You can connect Chromecast to hotel Wi-Fi using several different approaches. The approach you choose depends on what other devices you have with you, and how the hotel requires you to log into its Wi-Fi network.
Which Chromecast Connection is Right for You?
Jan 14, 2019 - You must register your Google Home's hardware address before it can connect to the. Click on the google home to see it's MAC address.
If you're staying at a hotel with an open Wi-Fi network that doesn't require any login, then you're in luck. You can just plug in your Chromecast to the TV and set it up on the Wi-Fi network just like you would at home.
However, most hotels require you to log into a welcome web page and type in your room number or name before you can connect. If this is the case, then you'll need to use one of the more creative approaches below.
As you read further in the article, the approaches become more complicated and dare we say a bit nerdier.
Create a Windows 10 Hotspot
Why create an alternative hotspot? When you turn a laptop or mobile device into a hotspot that's connected to the internet, the Chromecast can connect to it just like your home network, because there's no welcome page needed.
Any other device (mobile or laptop) connected to the same hotspot can stream to the Chromecast in the same way it does over a network at home.
First, connect your laptop to the hotel Wi-Fi as you normally would, and log into the hotel's welcome page. Once your laptop is connected to the internet, you're ready to follow the next steps to connect your Chromecast.
- Click Start, select Settings, and select Network & Internet.
- Select Mobile hotspot from the left pane.
- Click the selector to turn Share my Internet connection with other devices to On.
- Ensure that Share my Internet connection from is set to Wi-Fi.
- Also make sure Share my Internet connection over is set to Wi-Fi.
- Record the Network name and Network password that's displayed at the bottom of the window.
Now that your laptop hotspot is enabled, set up your Chromecast as you normally would, but use the network name and password you recorded above for your connection settings.
If you don't have a Windows 10 laptop, you can share your Internet connection via Wi-Fi with a Mac as well. If you have an older Windows laptop, you can use Connectify to share your Wi-Fi connection.
Create a Mobile Hotspot
If you don't have your laptop with you, most modern mobile phones have a feature to share the Internet connection via a mobile hotspot.
To enable a Wi-Fi mobile hotspot with your Android:
- Open Settings.
- Under Wireless & Network tap More.
- Tap Tethering & portable hotspot.
- Tap Set up Wi-Fi hotspot.
- Type a Network name and Password.
- Tap Save.
- Enable Portable Wi-Fi hotspot.
Now your phone is sharing its cellular internet connection as a Wi-Fi access point. You can connect to this Wi-Fi network with your Chromecast just like you would any other network.
If you have an iPhone, you can enable a Wi-Fi mobile hotspot with iPhone as well.
Only use this solution if you have an unlimited data plan. Streaming movies or shows via your mobile hotspot can consume a lot of data and incur hefty data use costs. A few phones are capable of sharing its Wi-Fi connection instead of data. If your phone has this capability, you don't have to worry about data usage.
Use a Portable Router
One of the easiest solutions to get a Chromecast to work on a hotel Wi-Fi network is to bring along a portable travel Wi-Fi router.
If you've never used one, a wireless travel router is a compact device that you can connect to a wireless hotspot, and then share that connection with multiple devices. When you buy one, you'll want to be sure it offers Wi-Fi client support, which means it can join a Wi-Fi network as a client. Anything that logs into and joins a network (a Wi-Fi network in this case) is a client. So when your iPhone or laptop joins a network, it's considered a client.
There are many great choices for travel routers. You may also need to bring a network cable with you to plug into the hotel room's network jack, in case the hotel doesn't provide one.
Even if the hotel doesn't have a network jack, most travel routers let you connect to the hotel Wi-Fi network. Then you can create an access point for all devices in the room (including the Chromecast) to connect to one another.
Make Your Wi-Fi Card Look Like the Chromecast MAC Address
If none of the options above work for you, there is one last option.
The way a hotel monitors which devices are authorized to connect to the Wi-Fi network is by media access control (MAC) address.
One expert-level trick is to make the hotel router think your Chromecast is actually your laptop by temporarily setting your wireless card to the same Mac address of your Chromecast. Then you authenticate using the hotel welcome page.
Follow the steps below to pass that authentication from your laptop to your Chromecast.
First, before you leave for your trip, get your Chromecast's MAC address while it's connected to your home Wi-Fi network.
- Open the Google Home app on your phone.
- Tap the Devices icon in the upper right corner.
- Tap the three dots on the upper right corner of your Chromecast device to see the settings.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the settings page and record the MAC address.
- Be sure to write that address down, as you'll need it in the following steps.
Pass Network Authentication to Your Chromecast
Once you're at the hotel, perform the following steps on your Windows 10 laptop to pass Wi-Fi network authentication to your Chromecast.
- Click Start, type cmd, and press the Enter key on your keyboard.
- Type getmac and press Enter.
- Write down the Physical Address listed next to the connected device under Transport Name. This is your laptop's MAC address, which you'll need later.
- Click Start, type Device Manager and click on Device Manager.
- Expand Network adapters.
- Right click on the Wi-Fi adapter and select Properties.
- Click on the Advanced tab.
- Click on the Network Address property and enter your Chromecast's MAC address into the Value field.
If you don't see Network Address or Locally Administered Address, then your Wi-Fi network card may not support MAC spoofing. However, you may be able to use the ethernet card instead.
In older versions of Windows, the above instructions work as well, opening the device manager is a little different. To do so, press and hold the Windows key and press the R key. In the dialog box, type devmgmt.msc and press the Enter key. Continue the rest of the instructions as described.
Make Your Ethernet Card Look Like Your Chromecast MAC Address
Plug your laptop directly into the Hotel ethernet port. Once online, you can use the same procedure above to make your Ethernet network card's MAC address that of your Chromecast.
Once you've logged into the hotel's internet welcome page, disconnect your computer and then power up the Chromecast.
Now that the Chromecast MAC address is registered with the hotel router, it shouldn't have a problem connecting to the network. You can set up the Chromecast just like you would at home.
Using Chromecast at a Hotel
If these options seem like quite a hassle, you might opt for buying other devices that are capable of logging into hotel networks.
An Amazon Fire Stick is a good option since it has a built-in web browser. The Roku streaming stick is another option since you can connect to its secondary Wi-Fi signal with your laptop to log it into the hotel hotspot.
If you have filtering by media access control (MAC) enabled on your router, it will recognize your Google Chromecast, but will not allow you to stream content to the device. You'll need to venture into the router's administration software and make an exception. The exact process varies by router, but the first thing you'll need is your Chromecast's MAC address. Here's how to find it.
In order to access Chromecast's settings, you'll need to plug the device into your TV and connect it to the same Wi-Fi network as your computer.
1. Open the Chromecast app on your computer. If you have set up your Chromecast recently, you'll find a shortcut to the app on your desktop. Otherwise, Windows users should check the Start Menu; Mac and ChromeOS users should check Applications, and Linux users should navigate to the directory where they installed the program. If it has disappeared, you can always download it again via theChromecast setup page.
2. Click Settings. You'll see a list of all the Chromecasts connected on your Wi-Fi network. If you have more than Chromecast, you'll have to repeat this process. Click Settings to proceed.
3. Find the MAC address at the bottom of the window. The system's MAC address is located at the bottom-left corner of the Settings menu.
Copy the MAC address down, then consult your router's instruction manual. Now you can make an exception for your Chromecast and allow it to stream content as intended.
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