How to use Chromecast without Wi-Fi

• How to use Chromecast: everything you need to know

• The 20 Best Chromecast Apps of 2016

• How to improve Chromecast performance

• How to use Chromecast to mirror your screen

• How to use Chromecast to play

• How to use Chromecast to stream audio

• How to turn off your Chromecast

• How to Cast VLC Player to Chromecast

• How to use Chromecast without Wi-Fi

• How to reset your Chromecast

• Chromecast Tips and Tricks

Google’s Chromecast connects to your TV via HDMI and uses Wi-Fi to connect and cast from most networked devices, like smartphones and laptops, and also uses pre-installed apps that require Internet access. What can you do if you don’t have Wi-Fi? The answer is easy; You create Wi-Fi so that a device can connect to Chromecast and operate it online or mirror your screen. Sure, you won’t be able to stream content or play online games, but you’ll be able to mirror other devices on the big screen.

You can use Chromecast without a dedicated Wi-Fi source using one of the following options:

• Use Chromecast guest mode.
• Use WLAN without Internet (following preconfigured procedures) to mirror a device.
• Use a mobile hotspot as a router and a second device to connect to Chromecast.
• Use a travel router for WLAN and your device to connect to Chromecast.
• Use an active Ethernet port, which requires a special power adapter for Chromecast.
• Use Connectify Hotspot on a laptop over an active Ethernet connection.

Many sources can provide wireless Internet while you travel, including hotel Wi-Fi, portable hotspots, smartphone hotspots, Ethernet connections, and more. However, when Internet access is not an option, you can create a WLAN to use later without an Internet connection, although that restricts what Chromecast can do. Here are the details.

1. Connect Devices to Chromecast without Internet

Google certainly improved things when it added Guest Mode, which allows Chromecast to connect to any Google casting-capable device that doesn’t have Wi-Fi internet. However, Chromecast still requires an Internet source via a host (access point, router, or Ethernet), as shown in the Google image below.

So, can you use Chromecast without Wi-Fi in guest mode? The answer is yes and no. You can use Chromecast on devices without Wi-Fi to mirror the device’s screen. However, you can’t use the full functionality of Chromecast without an Internet connection from a host, as shown in the Google image below.

If you haven’t already caught on to Chromecast Guest Mode’s Wi-Fi beacon functionality, it allows 4G and 5G streaming apps from your Android tablet or smartphone to work directly on your TV. Users with iOS 11.0+ can use Guest Mode with certain restrictions, as shown in the Google image below.

If the information above about using Chromecast without Wi-Fi seems confusing to you, you’re not alone. In other words, you can connect a device to your Chromecast without using the Internet, so that part is true. However, an internet connection is still required for Chromecast to offer Guest Mode. You can also mirror devices on Chromecast, mentioned below.

2. Use Chromecast on a Wi-Fi Network without Internet

Even with the information above about streaming, that doesn’t mean you can’t mirror your tablet, phone, or laptop without Wi-Fi. Google says the Chromecast needs a host, but that doesn’t mean the host needs to have an Internet connection.

Set up Chromecast at home with an Internet connection using two devices, one for setup and one for WLAN. You enable the hotspot on your smartphone, connect device 2 (PC, tablet, etc.) to the phone’s hotspot, set up Chromecast using device 2, and then turn off device 2. The Chromecast is now set up for the hotspot phone access (WLAN). whether or not you have an internet connection.

When you connect the Chromecast to the pre-configured mobile hotspot while traveling, the TV will indicate that the internet has been lost. Ignore that notification and select the mirror option in the Home app found on your smartphone. Then you will see your Android phone mirrored on the TV. In this scenario, streaming on-demand streams and installed apps will not work, but mirroring will.

3. Use your smartphone’s hotspot

The Chromecast can rarely access a dedicated Wi-Fi network when traveling, such as hotel Internet and public Wi-Fi hotspots. The provider’s two-factor system requires you to agree to the terms and conditions of the service, which requires browser functionality to access it, something Chromecast doesn’t have.

Starting the hotspot option on your smartphone provides the Internet that the Chromecast needs to function properly. Unfortunately, you still need a dedicated source to plug and play on Chromecast. This scenario means that your smartphone must act as a router, so a second device is required to join the network and connect to the Chromecast device.

If, for some reason, your smartphone does not have mobile broadband service, you will not be able to use it as a source of Internet connectivity. However, you can still connect in Guest Mode, so without mobile Wi-Fi, what can you do? See method #2 below.

4. Use Chromecast with a travel router

Grab a portable 3G/4G/5G router with paid service and use it as your hotspot. It’s that easy. There are no public Wi-Fi agreements required to accept or insecure Internet connections. Connect the Chromecast to the hotspot using your smartphone and Google Home, and then connect the device you want to use with the Chromecast, such as your tablet, laptop, or even smartphone.

When portable routers (also known as pocket routers, mobile hotspots) are used as an Internet/WLAN source, they offer real Internet to the Chromecast device as an alternative Wi-Fi source. This scenario is another way to use your Chromecast when you can’t access a dedicated Internet connection, like hotel Wi-Fi.

5. Use Ethernet

The Chromecast doesn’t have an Ethernet connector, but Google makes an Ethernet power adapter for the device. Connect an Ethernet cable to the power adapter jack and the Ethernet jack of an Internet source, insert the power adapter into the wall, and then connect the USB cable from the adapter to the Chromecast to power the device.

In addition to dedicated power adapters for Chromecast, some mobile routers feature an Ethernet connection, which you can use to create the Wi-Fi you’re missing for Chromecast and other devices. You need to connect the mobile router to the hotel’s “active” Ethernet wall jack and you’re done!

Note: If you want to use a travel router, first set up the device at home by assigning it an SSID and password, unless you use mobile broadband for Wi-Fi and it’s already set up.

After getting the right products and accessories, follow the steps below.

1. Connect your Chromecast to the pocket router/hotspot device via the Chromecast app on your Android or iOS smartphone or tablet.
   
2. At your hotel, connect the pocket router to the Ethernet connection if necessary and to a power outlet or USB port to power it. Some devices have rechargeable batteries, particularly those that use 3G/4G/5G as their internet source.
   
3. Connect your devices wirelessly to the pocket router’s connection generated by the hotel’s Internet service Ethernet or the mobile broadband signal it receives.
   

The Ethernet option allows you to use Chromecast without Wi-Fi, as long as you have the special AC adapter or connect an Ethernet cable to a portable router.

6. Use Connectify Hotspot

Connect access point It’s a great way to share your laptop’s Wi-Fi or wired Internet connection as a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point location. While it is a paid app, there is a free version with basic functionality.

The website indicates that the app requires Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10. However, the paid Hotspot PRO and MAX editions also allow you to use your smartphone’s hotspot as a router for Chromecast. But again, that uses your phone as a dedicated internet provider, so you’ll need another device to stream.

Here’s how to use Connectify Hotspot on your laptop.

Using Connectify Hotspot on a Windows device or smartphone with hotel Wi-Fi

1. Connect your smartphone, tablet, or laptop to your hotel’s Wi-Fi, agreeing to the terms and conditions (via a browser) to compensate for the lack of browser functionality on the Chromecast.
   
2. Open Connectify Hotspot and share your connection as a Wi-Fi router.
   
   
3. Connect your Chromecast to the new hotspot you created using the Chromecast app on your smartphone.
   

As you can see, Chromecast differs from other TV streamers/casters because it features a Wi-Fi beacon that is used for Guest Mode. Still, that beacon won’t work unless the Chromecast has an internet connection. The network allows your tablet, smartphone or laptop to connect, even if they don’t have Wi-Fi. Remember that Chromecast still needs a Wi-Fi internet server unless you just want to mirror one device.

---

In closing, yes, you CAN still connect Chromecast (without active internet) to devices, as long as it is used for mirroring. Otherwise, a dedicated internet device and a device that works with Chromecast is required.