Why Does Google Home Keep Disconnecting From Wi-Fi? (5 Easy Fixes!)

After using my Google Home for a while, and several times throughout the day, I began to wonder: Why does Google Home keep disconnecting from Wi-Fi?

And, after some investigation, I discovered that it disconnects from Wi-Fi because it requires a good combination of bandwidth and a good router to function properly.

When the internet is overloaded, the need for Google Home to retrieve information from the web becomes too great, resulting in its disconnection. Google is aware of the issue, and an update for your device has been released. However, if you’ve already done that, the problem may be even easier to solve.

WHY DOES WI-FI GOOGLE HOME EXPERIENCE CONNECTIVITY ISSUES?

Google Home connects to the internet using your home Wi-Fi network. It also communicates with your other smart devices at home via Wi-Fi.

As a result, it stands to reason that the most common Google Home issue reported to Puls technicians and on online forums is Wi-Fi connectivity issues. Here are the most common Google Home connectivity issues and how to resolve them.

1. Connect Google Home to Wi-Fi

To begin using Google Home, download the Google Home app (iOS, Android) to your phone or tablet. Don’t worry, Google Home will inform you of this the moment you plug it in and turn it on for the first time.

To connect to a network, simply look for your Wi-Fi network in the app and connect to it. You should be fine now. What if I can see my Wi-Fi network but am unable to connect to my Google Home?

1. Check that Google Home is plugged in and turned on.
2. Do you have the correct password? To be sure, test it with another device at home.
3. Connect to both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands if your router is dual-band.
4. Check that you’re using the most recent version of the Google Home app.
5. Bring Google Home closer to the router. You should get as close to the setup as possible. You can always change your mind later.
6. If none of the above works, restart your computer. Begin by restarting your router. Next, turn off and then on your Google Home by disconnecting and reconnecting the power cable.
7. Take the device you’re using for setup (the device you installed the app on), and turn the Wi-Fi off and back on.
8. If all the above still don’t help, contact Google Home support or schedule a Puls Smart Home technician visit.

2. Wi-Fi Keeps Disconnecting After Installing Google Home

This common Google Home issue is exacerbated when using Google Home with Chromecast. If you’re using Google Home without Chromecast and your router has dual-band capabilities, try switching to the other band (see #3 above).

If that doesn’t work, go through steps 4-8 again. If you’re using Chromecast with Google Home, the following sections are for you.

3. Google Home And Chromecast Mix Like Peanut Butter And Jelly

Remember the first time you tried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Google Home and Chromecast are the smart home’s peanut butter and jelly. They’re reasonably priced, with the Google Home currently costing $129 and the basic Chromecast costing only $35.

You can get them at a Target near you or order them directly from Google Store. They’re simple to set up and connect, and they work fantastically well together. This is the simplest way to incorporate voice control into your home.

Once you’ve properly configured this dynamic duo, you can sit back and command your TV to begin streaming your current Netflix addiction, your latest YouTube crush, your favorite sports streaming app, and so on. Google Home is, of course, a speaker, so you can have it play music, podcasts, read you the news, and so on.

ALSO READ:

• Read Why Your Roku TV Is So Slow? (Find Out How To Make It Faster)
• How To Repair Samsung TV Volume Not Working? (12 Easy Fixes)
• Where Is The Power Button On My Vizio TV? (Comprehensive Guide)

HOW TO FIX GOOGLE HOME WIFI DROPPING / DISCONNECTING ISSUE?

1. Unplug and Reboot Google Home

Unplugging and rebooting your Google Home device is one of the simplest ways to resolve the Wi-Fi disconnection issue.

Simply unplug the power cord from the Google Home device and plug it back in after one minute. Then, on your smartphone or tablet, follow these steps:

1. Make sure your device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Google Home.
2. Now, open the Google Home app on your smartphone or tablet.
3. Then, from the top left corner, tap the Hamburger button, followed by Devices.
4. You can also directly tap on the Devices icon in the top right corner of your phone/tablet. This will display all available devices.
5. Scroll down to find the device card for the device you want to reboot.
6. Then, from the device card’s top right corner, tap on Menu Settings.
7. Finally, in the top right corner of the ‘Device settings page,’ tap on More Reboot.

2. Connect Google Home to Other Wi-fi Networks

It goes without saying that a strong Wi-Fi network is required to run 2-3 Google Home devices as well as an equal number of phones and tablets to use smart speakers. Furthermore, one of your team members may have connected his or her laptop to the same WiFi network.

In this case, your Wi-Fi network is likely to degrade. You can connect your Google Home to another Wi-Fi network here. This can sometimes solve your problem.

3. Restart Router

If changing the Wi-Fi network does not yield satisfactory results, try restarting the router. Just give it a shot, even if it sounds like a ridiculous suggestion. Most likely, your router begins to emit stronger signals that your Google Home desperately requires. Switching off and on your router takes less than a minute.

4. Router Reset

If restarting the router does not work, try resetting your Wi-Fi router. Check for a small button that needs to be pressed in order to reset your router. Users have reported losing some router configurations after a reset. If this occurs, contact your network engineer and have the router reset.

5. Rename Router

Check the manual or user guide that came along with your router; follow the steps given in the user guide to rename your Wi-fi router. Alternatively, you can call a network engineer to get a router renamed.

Alternative Video: Why Does Google Home Keep Disconnecting From Wi-Fi?

GOOGLE HOME & CHROMECAST WI-FI OVERLOAD

Remember what happens when you eat too much peanut butter and jelly? Yes, too much of a good thing is bad. Google Home and Chromecast, it appears, can both degrade Wi-Fi performance. Users have reported frequent Wi-Fi disconnections.

In some cases, these Google devices cause the router to reboot or stop transmitting the Wi-Fi signal. The issue was initially reported to be limited to TP-Link routers, but it has since been noticed by users of other routers, including Linksys, Asus, and Netgear, to name a few.

Google acknowledges the problem and claims it is limited to “People with an Android phone and a Chromecast built-in device (such as a Chromecast or Google Home device) on the same Wi-Fi network.” Android users, beware.

The good news is that Google is aware of the problem and will begin rolling out a fix on January 18th. Make sure your Google Home Android app is up to date. In addition, update your router’s firmware and restart your Android device.

SPLIT WIFI DEVICES BETWEEN 2.4 GHZ AND 5 GHZ BANDS

Google Home connects to your WiFi via the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz frequency bands. Unfortunately, both of these frequencies are used by a wide range of other devices.

Your smartphones, laptops, tablets, smart TVs, and anything else connected to WiFi in your home are all competing for connectivity with your Google Home. Interference can occur during the connecting process.

Because of this interference, your Google Home may “randomly” lose its WiFi connection from time to time. Interference issues with your Google Home can also be caused by your neighbors’ WiFi devices.

One solution is to connect all of your Google devices to your router’s 5 GHz band and all other WiFi devices to the 2.4 GHz band. As a result of reducing the number of devices on the 5GHz band, interference should become less of an issue. This should boost the signal strength between your router and Google Home.

MOVE YOUR GOOGLE HOME TO A NEW LOCATION

Another possible solution is to physically move your Google Home to a different location – preferably closer to your router. This should have a number of positive consequences.

1. First, moving your Google Home closer to your router should improve WiFi signal strength. The signal strength is always the strongest closest to the router.
2. Second, any devices that were previously interfering with your Google Homes connection should not be in this new location.

It is possible, however, that your Google Home will continue to disconnect even after you have separated your devices onto the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands and moved your Google Home to a new location. If this is the case, it is time to delve deeper and conduct a more thorough investigation.

TEST WIFI STRENGTH AND INTERFERENCE USING “WIFIMAN”

If your Google Home is still disconnecting, you’ll want to get some real data about your WiFi strength, as well as your neighbor’s WiFi strength. One of the worst sources of interference is a neighbor’s strong WiFi network near one of your WiFi access points (if you have a mesh system) or your router.

But how can you tell if your neighbor’s WiFi is to blame or if your router simply has a weak signal? Fortunately, this problem is fairly simple to resolve – don’t worry, you won’t have to knock on your neighbor’s door.

To begin, download the “Ubiquiti WiFiman” app from the App Store (you should be able to download this app on your iPhone or Android device). This is a free app that analyzes the WiFi strength of your router as well as any other WiFi signals nearby.

With the app open, you can walk around your house and see what WiFi signals are present and how strong they are in each location on the “channels” page of the app. To get an accurate reading from your Google Home location, place your phone with this app open right next to it.

If your WiFi network appears at the top of this list, you should be fine and have adequate coverage in that area. In terms of WiFi strength, you should see 67 to 70 dBm in the app.

If a neighbor’s WiFi network appears, examine it to see how strong it is in comparison to your own. To improve WiFi strength in that area, you may need to add a WiFi extender or, if you have a mesh router, an additional satellite node (access point).

TOO MANY DEVICES ARE CONNECTED TO YOUR ROUTER

There is one more possibility that is causing your Google Home to disconnect, but it is a bit more difficult to diagnose. If you’re still having connection problems at this point, it’s very likely that you’re hitting a limitation of your router or mesh WiFi system.

This problem could occur even if your router is brand new. First and foremost, ensure that your router has at least two bands (2.4 and 5 GHz). If it doesn’t, all of your devices will be on the same band, and interference will be common.

Two bands significantly improve the network’s signal and overall balance. The next thing you need is a router that can handle multiple connections at the same time. Unfortunately, many routers today are not designed to connect to a large number of different devices at the same time.

As a result, as you approach the upper limit, your WiFi will begin randomly dropping connections. Finally, you’ll want to get a router designed specifically for smart homes.

I won’t rehash everything here, but I did write an article recently on the best routers for smart homes. You’ll find several great options there. You’ll be amazed at how much better all the WiFi-enabled devices in your home perform when you have the right router setup.

CONCLUSION: Google Home Wi-Fi Dropping

Many users have reported Google Home randomly disconnecting from WiFi over the last few years. This problem is caused by a weak WiFi signal or interference from nearby WiFi devices or networks. The first thing you should try is dividing your WiFi devices between the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands.

All of your Google products should ideally be connected to the 5 GHz band, while the rest of your WiFi devices should be on the 2.4 GHz band. To improve signal strength, try moving your Google Home closer to your router.

If those steps do not work, you should use a WiFi analyzer such as WiFiman to investigate the strength of your WiFi signal as well as the strength of the WiFi signals in your vicinity.

Finally, your router may simply be incapable of connecting to all of your various WiFi devices, and you may need to purchase a new one designed specifically for smart homes. Did any of my suggestions help you resolve this problem? Please leave a comment below!

FAQs About Google Home Issues