Wi-Fi answers
Google Nest Audio — smart-home gadget keeps going offline
Why does my Google Nest Audio smart device keeps going offline?
The short answer
The cast button disappears from Spotify or YouTube even though the speaker answers you. On the WiFiXpert Compatibility Index the Google Nest Audio scores 81/100, and its weakest check is "Works on a guest network" — which is exactly where this problem comes from. You cannot cast to it from a phone on the guest network.
We publish what breaks with each router and mesh system, and the setting that fixes it.
| Check | Verdict | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Works on 2.4 GHz | Excellent | 14/14 |
| Works on 5 GHz | Supported | 12/14 |
| Modern Wi-Fi security | Good | 11/12 |
| Happy on mesh Wi-Fi | Good | 13/16 |
| Works on a guest network | Poor | 4/8 |
| Survives a plug-in extender | Issues possible | 6/8 |
| Doesn't depend on chatty discovery | Some dependency | 12/16 |
| Easy to fix when it goes wrong | Easy | 9/12 |
The short answer
- The cast button disappears from Spotify or YouTube even though the speaker answers you.
What our compatibility data shows
- Works on 2.4 GHz: Excellent
- Works on 5 GHz: Supported
- Modern Wi-Fi security: Good
- Happy on mesh Wi-Fi: Good
- Works on a guest network: Poor
- Survives a plug-in extender: Issues possible
- Doesn't depend on chatty discovery: Some dependency
- Easy to fix when it goes wrong: Easy
Free fixes, in order
- Put your phone on the same Wi-Fi name as the speaker.
- Use one Wi-Fi name for both bands instead of two separate names.
- Turn off 'client isolation' or 'AP isolation' on the router.
- Unplug any old extender and retest before changing anything else.
Before you spend anything
- Almost never — this is a network-name or isolation setting nine times out of ten.
People also ask
- Does the Google Nest Audio work on mesh Wi-Fi?
- Can I put the Google Nest Audio on a guest network?
- Does the Google Nest Audio need 2.4 GHz?
- Which router works best with the Google Nest Audio?
If you do end up spending money
Only after the free fixes. Nobody pays to appear here, and no shop link changes anything we say.
- Router or mesh known to suit this device
- A single wired connection to the device
Where this comes from
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