press the app icon and access to features of the Google WiFi app.  First, you can test your Internet access to see your overall connection speed to your ISP.  Second, you can open up the Family WiFi feature of the app, allowing you to quickly pause devices without having to jump through the menus within the app itself to do so.

Another great Black Friday deal that is going on at Amazon is on the Google WiFi mesh network access points.  Right now you can pick up the single unit for $99, a savings a $30.  If you need the 3-Pack, you save $50.  It is down to $249 today.

The question for most is which one do you need?  If you have a home or apartment that is 1500 square feet or less, the single should do the job for you.  No need to overbuy but if you have a multi-story home or an older home, it may not give you the coverage you need.  That is my case in my mid-70’s home.  Over that and up to 4500 square feet, the 3-Pack is what you need for your home.  That is also on sale at $269.  The nice thing is, if you get a single and add more later, it is easy to add the new ones to the network via the Google WiFi app on your Android phone or iPhone.

Google has begun rolling out Site Blocking to Google WiFi users today.  The service, which leverages the company’s Safe Site technology, updates in real time behind the scenes to assure that adult site and other explicit sites are unreachable by minors in your home.  The feature leverages the Family WiFi feature in the Google WiFi app that allows you to designate devices of your children on the network and enable this new filtering as well as scheduling time when WiFi is accessible on the network.

Filtering of adult content is difficult these days but Google is trying to take the burden off of parents by having it do the heavy lifting of finding these sites.

Today’s Deal is on the Google WiFi 3-Pack, which will give you Wi-Fi access throughout your entire home.  Right now the 3-Pack is $269.99 on Amazon, $30 less that what Google sells it.  If you don’t need a 3-pack, the single unit is also on sale at $119, a savings of $10.

As for which one you need depends on your home.  If you have a home or apartment that is 1500 square feet or less, the single should do the job for you.  No need to overbuy.  Over that and up to 4500 square feet, the 3-Pack is what you need for your home.  The nice thing is, if you get a single and add more later, it is easy to add the new ones to the network via the Google WiFi app on your Android phone or iPhone.

Google has released an update to Google WiFi that, along with the latest firmware for your WiFi or OnHub devices, will allow you to enable IPv6 to your ISP.  For those who are not familiar with IPv6, it is a more advanced version of IPv4 (which you are likely using now) that uses 128-bit addressing of devices.  The theory is you can get more devices on the Internet because there is significantly more IP addresses available with v6.  The lack of IPv6 has been a contention point for many who use Google WiFi or OnHub as it is more secure and is somewhat of a checkbox requirement for a contemporary network device.

The update to bring IPv6 is a combination of firmware for the physical device itself, which is build 9460.40, and the updated app which is in the Play Store.