Chromecast Ethernet Experiment

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Maxcat

273 posts

Ultimate Geek

#191943 22-Feb-2016 11:35

I've had a Chromecast for a year and been largely disappointed with its performance.

I have a Sony Xperia tablet and also used Samsung devices.

The mirroring and casting of photos has been frustrating, choppy and unstable.

Chromecast seems to me as an unfinished device with potential, but is easily beaten in terms of stability and image making with the Android iMedia App and an Apple TV.

So as a final roll of the Chromecast dice I am going to hard wire mine to the home network:

http://diydeveloper.io/tech/2015/09/01/chromecast-ethernet/

The products needed come to $11NZ (less mail), cheaper than the official Chromecast ethernet device.

Has anyone else tried this?

More later here this week when the parts arrive if anyone else is interested.

In the picture below the bottom cable link is going to power either USB or the power socket.

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660 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1496919 22-Feb-2016 12:38

even my chromecase suffers a lot of lag when i play non-youtube websites and then when i reset the modem it seems ok , but then sometimes it does lag again and then the video suffers quality.

i would be interested to see if this method works and if it does, i might give this a go :)

old3eyes

8381 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#1496920 22-Feb-2016 12:40

I haven't had any issues with my Chromecast but would like a solution like this for my Amazon Fire Stick..

Regards,

Old3eyes

Maxcat

273 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1496923 22-Feb-2016 12:43

It may be worth a shot.

The only catch is the chipset on the Chromecast has been confirmed to work with the adapter. It may not with the Fire TV.

More discussion here that reveals some of the trial and error experiences in Australia.

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2418159

This link may also be of interest for those looking for the correct adapter.

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/chromecast/xo_NDh5CZA8

sep11guy

660 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1496927 22-Feb-2016 12:51

thanks for the google page, i did notice it said : here are devices that should work based on the driver code

so will the spark model work on this ? I am not sure what brand modem spark supplies , might have to go home and check.

Maxcat

273 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1496935 22-Feb-2016 12:56

To find the adapter I posted the 88772a number into our favorite auction site (not sure if I can name the obvious without causing trouble here), which led me to one seemingly correct device.

More once I have it wired to my Chromecast later this week.

old3eyes

8381 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#1496942 22-Feb-2016 13:14

You could get one of these https://store.google.com/product/ethernet_adapter_for_chromecast?sku=_ethernet_adapter_for_chromecast

Regards,

Old3eyes

Maxcat

273 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1496947 22-Feb-2016 13:28

If you read the Australia experience above it's the same as mine - the official Chromecast dongle is expensive and often out of stock.

I need a specific outcome from my Chromecast - casting needs to be reliable, fast and stable. So far it's not.

I'm not prepared to pay $70+ for the experiment that identifies the problem is the wireless connectivity of my Chromecast.

This is a $12 experiment to confirm that wired is the solution.

sep11guy

660 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1496956 22-Feb-2016 13:37

even i tried the google store page but the product was " not available "

so i am quite keen to give this DIY a go, i will wait for results from the kind maxcat who started this topic, good work

robjg63

3099 posts

Uber Geek

#1496961 22-Feb-2016 13:48

Great idea - I laugh at the Noel Leeming ad where they sell an older guy a tablet (because the golf isnt on TV anymore) - Then they have an idea to sell him a chromecast so he can cast it to the TV. All works brilliantly on the ad.

I always find the chromecast quite hit and miss sometimes as to whether it will work properly or not.

Dont think its my home network - they are just a bit cranky!

Also - built in wifi is quite touchy sometimes. Have seen a few we mods where people have installed external antennas with good results. Interestingly the chromecast has a lump of metal (a heat sink) that can easily obscure the tiny inbuilt wifi aerial.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

nedkelly

569 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#1496969 22-Feb-2016 14:08

I have a chromecast that I bought off Nate of all people.

I have not had an issue with it at all, works everywhere I have tried in my 3 floor house.

I use it for youtube, photos and Spotify when needed.

Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) 10.10, MCITP 2008

Maxcat

273 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1496971 22-Feb-2016 14:10

What device are you using with it?

nedkelly

569 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#1496975 22-Feb-2016 14:19

Nexus 4, 2010 Late Macbook Pro, Huawei Honor 6, HP Slate 7 Extreme and more

Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) 10.10, MCITP 2008

richms

23374 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Subscriber

#1496980 22-Feb-2016 14:29

I got a little OTG hub with ethernet which was going to be for a raspi zero if ever they ship enough to be in stock anywhere. Might try that on the old chromecast and see how it goes.

Richard rich.ms

sep11guy

660 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1496982 22-Feb-2016 14:31

richms:

I got a little OTG hub with ethernet which was going to be for a raspi zero if ever they ship enough to be in stock anywhere. Might try that on the old chromecast and see how it goes.

Good idea richms, please do post a quick review of how the performance differed, if it improved etc.

mattwnz

16347 posts

Uber Geek

#1497030 22-Feb-2016 15:20

Chromecost is ok I find, but casting bbc iplayer is often a problem with buffering. Only seems to BBC for some reason,other UK channels seem to be fine, and bbc iplayer doesn't buffer at all on my pc. But I hardly ever use it anyway, not too much time to watch TV these days.

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