Most home Wi-Fi networks are compatible with Nest products. But there’s a short list of network types that we don’t recommend using with Nest products.
Networks types that aren’t recommended
- Mobile hotspotscan have issues with bandwidth, availability, data limits and usage fees. Nest products work best with a reliable 24/7 internet connection, so you’d need to keep your mobile hotspot device at home all the time. If your Nest products don’t have a continuous internet connection, you won’t be able to view their status or receive certain notifications to your phone.
- Public or open networksthat anyone can connect to are a security risk. For security reasons, never connect your Nest product to a network you know nothing about, and don’t use someone else’s network without their permission.
- Guest networksowned by another person can cause issues, even if you have permission from the owner. For instance, you might not be able to troubleshoot a Wi-Fi or internet issue because you can’t access the router settings.
Incompatible networks
- Captive portal networksNest products do not work with captive portal networks which are common in airports, hotels, internet cafes, and coffee shops. On these networks, you must sign in on a web page, and sometimes accept terms and conditions before you can connect.
- Enterprise networksin businesses such as 802.1x/RADIUS networks are not compatible with Nest products.
- 5GHz networksare incompatible with some products. Some Nest products, like the 2nd generation Nest Thermostat and Nest Protect, only support 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks.
Nest products that work with 2.4 or 5GHz Wi-Fi networks
