Google Wifi Review: An Easy Solution to Home WiFi

Google Wifi Review: An Easy Solution to Home WiFi

No More Dead Zones?

Google launched Google Wifi in our country via an exclusive partnership with PLDT a few days ago. We’ve had a bit of advance look at there simple yet elegant router to see how well it works in the Philippine setting and its feature set could help the ease of which you can manage your network at home.

Spoiler alert. It’s a huge boon but there’s one caveat that should be taken into consideration.

What Is It?

Well, simply put, Google WiFi is a router but it’s unlike any other router we’ve had or had the privilege of trying in the past. There really isn’t any other way to tell you about its differences with preempting parts of the review but John has a fantastic Explainer about Google Wifi on the site already.

It’s Doesn’t Look Like A Router

One of the biggest differences between Google WiFi to other routers in the market is its looks.

Instead of having rectangular slabs of plastic that have antennas jutting out and lights that blink like crazy, it’s designed to add to the aesthetic of your household instead of disrupting it. Google says this is an effort so that people don’t tuck it away in some corner of the house or behind TV sets that may cause signal interference. There’s a single LED light that runs along the center of the device that’s more to show you that it’s on but you adjust its brightness if you want to shine brighter or turn it off completely.

There’s also a cutout under the unit so you can pass the included flat Ethernet cable and the USB C power adapter to keep wires tidy in your setup too.

The Setup Is Crazy Easy

Setting up a router can be tough on people who might not be too familiar with this side of tech but, trust us when we say, that the setup process is ridiculously easy and it all starts with downloading the Google Wifi app. Once you’ve done that, all you have to is replace your current router or connect it to the setup that usually get from PLDT nowadays (a combination modem + router) and follow the instructions the app gives you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7PPYNs5Xao

You’ll be asked to name your network, set a password, and if you have any other Google WiFi units in your home. If you do, it’ll automatically create a mesh network to make sure your entire house is covered by great WiFi connectivity. It’ll even recommend moving units to make sure you have the best coverage possible.

Quick, easy, and painless. It even updates the firmware for you automatically so you have all the latest features and fixes to make sure your wireless connections are stable.

What Are the Other Features?

The App is going to be your best friend when you use Google WiFi with most of the features at your fingertips. There are ways to set priority devices or setup guest WiFi access if you don’t want friends to poke around your network. We’ve found that the best features is extremely helpful to parents — Family Wifi.

Family Wifi allows you to group the devices your kids use and put them on a schedule. This means that when it’s bedtime, access to the Internet on their devices will have restricted access at the times that you’ve set. This can also be a useful way to make sure that no devices are used during dinner time or when they have to do their homework. Gadgets set in these groups will also be protected by SafeSearch to block inappropriate content.

What About The Caveat We Mentioned Earlier?

One thing we raised our collective eyebrows when trying out Google Wifi is its range. Now, there are a lot of factors that affect this and we’re guessing the main thing that’s causing interference is how we build houses in the Philippines (i.e. with concrete that’s reinforced with rebar). It took two units to make sure signal didn’t drop in the two bedroom apartment that I live in, so I can’t imagine how many you would need to ensure that dead zones are indeed eliminated. You definitely want a 3-pack or maybe even more if you have a larger house.

Should You Pick Up Google Wifi?

There’s definitely a huge benefit to getting Google Wifi for your home; especially if you’re not as savvy at putting a network together and configuring signal extenders by yourself.

It’s just so much easier to plug, go through a few minutes of setup through your phone, and leave the rest up in the capable hands of a system that was made to make your network as smooth as possible. We already mentioned the issue we’ve come across, so you definitely have to take it into consideration.

PLDT Fibr is offering Google Wifi Plan 3799, which consists of three Google WiFi points and an unlimited 50mbps connections. Existing PLDT Fibr users can avail of Google WiFi at Php299 for the 1-piece set, and Php799 for the 3-piece set.

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