Google Chromecast review
The Google Chromecast: simple and yet so difficult. Why I ended up returning the small device.
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A simple goal and yet not a solution
06/2016 The objective was actually very simple. A website should be displayed or streamed on a TV device without a Lan/Wi-Fi connection in my office building. This is a problem with WiFi sticks because usually only a specific one specified by the manufacturer works. In addition, WiFi sticks are just as expensive as a Google Chromecast. So why not just buy the device from Google, which supposedly makes it so easy to bring videos, images and web content to any TV device? But damn, I already failed to set up a WiFi connection. The network connection worked (stable) neither in the office nor at home.
How does Chromecast work?
Before buying the Google Chromecast, I did some research online. On the relevant Google website, apart from some unhelpful marketing material, there is very little information about the exact function of the device. So I used a search engine and YouTube to look for better information. I then found it in a video from an IT magazine. The Chromecast is a small device with a WiFi antenna and processor. You connect it to an HDMI port. HDMI obviously does not have its own power supply. Therefore, an additional USB cable is required for the power supply. These are usually included in today's TV sets. Once the Chromecast is connected to the WiFi/Internet, you can easily transfer videos from YouTube or partners such as Netflix from your mobile phone to the Chromecast, which then displays the content on the TV set. The IT magazine's video explains that it is also possible to use the Chromecast to bring websites and files as well as the entire desktop of a PC to a TV. Another exciting piece of information is that once you have transferred a video or a website to the Chromecast, it pulls the content directly from the web. You no longer need the device you used to start the transfer after the transfer. So far, it's a really great thing!
Why didn't the Chromecast work?
Anyone who opens the Chromecast packaging will immediately be greeted by the extremely easy setup instructions. Simply connect it to the HDMI and USB ports (USB is required for power), then select the appropriate source on the TV and configure it using the Chromecast app. At first everything looked promising. My cell phone, an iPhone 6, connected to the Chromecast immediately and I was able to select one of the available networks. The device was then able to connect to the WiFi router. But after that, instead of entering the password, I only got an error message asking me to check the settings. A call to Google Support reveals that the Chromecast cannot work with WiFi networks that require password authentication or a captive portal. That's pretty sad, because that meant it was already useable in the office and in hotels, for example. The Chromecast also has problems with AP/client isolation, virtual private networks (VPNs), proxy servers and IGMP proxy. Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), Multicast and the Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) must be activated in the router for everything to work. My question as to whether the Chromecast can work without an internet connection, e.g. whether it can display files directly from a laptop on the TV, was answered with a no. The Chromecast apparently doesn't work at all without an internet connection. To give the device a second chance, I tried it again at home. But here too, the connection to the Speedport router only worked after the second attempt. Then the Chromecast immediately started downloading updates and was not accessible for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, the app even delivered one error message after the other and in the end, after the updates had been downloaded, I couldn't even connect to the Chromecast anymore. When I looked at the available applications for Chromecast, I also found that there is only one (paid) app that can supposedly send documents to the Chromecast. All other apps (the number
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