Is my extender breaking my Google Nest Doorbell?

The short answer

Extenders halve the speed available for constant video upload. Cheap extenders make a second network. Once your phone and the gadget end up on different halves of it, they can no longer find each other.

What's happening underneath

Cloud-based. Router filtering rarely breaks it; distance and brickwork usually do. An extender that makes its own network name puts your phone and the gadget on two different networks.

Source: Manufacturer documentation

Try these, in this order

• • Check the signal reading in the Google Home app at the door itself.
• • Move the router out of the hall cupboard and up off the floor.
• • Reduce video quality in the app — it makes a big difference on a weak link.
• • Add a mesh box in the hallway rather than a plug-in extender.
• • Check the signal where the gadget actually lives, not where you're standing.
• • Move the router off the floor and out of any cupboard before buying anything.
• • Put the gadget and your phone on the same Wi-Fi name.

Setting it up again properly

• • Stand next to your router while you set it up, then move the gadget to where it lives.
• • Put your phone on the 2.4 GHz network name for the setup, or use one name for both bands so the phone can follow.
• • If your router splits bands into two names, turn the 5 GHz one off for five minutes rather than fighting it.
• • Turn mobile data off on your phone during setup — some apps quietly use it and never find the gadget.

When it's worth spending money

One mesh box near the front door, only after the free steps above.