Google Wifi vs Nest Wifi vs Orbi Specifications Comparison

If you are trying to compare the Google Wifi vs Nest Wifi vs Orbi WiFi mesh routers, go ahead and read our article.

Not all WiFi routers come with the same capability and WiFi range when it comes to home networking. However, the concept of a smart home has made it immensely important to have seamless connectivity across your entire home. The gaming PCs and intelligent homes have made it essential to avoid the dead zones in your home.

Also Read: Apple Airport Extreme vs Google Wifi vs Orbi 

That is where you would need to have access to a Smart WiFi router. The latest mesh WiFi systems can indeed be an excellent option for ensuring consistent and perfect network connectivity throughout the house.

Related: Google WiFi Router vs Netgear Nighthawk WiFi

Which routers would we prefer from this perspective? Well, let us compare Google WiFi and Netgear Orbi to arrive at the best alternative. We will then compare Google WiFi and Nest WiFi to find the best options between them.

Google WiFi – An Overview

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You cannot expect the renowned and popular tech giant to stay away from the mesh WiFi systems. It was the only WiFi system from Google ever. You can opt for it in one, two, or three modules. Simple construction and excellent functionality are what would make them a great choice.

The design is straightforward and durable construction. It also comes with a soft blue light to indicate the active function. It has two ethernet ports and a power supply. The router is quite simple to set up. You would use the Google WiFi app to configure it. It would help if you scanned the QR codes on your WiFi points to set it up.

One WiFi point can cover a range of 85 square meters. That would mean you would get a coverage of 85 to 170 square meters with two modules and achieve around 170 to 420 square meters with three units. Of course, you do not get whopping speeds but can be assured of consistent performance.

You can prioritize the devices of your choice or even set parental controls. Yet another essential plus point we found was you have access to regular updates.

Pros

• Intelligent connectivity and built-in Smart Assist feature ensures no congestion
• It can provide better connectivity in urban areas.
• Easy to set up and configure

Cons

• Management options are limited
• No app-based interface
• Permeation of signals from the walls may be restricted.

Netgear Orbi – The Salient Features

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Netgear has been one of the established players in the router industry, and the Orbi lives up to the expectation. It may not be a mesh system in the exact sense of the word, but you would find it offering a seamless operation for handling efficient functioning when it comes to extending your network.

One of the most vital points we found on Netgear Orbi is the triband connectivity. The advanced WiFi configuration would make it more powerful. Setting it up should not be difficult either. You need access to the Netgear app. If you have used the Netgear products before, you will find it familiar enough. Even otherwise, the app is easy to understand and set up.

The Netgear Orbi comes with bidirectional communication. That can further ensure constant and consistent speed and connectivity.

Pros

• No signal loss thanks to the triband connectivity
• It can provide you with coverage of more than 6000 square feet.
• Easier installation

Cons

• Larger size
• Expensive price tag

How do Google WiFi and Netgear Orbi compare with one another?

What are the standard features you would find between the two mesh systems? Well, they share a few common factors between themselves.

They help you reduce the dead WiFi zones. Both of them have been found to offer similar performance levels to make them an excellent choice for avoiding disconnections when working with games that require low latency connectivity. The Smart Home support provided by the platform can be a perfect option. It can work with practically every one of your smart devices, and that includes PCs, smartphones, and tablets. The ethernet ports on the platform let you connect it to any intelligent hub.

Both of them use the same architecture and work with the Qualcomm Atheros platform. Both of them offer you access to improved performance through the QCA8075 Gigabit switch chipset, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of flash memory.

Where is the difference between the two, then? Well, they do have a few differences between them.

The two of them come with different Wireless technologies. Netgear Orbi offers you triband connectivity as opposed to Google WiFi. That way, it has more capacity for connectivity. Google WiFi does have a few disadvantages when you compare it to the triband connectivity on Orbi. Google WiFi offers you a  dual-band IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac. Or on the other hand, it comes with an IEEE 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz-256QAM band and an IEEE 802.11a/n/ac 5GHz-256QAM band. While these two bands handle the routine communications you need, it has another 5 GHz band for backhaul transmissions.

Yet another area that you would find it offering a different functionality lies in the wired connectivity option. Or has four Gigabit Ethernet ports. While one of these connects with your modem, you have three worthy ports for your wired connectivity options. You also have a USB 2.0 port as well.

The connectivity options on Google WiFi are somewhat limited. It has only two ethernet ports when you compare it to the four on Orbi. Since one of the ports is used for the modem, you have access to only one port.

The third difference would be the connection range offered. Or once again takes the lead here. With it, you have coverage of 5000 square feet. And this is with one single router and one satellite. Google WiFi will need more routers to reach that coverage range. A single unit offers you a range of 500 to 1500 square feet.

The support for MU- MIMO is what makes Orbi one of the much-preferred options ever. MU refers to Multiple users, multiple-input, and multiple output options. That way, you would be able to connect to various devices at once. This will help you achieve better connectivity performance. Google WiFi lacks the feature.

The parental controls offered by Orbi are handled in partnership with Disney through an app called Circle. You would need to pay a small subscription fee for using the parental controls to their fullest potential. However, you can continue using a few features without the payment. Google WiFi is an excellent option when it comes to parental controls. The SafeSearch feature offered by the router blocks hundreds of sites beaming inappropriate content. You also have access to excellent Family Control options to keep in control of what your kids watch or browse.

The Comparison Chart: Google Wifi vs Nest Wifi vs Orbi

Here is a head-to-head comparison chart, having gone through the salient features of the two competing intelligent mesh systems. That should help check out the key segments at a glance.

How do Google WiFi and Nest WiFi compare against each other?

Nest WiFi

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Well, Nest WiFi is an updated or upgraded version of Google WiFi. In fact, of late, Google has been marketing all its intelligent home equipment under the brand name Nest. The Google WiFi launched in 2016 has now been made available in the form of Google Nest WiFi. Nest WiFi takes ahead what was started by Google WiFi and adds a few additional features and capabilities.

Nest WiFi brings up support for AC2200 MU-MIMO WiFi with 4 x 4 antennas. Google WiFi offers AC1200 with 2 x 2 antennas. The maximum theoretical speed provided by Google WiFi is 1200 Mbps on one 2.4 GHz and one 5 GHz band. On the other hand, Nest WiFi offers you a maximum of 2200 Mbps with 400 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 1733 Mbps on the 5 GHz band.

The nest is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core processor and offers you 1GB of RAM. On the other hand, Google WiFi limits itself to a quad-core 710Mhz processor and 512 MB RAM. That would mean you would be able to connect more devices to Nest when compared to Google WiFi.

There have been a few changes in terms of design as well. The newer options are taller and broader. You would find them offering an exceptional smoother finish than on the predecessor. The snow, sand, and mist are a new addition compared to the lackluster design you had on Google WiFi.

Yet another huge change that comes with the Nest devices is the Google Assistant support.

Now that we have already gone through the Pros and Cons of Google WiFi, let us check out the Pros and Cons offered by Nest as well.

Pros

• Smaller and compact design
• Compatible with Google WiFi
• Hardware microphone switch
• Regular updates

Cons

• No speaker on the router.

And finally, a comparison table for the two siblings –

Features and Particulars	Nest WiFi Nest WiFi Check on Amazon	Google WiFi Check on Amazon
WiFi Connectivity	Dual-band WiFi radios, Simultaneous 2.4GHz and 5GHz (2) IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac	Dual-band WiFi radios, Simultaneous 2.4GHz and 5GHz IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Wired Connections	1 Gigabit WAN; 3 Gigabit LAN; One USB 2.0;	2 Gb WAN/LAN per unit
MU- MIMO connectivity	Yes, available	No
Beamforming	Yes	Yes
Security features	WPA/WPA2-PSK	WPA2-PSK
WiFi Range	Each unit – 2,200 square feet	One 500-1500 sq ft Two 1500-3000 sq ft Three 3000-4500 sq ft
Processor	1.4GHz quad-core processor	Quad-core 710MHz
RAM	1 GB RAM	512MB RAM
Storage	4 GB	4 GB
Physical Dimensions	4.33  x 3.56 inches	Diameter: 4.1″ Height: 2.7″

The Concluding Thoughts

Well, that was a complete comparison between the three compelling choices among the best Mesh WiFi options. We have compared Google WiFi and Nest WiFi separately because they belong to the same family, and Nest is an upgrade to Google WiFi.

You would find that Nest WiFi and Orbi offer you almost identical and advanced features. Of course, Orbi does take the lead with the number of Ethernet ports and the tri-band functionality.

Check out the detailed comparison between the three compelling devices and choose the one that best meets your needs.