Google has expanded the number of countries with Google WiFi, bringing the list to 21 countries in total.
Last week, Google rolled the feature out in Spain and Austria. This week, the service was expanded to three more countries – the Philippines, Portugal and Italy. Google WiFi is now one of the most widely available hardware systems from Google, according to CNet.
Google WiFi serves as a replacement to a user’s router, working instead with the modem and ISP and allowing users to place multiple hot spots around their home in order to provide relatively even WiFi access throughout the house. The mesh wireless system combats the known issue of dead zones that can pop up with a traditional wireless router, areas in the house where signal is not strong or does not extend at all.
The company has previously launched Google WiFi in places such as Canada, Germany, France, Sweden, Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
In the United States, the cost for three Google WiFi hubs is $300, with additional units coming in at $130 each. Each individual point covers up to 1,500 square feet, and a set of three provides 4,500 square feet of WiFi coverage, according to BGR.
With the app, users can control WiFi activity on connected devices using including options such as parental controls that allow users to disable WiFi access to a particular device for a given amount of time, or blocking access to websites with explicit content. This system has been used by web hosting companies to manage traffic, such as a2hosting, which is offering discount on web hosting.
The device has no upper limit on device connection, which means users can connect as many devices to the system as they want.
First launched in 2016, the Google WiFi network has garnered much attention from the technology world, with many praising the system for its blanket WiFi coverage and ability to customize locations.
The Next Web declared the system the best choice for home internet use, praising the system for requiring minimal wires and having an easy set-up process. However, critics pointed out that the simplicity of the device also means advanced users could not customize it according to their preferences.
In May, Google announced that it would launch a feature which enables users to identify if an individual device in their network is struggling with WiFi connection and needs to be relocated to get a better signal, according to The Verge. Users can access the feature through the WiFi app. The average user connects 18 devices to the system, according to Google.
