Google WiFi is great and exciting. It’s the new kid on the block, and you can get more than one of them to easily create a Mesh WiFi network on your home for increased connection strength no matter which room you’re in.
But that doesn’t mean OnHub — Google’s previous smart WiFi router project — isn’t worth taking a look at, especially at the drastically decreased price tags you can get them for on Amazon. Earlier today, the ASUS model was as low as $110 (it debuted at $199), while TP-Link’s is going for $117 right now.
OnHub’s key draw include an extremely simple setup procedure, smartphone app control, traffic prioritization to ensure the device you’re using gets the best performance, automatic network optimization, forthcoming smart home connectivity, and more. They use dual-band AC1900 speeds, so it should be able to handle just about any level of connection you might have.
It’s worth noting that you can get a single Google WiFi access point for just $129, but those aren’t out quite yet, and if you don’t ever anticipate needing multiple access points (and if you think integrated Weave technology will be useful for your future smart home efforts) then we say it’s a fine buy. Google has already stated that their commitment to updating and maintaining OnHub isn’t going away, so there’s nothing to worry about on that front.
One last note: the price on the OnHub seems to be fluctuating by the hour. We’ve seen it as low as $110, so keep your eye on it as there’s a chance it could get even cheaper. Otherwise, waiting to get a single Google WiFi access point is not a bad idea, and it uses similar technology and has just as good — if not better — beamforming and other signal strengthening technologies as OnHub. Explore your options at Amazon with the links ahead.
Buy TP-Link OnHub at Amazon Buy ASUS OnHub at Amazon Pre-Order Google WiFi at Amazon