Question

Google Nest Wifi Router Offer

  • 28 September 2022
  • 10 replies
  • 4719 views
R
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Hi,

 

I have 5G home internet. I ordered some Google Nest wifi routers directly through T-Mobile’s current discount offer. Turns out the ‘5G Gateway A’ (as the device is called on my account page - an image is below) does not have a bridge mode as of now, so I’m a little confused.

 

My question: Can I use the Google Nest Wifi devices as routers (per the description) or only as access points? (If T-Mobile is offering routers which then cannot be used as routers then that seems a little disingenuous of them….). 

 

I’m not particularly interested in workarounds, would just like to use the Nest routers as…. routers.

 

Here’s the offer link - am I misreading something here? T-Mobile Promotions

 

 

Thanks for the help!

10 replies

C
Userlevel 5
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Yes it will work. The Nest mesh system will automatically configure to DHCP mode. There are some major differences to bridge mode though:

  1. Devices connected to your TMO router wifi cannot connect to devices on your Nest wifi. Work around is to not use or disable the TMO wifi.
  2. Devices on your Nest wifi will see 2 NAT layers. There is no work around

I don’t have the Nest mesh system but my mesh system is configured the same way - DHCP. So far I haven’t seen any issues with the double NAT, but some gaming console owners reported some issues.

Unfortunately, Nest wifi doesn’t appear to support access point mode which would solve both issues above.

There is a separate thread on this question:

 

S

Overall, unfortunately, I do not recommend T-Mobile internet.

R
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Thank you for the response, CaliCat. 

 

Double NAT doesn’t sound great since there are kids in my household who are most certainly gamers. And even if the Nest routers offered AP mode I would still want to use them as routers for some of their advanced features such as device priority, among other things, so that route wouldn’t really work. 

 

Seems like T-Mobile is promoting a home internet product which simply doesn’t work as advertised with its devices, which is a little misleading. 

 

If anyone else has any suggestions, including from T-Mobile on potential firmware updates to include a bridge mode I’m all ears!

 

Thanks again.

R
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(Oh, and yes, I saw the thread you referenced. Thanks)

R
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OK, so I found this: Google Nest Wifi mesh network | T-Mobile Support

 

I don’t know what date this was published or what version of the internet gateway it is referring to.

B

While not too helpful here. I have an ASUS router mesh where I have set them to AP mode and each of them are 192.168.12.2 , .3, .4. There is no double NAT as my routers are not assigning DHCP addresses to devices on the network. The Tmobile gateway is.

Per this page and this option: Enable bridge mode on your Google Nest Wifi router or primary Wifi point (Not recommended) 

Add any other router to the Tmobile system as an Access Point. Obviously, you will want to disable its wifi as well as that of the gateway. THEN you can plug in your nest and mesh from there. 

TMobile has some of the blame with the CGNAT implementation. Google has done some dumb stuff too.

 

If you need mesh… Ai Mesh is the way to go. Make your mesh first, then switch to AP mode. Done and done.

K
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

I should be receiving my Nest router and two additional points any day now. My question posed to the community is this: the tutorial says to hide SSID in the T-Mobile router. Is that just turning off the broadcast signals so you can’t see them with your, phone, computer, tablet, etc. Or is it completely turning off each one all together? It seems if your able to go into the T-Mobile router and turn “off” the ability for the router to broadcast at all, the double Nat thing shouldn’t be an issue, but this is really above my pay grade. Just trying to make the best of my use of my T-Mobile setup. Price and availability drove me to T-Mobile and recent tower upgrades have me seeing download speeds in th upper 300-400 mbps, but my upload speeds have been cut in half from about 50-60 mbps to 20-25 mbps. The value based on price and needs smokes my other two options of spectrum and Altafiber (formerly Cincinnati Bell). 

N

Google support have started categorically that the nest system will only work if bridge mode is activated on the T mobile gateway router. There is no capability to activate bridge mode on the T mobile gateway router. So the google nest system is incompatible with the T mobile gateway router despite it being recommended by T mobile support and marketed on the T mobile internet website.

K
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

Google support have started categorically that the nest system will only work if bridge mode is activated on the T mobile gateway router. There is no capability to activate bridge mode on the T mobile gateway router. So the google nest system is incompatible with the T mobile gateway router despite it being recommended by T mobile support and marketed on the T mobile internet website.

I have the Google home mesh WiFi that I ordered through T-Mobile and it works just fine. I now have full coverage throughout my house and I’m using the T-Mobile cylinder router. I’m not sure if you have actually tried using it or someone is telling you something else.

 

 

 

 

 

 

N

Hi I have the supplied by t-mobile ARC KVD21 5G Gateway router. It is not compatible with the Google Nest system.

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