I couldn't reach gigabit until I ran the Wi-Fi test that has nothing to do with speed

I'm all-in on my Nest Wi-Fi Pro router until Google makes a successor with support for Wi-Fi 7 (or Wi-Fi 8, for that matter). The reason is simple — there are aspects of a mesh router system that matter more than speed. For instance, my internet service provider (ISP) only offers maximum Gigabit speeds, so I won't see the speed benefits of Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 8 anyway. Instead, what matters in my setup is the quality of my mesh connection and the isolated 6GHz band that serves as a "fast lane" for newer devices. A single Nest Wi-Fi Pro router node can cover up to 2,200 square feet, and you can add up to four more to expand your home network's coverage.

In theory, setting up a mesh Wi-Fi router system is painless. Connect one primary router point to your modem over an Ethernet cable, and spread out your wireless access points (router nodes) throughout your home. You can use wireless backhaul to connect these nodes to your primary router point wirelessly. So, these access points only need a power source to operate. This leads users to think they can place mesh router nodes anywhere they'd like, but that would be a major mistake. Access point placement is crucial to fast speeds, low latency, and broad coverage — and there's a Wi-Fi test that'll tell you the quality of your mesh connection.

A mesh test matters more than a speed test

A mesh Wi-Fi system isn't any good if the connections are weak

A mesh router system like the Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro uses a primary router point directly connected to your modem with a hardline Ethernet connection. Then, satellite router nodes connect to that router point, which manages the network and all connected access points. These nodes can typically be connected with either wired or wireless backhaul, depending on the model. A Nest Wi-Fi Pro access point can be hardwired to a primary router point using Ethernet and an unmanaged switch, but most people use systems like this one with wireless backhaul.

Essentially, this means multiple router nodes are connecting to the primary router point wirelessly. These wireless access points spread a Wi-Fi connection throughout your home, extending the network's coverage. While a speed test measures the raw uplink or downlink speeds offered by your wireless network, a mesh test checks the quality of your mesh connection. As a Google support document explains:

The stronger that connection is, the better your Wi-Fi will be throughout your house. If the mesh connection is weak, then it'll be more prone to interference, less reliable and can become a speed bottleneck for all devices connected to it.

There are best practices for setting up a mesh router system that, if followed, will help you get the best results. Keeping access points out in the open, not obstructed by walls or furniture, will improve the quality of your connection. Placing them off the ground in a higher position can improve coverage and connection quality, too. Additionally, view individual nodes in the context of your overall system. If one access point isn't performing well, you might not have to move that specific node. Moving the others in the system could improve performance.

I ran a mesh test on my Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro system

It showed the status and offered tips for placing router nodes

One of my favorite things about using the Nest Wi-Fi Pro system is how managing and testing your wireless network is seamless. Everything is done through the Google Home app, including running speed tests and mesh tests. If you also have a Nest Wi-Fi setup, you can run a mesh test by opening the Google Home app, tapping the Wi-Fi tile, and pressing Points. Then, hit Test mesh and wait for the test to run. Note that you'll only see this option if you have multiple Nest Wi-Fi nodes active and connected to power.

The test will report the status of your mesh connection — you might see "Offline," "Weak connection," "Good connection," or "Great connection," depending on the test results. This will tell you whether your wireless router nodes are properly placed or if you need to move things around to get faster speeds and better connections.

Google's built-in mesh test makes checking the quality of your mesh system easy, but you can still manually test a mesh system even if you don't have a Nest Wi-Fi Pro router. To do so, use a Wi-Fi analyzer program like Ubiquiti's WiFiman. Run speed tests throughout your home and check the Wi-Fi analyzer data to verify which individual access point your client device is connected to.

By using this manual method, you can see how wireless network signals propagate throughout your home using different access points. If speed, latency, or connection quality drops when connected to a specific access point or in a certain area of your home, your mesh router placement needs work. Your system might have its own proprietary mesh test, so check the user manual for your specific mesh router or open its companion app to check.

In a mesh system, router node placement is everything

Most people make a major mistake when placing Wi-Fi access points

The biggest mistake people make when placing their mesh access points is putting nodes where they want better coverage. They spot a dead zone, and decide to put a router node right in that location. This won't improve speed — instead, put an access point halfway between your primary router and the dead zone where you need better performance. Make sure a wireless access point isn't more than two rooms away from another one. The goal is to create overlapping coverage, as the "mesh" name insinuates, to bridge the gap between one router point and another.

The only way to make sure you've done that successfully is to run a mesh test. Whether you run one in your router's companion app or perform a manual test of your own, mesh tests are crucial to getting the speeds you expect from a home network.