can i hardwire my nest wifi pro points with ethernet for backhaul? the app doesn’t seem to recognize when i plug a cable in

— asked by Taylor

Quick answer: You absolutely can, and it’s called a wired backhaul. The system should automatically detect the ethernet connection and switch the backhaul from wireless to wired, but sometimes it needs a nudge or the connection isn’t solid.

Diagnosis

You absolutely can, and it’s called a wired backhaul. The system should automatically detect the ethernet connection and switch the backhaul from wireless to wired, but sometimes it needs a nudge or the connection isn’t solid.

How to Fix It

First, use the correct port. Each Nest Wifi Pro point has two ethernet ports, and they are interchangeable. Plug one end of an ethernet cable into either port on the point. Plug the other end into a LAN port on your main Nest Wifi Pro router, or into a network switch that is connected to the router. The key step: once the cable is connected, you need to restart the point. Unplug it from power for 10 seconds, then plug it back in. Give it a few minutes to reboot. The app won’t show a big “WIRED” banner, but you can check by running a “Test Mesh” in the app—the connection should show as “Great” and the ping time will be extremely low (like 1-3ms).

If That Didn't Work

Test the ethernet cable itself. Try a different, known-good cable. Also, try a different port on the main router or switch. The ports should light up when connected. If there’s no light, the physical connection isn’t being made.

Heads Up

Don’t create a loop. You can wire points to the main router or to a switch, but don’t connect two points directly to each other with ethernet unless they are also both connected back to the main router via a switch. A simple “daisy chain” from router to point A to point B often won’t work correctly.

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