How to Connect Chromecast to Hotel Wi-Fi

This article explains how to set up a Windows 10 hotspot and connect a Chromecast to it to access a hotel's network. It also includes information on setting up a hotspot using a mobile device or a portable router.

Create a Windows 10 Hotspot

If you're at a hotel with an open Wi-Fi network and no required login, plug your Chromecast into the TV and set it up on the Wi-Fi network. Otherwise, the easiest method is to create a Windows 10 hotspot. Chromecast can connect to it because there's no welcome page needed. Any other device (mobile or laptop) connected to the same hotspot can stream to the Chromecast.

First, connect your laptop to the hotel Wi-Fi as you normally would and log in to 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.

1. Click Start, select Settings, and select Network & Internet.

2. Select Mobile hotspot from the left pane.

3. Click the selector to turn Share my Internet connection with other devices to On.

4. Ensure that Share my Internet connection from is set to Wi-Fi.

5. Also, make sure Share my Internet connection over is set to Wi-Fi.

   

6. 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.

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:

1. Open Settings.

2. Under Wireless & Network tap More.

3. Tap Tethering & portable hotspot.

4. Tap Set up Wi-Fi hotspot.

5. Type a Network name and Password.

6. Tap Save.

7. 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 the iPhone as well.

Use a Portable Router

Another solution to getting 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 in to 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.

1. Open the Google Home app on your phone.

2. Tap the Devices icon in the upper right corner.

3. Tap the three dots on the upper right corner of your Chromecast device to see the settings.

4. Scroll down to the bottom of the settings page and record the MAC address.

   

5. 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.

1. Click Start, type cmd, and press the Enter key on your keyboard.

2. Type getmac and press Enter.

3. 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.

4. Click Start, type Device Manager and click on Device Manager.

5. Expand Network adapters.

6. Right-click on the Wi-Fi adapter and select Properties.

7. Click on the Advanced tab.

8. 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.

Alternative to 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.