Are you planning a trip somewhere? Then you would be staying at some hotel. Are you curious to know if it is possible to connect Chromecast to hotel WiFi? Hotels usually provide cable connections with basic channels in the guest’s rooms. It may not be a fair deal for those binge-watchers who cannot do without Netflix or Amazon Prime.
Some of the latest establishments also have Roomcast installed on their television networks across all the rooms. It is a Chromecast-compatible setup that allows you to stream content from the services like Hulu or Netflix. Otherwise, you can take your Chromecast and use it in the hotel’s TV room to stream your favourite content from any popular streaming service that you have subscribed to.
Setting Up the Chromecast: Connect Chromecast to Hotel WiFi
Once you are in your hotel room, you need to set up the Chromecast. First, check that the TV set in your room has an HDMI port. The port will be labelled for inputting the HDMI cable so it will be easy for you to find it. It will be at the back end of the TV.
It is to this open HDMI port you have to connect the Chromecast. Now, it depends if the connector of the Chromecast is compatible with that of the TV or not. If that is compatible, then it will connect easily. On the TV settings, change the input for the HDMI port corresponding to that of the Chromecast.
What if Making Changes to HDMI Input is Not Allowed on the Hotel Room TV?
If you are not lucky, then maybe the TV in your hotel room won’t allow you to make changes to the input. Some hotels even lock the HDMI ports on the television sets provided in their rooms. They restrict any changes as they have already connected their official media server to provide each TV in every room with basic channels to stream content.
Check if the television already has any cable inserted? If indeed there is a cable, it is the data stream cable. If you see that, then unplug it first. This will disconnect the TV in your room from the hotel media server thus disallowing you to stream content from the channels provided on the TV. Now, insert the cable of your Chromecast into the HDMI port.
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Accessing the Internet
It gets quite simple from here. Connect your mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet to the WiFi network of the hotel room. Install the Google Home app on your phone. Then set up the Chromecast that you have with you on the hotel WiFi network.
Creating Own Hotspot Through a PC/Laptop
These days everyone carries their work as they travel. If you have your PC or laptop with you, then you may use the WiFi network from the PC by sharing it with the Chromecast and the smartphone.
Sharing network through Windows OS is preferable rather than macOS. The latter asks for an Ethernet connection. Hotel rooms mostly won’t have an ethernet cable lying around. You may use the smartphone as a hotspot but if the network is on metered data, it won’t take too long for you to run out of data. This will block the streaming.
Using a Personal Router to Create WiFi Hotspot
Here is another alternative to create a WiFi network in the hotel room. You can use this on your Chromecast to stream content. If you are a gadget lover and prefer to carry your router (or if not, check some best routers for Chromecast), then you can use this trick to create a wireless access point.
The routers generally require an Ethernet cable to form a network. You need to have the same in the hotel room to be able to use your router. These travel routers work on the principle of Wireless Internet Service Provider or WISP.
With this router, you can access the WiFi network of the hotel and share it with your devices such as a laptop or mobile phone. Then use the shared network to stream your content which will be telecasted on the hotel room TV via Chromecast.
Conclusion
Just because you are on the road and travelling doesn’t mean that you have to skip your daily dose of entertainment. Wherever you are going to stay, if you are carrying your Chromecast device, you can enjoy your choice of content from the service you have subscribed to on the TV of the hotel room.
