Hey, remember when Google bought Nest and all their home devices are now labeled “Nest”? Nest Hub, Nest Wifi, etc.?
Posted by
Mop (aka rburriel)
Dec 15 '20, 14:25
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Yeah, someone forgot to tell Google. Because...
FUCK THEM!!!
I had to set up my new Google Nest Wifi Mesh yesterday and the first thing I discovered is that I had to migrate my Google Wifi to Google Home. And to do that, I had to plug in the old wifi. OK, fair enough. I missed a step and I had to double back. Fine. After I accomplished that, I unplugged the old Google Wifi and plugged in the new Nest Wifi Mesh. That one wasn’t too complicated but it wasn’t easy, either. And I was able to set up a node, which was the whole goal here. I had a 3rd party node for my old wifi but it was pretty unreliable. So out with the old network, in with the new. Plus, the new node is also a Google speaker. Cool!
But today I had to install my new Nest Thermostat and here, the real problems begin.
Setting aside the whole wiring issue (look, if you have a heat pump, just plug the wires in anywhere and see what happens... good luck!) After I got it all wired properly (got it on the 2nd try!), I couldn’t get the Thermostat to connect to my Google Home. I kept pulling up the QR code and I’d scan it with the app and the app would basically say “nuh-uh!” So I networked the device manually, spelling out my password one letter at a time, spinning the wheel for each... wheee!
After I networked it, I checked the Google Home to see if my wifi would identify it, except I noticed my Google Home wasn’t showing any devices connected to my Nest Wifi Mesh. How odd! So I went back to the Google Wifi app (which I had uninstalled by now) and lo-and-behold, it still worked for my Google Wifi. So why (and what) exactly did I migrated to Google Home? Except it wasn’t showing any connected devices either, until I rebooted my wifi, at which point it showed all connected devices, including the Nest Thermostat. OK, time to go back to Google Home and try connecting to the Nest Thermostat again.
You add a device, select Google devices, it doesn’t detect it, so it gives you a list of Google devices, including the Nest Thermostat, so I select the Nest Thermostat, at which point it prompts me to scan a QR code, which I scan, but it doesn’t like, so I can enter a 6-character sequence which my Nest Thermostat gives me, but the Google Home app then doesn’t care for.
So I figure a “reset” on the Nest Thermostat is in order. After I accomplish this, I realize it’s no longer networked. I have to re-“type” the wifi password again? FUCK! But then I’m struck by a stroke of genius...
If the Google Wifi app still works with my Nest Wifi Mesh, then maybe there’s a Nest app I can use. I find the Nest app, it prompts me to scan a QR code, which INSTANTLY WORKS, and presto! The Nest Thermostat is now working on my network again. But it’s still not in my Google Home! And if it’s not in my Google Home, I can’t say “Hey Google, turn up the temperature!” And isn’t that what we all want?
So some more googling tells me what I need to know. Despite the Nest Thermostat being listed among the Google devices and even taking me to the QR scanning screen and the screen where I type in a 6-letter sequence... I don’t add the device to my Google Home like that at all! I add it as a “Works with Google” device (like my Xbox or Roku)! Like it’s some shady 3rd party lightbulb piece of shit! Explain that to me? HEY GOOGLE, EXPLAIN THAT TO ME!
So... to recap... to use my Google Home with my Google Nest Wifi Mesh and my Google Nest Thermostat... I need 3 different apps. Bravo. BRAVO. Well done, Google.
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