speed tests are way slower than my gigabit internet, especially on the wifi pro points

Diagnosis

The performance drop on your Google Nest WiFi Pro 6E points is typically caused by "backhaul congestion" or suboptimal placement of the mesh nodes. While the Pro model supports the 6GHz band for communication between points, this high-frequency signal has extremely poor penetration. If there is a wall, a large piece of furniture, or more than 25 feet of distance between the primary router and a point, the 6GHz backhaul will fail and the system will fallback to 5GHz or 2.4GHz, slashing your available bandwidth. Furthermore, many users experience "sticky client" syndrome, where a device remains connected to a distant point even when you are standing next to the primary router. Because the Nest WiFi Pro uses a shared wireless backhaul, the throughput available to your device is essentially half of the total link speed between the point and the router, minus the overhead for encryption and signal interference. To confirm this, check the "Mesh" section in the Google Home app; if the connection quality is listed as "Fair" or "Poor," the physical placement is the root cause of your speed loss.

How to Fix It

To maximize your gigabit throughput across the mesh, follow this precise optimization sequence:

1. Isolate the Source: Connect a laptop directly to the LAN port of the primary Nest WiFi Pro router using a Cat6 or Cat6a Ethernet cable. Run a speed test via a browser. If you aren't seeing 900+ Mbps here, the issue is your modem's bridge mode or the ISP line, not the mesh system.
2. The "Halfway" Rule: Relocate your mesh points. Do not place a point in the "dead zone" where the signal is already weak; instead, place it exactly halfway between the primary router and the area with poor coverage. Ensure there are no more than two standard interior walls between nodes.
3. Elevate the Hardware: Place the Nest WiFi Pro points on open shelves or tables at least 3 feet off the ground. Avoid placing them inside media consoles, behind TVs, or on the floor, as the 6GHz antennas radiate signal primarily horizontally and slightly downward.
4. Optimize the 6GHz Band: In the Google Home app, navigate to Wi-Fi > Network Settings > Advanced Networking. Ensure that "WPA3" is enabled, as this is a requirement for the 6E 6GHz band to function. If WPA3 is off, your points will default to slower legacy bands.
5. Perform a Network Refresh: Once points are moved, restart the entire system. Power down the modem, then the primary router, then the points. Power them back on in that exact order to force the nodes to renegotiate the fastest possible backhaul link.

If That Didn't Work

• Implement Wired Backhaul (Ethernet Backhaul): The most effective way to get gigabit speeds at every point is to bypass the wireless backhaul entirely. Connect an Ethernet cable from the primary router's LAN port to the point's WAN port. This converts the point into a wired access point, providing full gigabit capacity without the wireless hop penalty.
• Adjust DNS Settings: Sometimes "slow speed" is actually high latency in DNS resolution. In the Google Home app, go to Network Settings > Advanced Networking > DNS and switch from "Automatic" to "Custom." Enter 8.8.8.8 (Google) or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) to reduce the "time to first byte" during speed tests.
• Check for Interference: Move the primary router away from other electronics that emit electromagnetic interference, such as baby monitors, microwave ovens, or cordless phone bases. These devices often bleed into the 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrum, forcing the Pro system to drop to lower MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme) indexes.
• Factory Reset and Re-provision: If a firmware update was interrupted, the 6GHz radio may be malfunctioning. Perform a hard factory reset by holding the reset button on the bottom of the device for 10-15 seconds until the light pattern changes. Set the network up from scratch to ensure the latest firmware is applied cleanly.

Heads Up

• Device Compatibility: Remember that only Wi-Fi 6E compatible devices (like the Pixel 6/7/8 or newer iPhones/Samsungs) can actually utilize the 6GHz band. Older devices will always be capped by their own hardware limits, regardless of your internet speed.
• Heat Management: The Nest WiFi Pro can run hot. If a point is tucked into a tight space, it may thermally throttle its CPU, leading to sudden speed drops during heavy downloads.
• Cable Quality: If using wired backhaul, ensure you are using Cat5e or Cat6 cables. Old Cat5 cables (non-e) are limited to 100 Mbps and will bottleneck your entire mesh system.
• App Sync: Always check the "Device" list in the Google Home app to see which node your phone is currently connected to. If it says "Point" while you are in the living room, toggle your phone's Wi-Fi off and on to force it to roam to the primary router.