Deirdre O Meara 
The Nest Wifi Pro’s design follows Google’s signature egg-shaped styling, similar to their Pixel Buds. The router comes in four colours: Snow, Fog, Linen, or Lemongrass, and is available for purchase in a pack of three or a single unit. However, only the Snow version is currently available in the Google Store.
The Nest Wifi Pro is a plug-and-play router that looks after itself, and for this review, we received the threesome pack. All three units are identical, with two Gigabit Ethernet ports and a 22.5W power rating. The base is flat and has a non-slip rubber pad to prevent it from moving.
Each Nest Wifi Pro unit can cover up to 120 square metres and connect up to 100 devices. The router supports 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands, providing fast speeds and helping with network congestion. However, users will need WiFi 6E enabled devices or a system that is future-proof to utilize the 6 GHz band’s advantages.
The Nest Wifi Pro is intelligent enough to prioritize essential tasks like video calls, optimizing network traffic by switching bands automatically if congestion occurs. Setting up the router is effortless, with all settings done via the Google Home app. The router’s limited set of options includes configuring parental controls or a guest network, internet speed tests, and a speed test of your mesh connections. Users can also set priority for devices for one, four, or eight hours to ensure they have enough bandwidth.
The Nest Wifi Pro’s Matter functionality, coming soon, will enable it to control all Matter devices, making it faster to set up, more responsive, and reliable. It also includes a Thread border router to link your smart device’s Thread mesh network to your WiFi network.
While the Nest Wifi Pro is designed to be simple and requires little to no knowledge about networks, it also means users have limited control over their network. However, the router’s proactive scanning and diagnostic capabilities can fix common network problems on its own, making it ideal for users who want a ‘set it and forget it’ WiFi experience.
In terms of performance, the Nest Wifi Pro includes several benefits like improved security and reduced battery drain of devices via WPA3 and TWT, respectively. The router’s WiFi 6E capabilities enable fast speeds, but it has a shorter range and needs a direct line of sight to work.
Overall, the Nest Wifi Pro is a great choice for users who want excellent speeds, a wider range, and a WiFi network that looks after itself. With its easy setup and user-friendly features, it’s ideal for non-tech users or those who have no interest in tweaking advanced settings. The Nest Wifi Pro is available from €220 on the Google website.
