Fix double NAT when two routers run at the same time

If this router is independent of your modem, power off and unplug this router and directly connect your modem to your Google Nest Wifi router or primary Google Wifi point.

If this router is combined with your modem, enable Bridge mode on your modem/router combo. This will take care of the potential double NAT issue.

1. Connect a computer directly to your router with an Ethernet cable.
2. Log in to your router or modem/router combo and find its settings to enable Bridge mode.
3. To access your router’s settings, you might have to open an Internet browser and enter your router’s IP address in the address bar like this:

    

   

Steps will vary depending on the device. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and manufacturers provide instructions on how to do this.

A single Google Wifi point or Google Nest Wifi router that is not part of a mesh system can be set to Bridge mode.  Bridge mode disables the DHCP and routing functions so that double NAT is no longer an issue. In Bridge mode, this single mesh point will operate as a pure Wi-Fi access point connected over an Ethernet wire to the primary modem/router. Note: Bridge mode will only work if you’re using a single Nest Wifi router or Google Wifi point. If you’re creating a mesh network with multiple Wifi devices, your Nest Wifi router or primary Wifi point cannot be in Bridge mode.

This is because the Nest Wifi router or primary Wifi point needs to control settings and communication within your Wi-Fi network. If it’s in Bridge mode, in addition to losing mesh capability, you’ll also lose some of Google Nest Wifi or Google Wifi’s functionality:

• Priority device will be unavailable.
• DNS can’t be edited.
• WAN settings can’t be edited.
• Guest Wi-Fi will be unavailable.
• Wi-Fi speed results in network check will be unavailable (but download and upload results will still work).
• Philips Hue pairing and controls will be unavailable on OnHub devices.

Additionally, Bridge mode disables many of Google Wifi and Google Nest Wifi’s security protections. This is because your upstream router (the modem/router combo in the above scenario) is the one performing DNS steering, packet inspection, executable patching, etc.

Google Wifi and Google Nest Wifi’s automatic security updates maximise your privacy and security. These protective features are most effective, and in some cases, only effective, when all traffic passes through your Nest Wifi router or primary Google Wifi point (instead of through another router).

If you have a third-party router, you can wire a Nest Wifi router or primary Google Wifi point to it, then mesh additional Wifi points downstream. 

If you still want to turn your Nest Wifi router or primary Wifi point into a bridge, you can follow the steps below:

You can connect two routers to extend the Wi-Fi coverage in your home. But when you have two routers, each with their own private Wi-Fi network, your personal devices can have a hard time communicating with each other. This scenario is called double NAT.

For example, let’s say you want to wirelessly print a picture from your computer. If you have two Wi-Fi networks, it’s possible that your computer is on one network while your printer is on the other. And if both networks are private, your computer won’t be able to tell your printer to print the picture.

Double NAT

This can also result in performance issues if you play online games or use port forwarding rules and UPnP.

To fix this, Bridge mode lets multiple routers share one single Wi-Fi network. Here’s what that could look like:

Bridge mode

Double NAT isn’t necessarily a problem. For most people, double NAT does not affect Wi-Fi performance. But it can be an issue if you play online games or use IP address assignments, port forwarding rules and UPnP.