Google releases software update to boost Nest Wi-Fi at home

Google has rolled out a software update to make both Nest Wifi and Google Wifi work even more smoothly as you participate in video calls or play games.

The update would improve overall network performance on slow internet connections, making Wi-Fi support multiple video calls and gaming sessions efficiently.

"It includes general security and stability improvements and will also improve device connection speeds on wireless networks and optimizations so your devices move to faster Wi-Fi radio channels," Sanjay Noronha, Product Manager, Google Nest, said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to Google, with this update, Wi-Fi traffic will be prioritised to the device you choose.

"This means you can make sure your work laptop is getting the strongest Wi-Fi available, as opposed to the kids' YouTube sessions. And the best part is these updates will be pushed automatically, no action required on your end," informed Noronha.

If the whole family is online at once, the users should hnow how much speed they need.

Most video calls require 5Mbps of consistent speed, but the reality is a bit more nuanced.

Because you're receiving video from the internet (download) and sending video as well (upload), you'll want to make sure that your upload speed is a good, consistent 5Mbps as well.

"Conduct a speed test during a busy time of day when you've had a bad video call," said Noronha.

If you're noticing network congestion, rebooting the router cleans up stale software buffers and forces the reconnection of your devices.

Consider a mesh network which is a group of routers (actually Wi-Fi access points) that wirelessly communicate with each other to create a single, connected Wi-Fi network over a large area.

"We created Nest Wifi as a mesh system because having multiple points work together to create a seamless, single network. The idea is that this system provides consistently strong coverage for all connected devices throughout your home," said Noronha.