- Google is rolling out an update to the Nest Wifi router ahead of the US router ban
- The ban has not gone into effect, but could significantly reduce router options
- The Nest Wifi router is a solid choice, but we think the Asus and Netgear are better options
Google has decided to go ahead with its next firmware update for the Nest Wifi router and Nest Wifi point, despite the recent ban on Wifi routers manufactured outside the US.
The update was spotted by 9to5Google, which shared that the company updated the changelog on April 24 with ‘stability and security vulnerability fixes’. According to the outlet, the Nest Wifi router is now running on software version 14150.883.231, and the Nest Wifi point is on version 1.56.3.497142 — the latter of which doubles as a Google Home speaker.
This is the first software update for the Google Nest Wifi point since May 2025, while the Next Wifi router’s last update was released way back in October 2024, meaning its April 2026 update marks exactly a year and a half since the last one.
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Back in March, Google rolled out a new update to the Nest Wifi Pro to improve stability, security and mesh performance, but this arrived before the FCC announced the ban on “consumer-grade routers” that are “manufactured in foreign countries,” according to its ruling.
Although the ban has not gone into effect yet, it could pose quite a problem for consumers, as a large majority of Wifi routers are made outside the US, even those by US tech giants like Google. Ultimately, this will make it even more difficult to buy US-made Wifi routers for two reasons: the first is that there aren’t many routers on the market that are made in the US anyway, and the second is the increasing user demand, which would ultimately put more pressure on companies to find new models to keep up.
But as it stands, the Google Nest Wifi router is still safe to buy and use now while the ban is still up in the air. As far as the best Wifi routers go, the Nest Wifi router doesn’t rank among them, but that said, every single one of our favorites is made outside of the US.
Taking the top spot is the TP-Link Deco BE63, a solid performer with free content filters for parents, while the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 remains our top premium option due to its high-speed wired connections, making it perfect for gaming enthusiasts. Even the Netgear Orbi 373 is a reliable budget-friendly option that’s easy to set up, but even though Netgear is an American company, its products are manufactured overseas.
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