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Review | Tech review: sleek Google router will banish Wi-fi dead spots at home

Networking device uses mesh technology to boost wireless coverage and with its easy set-up and installation, this self-contained unit is a must-have for anyone whose internet coverage is less than perfect

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Google Wifi router. Photo: Google

While there are always those lucky few who have great Wi-fi coverage, the rest of us typically have that annoying spot (or two) in our homes where wireless connectivity splutters or dies entirely.

Thankfully, there is Google Wifi, that uses “mesh” technology to make wireless dead spots something of the past.

The various ports are on the base of the unit. Photo: Paul Mah
The various ports are on the base of the unit. Photo: Paul Mah

Hardware and design

The review kit came with three identical units of Google Wifi “points”, that Google says is adequate to cover an area of 2,700 sq ft (251 square metres). Only one unit needs to be wired up to your internet modem; additional points can be placed anywhere around your home, where they will communicate wirelessly between each other to extend the reach of your wireless network.

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The Google Wifi has a sleek minimalist design with no external antenna. A cavity at the bottom of the chassis hides the various ports, with a strategic cut-out so that it can be placed flat on a TV console. The Google Wifi point is powered by USB-C, with the power adaptor included in the box. Forget about borrowing the USB-C cable when in a pinch though, it is hard-wired onto the adaptor. There is also an Ethernet port for plugging in an internet modem and a second one that can be used with a desktop computer.

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