Google Wifi Network Check can test the speed of all your connected devices – CNET


Networking

Google Wifi Network Check can test the speed of all your connected devices

You won’t have to bother with individual speed tests anymore.

screen-shot-2018-05-15-at-10-10-31-am

With the Google Wifi app, you’ll be able to test the speeds of all your connected devices.

Google

As more electronic devices add Wi-Fi connectivity, you might have trouble pinpointing the problem if one of your gadgets has a slow internet connection. An update to Google Wifi’s Network Check feature can help you with that troubleshooting.

Rolling out from Tuesday, the Network Check update lets you run speed tests on the individual devices connected to your network from the Google Wifi app. You could previously test the speed from your service provider to your router, but this update specifically shows your internet connection speed for each device.

If all of your devices are slow, you’ll know you need to reset or move your router or call your internet service provider. If it’s just your PC’s internet that’s lagging, you’ll know you need to restart your computer itself.

You’ll be able to see the various device speeds in the Google Wifi app. Google Wifi is the company’s mesh Wi-Fi system. It includes a router and can be expanded with additional Wi-Fi points for more coverage in a bigger home. You use the app to set up your Wi-Fi network and add extra Wi-Fi points.

google-wifi-6504-001

Google Wifi routers

Josh Miller/CNET

While discussing the update with CNET, Alex King, the product manager of Google Wifi, talked about the issue that led to the change. “With more devices that need access, it’s a challenge for users to get reliable Wi-Fi throughout the home,” he said. “When Wi-Fi slows down, it’s tough to pinpoint where it happens.”

To test individual devices, go to the settings tab from the main page of the app, click network check and you’ll see an option to test Wi-Fi to all wireless devices. Tap that button, and the app will go through each device one by one and tell you the current download speed. King walked us through a live demo of the process in action, and it took a couple of seconds per device.

Run a speed test on each device. 

Google

Previously, to get the same measurement, you’d have to run a speed test on each individual device. Google’s new process is much faster, although it will still take awhile if you have 100 different smart home devices in your house.

As opposed to testing them all at once, you can test individual device speeds in the app as well. So if your smart lights are being slow to respond, you can check just your smart lights in the Google Wifi app by tapping on “devices” from the main page.

For the time being, you can’t check all the devices communicating with one individual Wi-Fi point if you have multiple Wi-Fi points set up on your network. You either need to check every device on your network or test individual devices.

The change is an important one, as Google tries to make networking more user-friendly. Google estimates that the average household has 18 devices connected to their network, so this new feature could provide a significant quality-of-life upgrade as smarter homes get more and more connected. 

http://www.cnet.com/
Now Playing: Watch this: The Google Wifi is the best home mesh system yet
2:52

All Rights Reserved.
Affiliate Disclosure
CNET may get a commission from retail offers.
Top Brands



Source link

Share

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *