Google WiFi and why you don't want to buy Google hardware

Strong rumors are surfacing of a new Google router, called the Google Wifi. Supposedly it will finally have the smart features that Google never provided with the OnHub.

As I noted in other posts, the OnHub is a bitter disappointment from a smart home perspective. It never turned on the smart home technologies, and functions poorly as a router. My Nest Protects never worked well with it—always losing their connection. And my Netatmo weather station never connected to it.

I had to break out my old router just to get the Netatmo to work. Finally, I turned on OnHub’s bridge mode, turning it into an access point, only, to things started working again.

Now Google is coming out with a new router. We OnHub buyers will most likely be left in the dust with unfulfilled promises. But this typical for Google. That’s why you just don’t buy Google hardware.

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Making hardware requires long-term commitment to the product, something that Google severely lacks. I wonder if Google Home is going to survive its own hype.

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Yeah that’s why Apple releases a new iPhone every year. I blame the mobile phones industry for today’s hardware trend. Actually, I don’t know for sure if it’s them or the Wall Street that drives this business model. I won’t be surprised if Google wi-fi won’t be called OnHub 2 by the time it hits the market…

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I’m afraid we had something to do with that. We always have to have the newest shiny.

If they’re going a new direction, they just won’t mention the OnHub again. It will be like it never happened.

“On what?”

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On Revolv…maybe???

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Apple is a hardware company at its roots. They’ve been doing it a lot longer than companies like Google and Amazon and it shows. Doesn’t mean others can’t do hardware, just that nothing happens overnight.

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Since I moved to Android in 2012, I have focused on Google devices (Nexus). They are by far the best supported devices in the Android ecosystem. Is it as good as Apple, probably not; especially if you have to have a real human hold your hand in person at an Apple store. But frankly, the two issues I have had with Apple products in recent years were handled horribly in Apple’s stores and I had to go up the corporate ladder to get them resolved.

Google has a rep for abandoning things, but that is mostly from services that were provided for free in the first place. And in cases where they really screw up (cough-cough Nexus Queue), they have usually done right by their customers.

Google Glass. Just sayin’ … :wink:

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Glass was never a consumer product, and was actually priced/marketed to discourage consumers. And what happened to Glass was mainly due to consumers acquiring one anyway, and then making a nuisance of themselves.

Glass in its original incarnation would never have been accepted as a consumer product. It was an experiment offered to developers in extremely small numbers that failed.

Except that it was sold at retail in four brick-and-mortar stores. And sold as a fashion accessory. It was a weird retail offering, and the atmosphere was a lot like a high-end jewelry store, but it was there, and definitely not aimed at Tech developers.

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People who bought Glass KNEW exactly what they were getting into. If they didn’t, they were foolish. It was never marketed as a consumer product. Bloggers made it popular, and gadget freaks had to have one. I am both a developer and a pretty big gadget freak and even I steered clear.

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Nexus 9 broke on an update, but luckily two days before warranty was up.

Nexus 7 stopped being usable a couple of years back.

The problem is, everything is done by different companies, but under Google’s name. So the support is just plain bizarre.

But they never followed their promises with the OnHub. Worse: it doesn’t even make a decent router. And now they’re doing their usual…leaving folks in the dirt while they try to reinvent themselves yet again.

Google makes a great search engine. And I like Android. And GMail.

But they’ve always been flakes when it comes to their products.

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I don’t have a Nexus 9 but use my 7 every day with no issues. I have owned 8 Google products since 2012 (still have six of them) and have been happy with all of them

IIRC On Hub got an update recently, so I’m not sure about your assumption that it’s dead and buried.

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If this was an OnHub replacement why would it have more features, yet cost less?

Market forces? :sunglasses:

It’s not, wait until Oct 4.

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It does look like this is a companion to the OnHub. Looks like it even uses a very similar phone app. I’m curious of the hardware specs once it is fully released. I’d assume the OnHub will have the thread and other non-wifi radios in order to justify its higher price point. Received this via email:

To believers in better Wi-Fi,
From the beginning, we’ve had one clear goal: Home Wi-Fi. Simply solved.
We believe every home should have better Wi-Fi. But we also understand that no two homes are the same.
That’s why we’re introducing a new home Wi-Fi system — so you can get the right coverage, whether it’s your first studio apartment or your multi-story family home.
We call it Google Wifi
Google Wifi is made up of Wifi points that are placed throughout the home, and work together to blanket every square inch in fast, reliable Wi-Fi.
Google Wifi
OnHub is getting a friend
We love things that simply work together, so we built Google Wifi to work seamlessly with your OnHub.

That means you’ll be able to add a Google Wifi point to your OnHub network — for coverage in new places, like to the garage or back patio. How will it work?
OnHub keeps getting better
OnHub and Google Wifi will have all the features you know and love, with some cool new additions, such as:
● Family Wi-Fi pause to manage your family’s internet time
● Network assist for automatic performance enhancements
● Home control for more of your smart devices
Thanks for helping us make Wi-Fi better for every home,
BEN
Ben Brown
Head of Product, OnHub & Google Wifi
P.S. Stay tuned for an email from us later this year with more info on Google Wifi and when you can get it.

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Interesting.

Well, as I’ve said, I’ve had significant issues with OnHub. I would definitely not be an early adopter.

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My onhub is amazing but even so their new products are all made in house, these aren’t made by another company.

Got to say ive not any issues with mine, signal is good and i seem to get 5ghz when i should and 2.4ghz when i should. If anything for home automation its annoying that the signal is too good as im half way down my street by the time it disconnects . But i agree there could be more settings and the zigbee tech is wasted on it. plus side it does have ITFF

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