Chromecast keeps disconnecting

[Majikthyse]

I see there are two other posts on this topic, but no solutions. I have Google Home on Motorola G7 Play, Android 10. This problem has been much worse since we changed ISP from Virgin Media to BT Internet. I am on the full fibre package, currently running at 72 mbps on ethernet, 32 on wi-fi). The TV is an admittedly old Panasonic TX-L32S20BA, which plays DVDs from an external player very well. I use the Chromecast to watch YouTube, and catch-up TV using broadcasters' apps - mostly BBC iPlayer.

Every few minutes the connection drops and Chromecast goes to default screen. I usually have to reboot the Chromecast and restart the phone app. Sometimes the sound turns off, prior to the connection dropping completely. A few days ago I thought I had found the problem, as after a dropout I found that the wi-fi bandwidth had dropped to 0.5 mbps while the ethernet stayed at 72. BT support did some tweaks and wi-fi has stayed at around 30, but the Chromecast still keeps dropping out. I know wi-fi interference can be a factor, and we get a strong signal from a neighbouring BT router. BT support claims to have adjusted for this. Despite BT's guarantee, we don't get a wi-fi signal in the furthest room from the router so have to use a TP-Link powerline adapter, wired to the router upstream. I make sure the phone is connected via wi-fi to the router and not the adapter. When trying to use the Chromecast there are no other devices making big demands on wi-fi. I have removed and reinstalled Google Home. Nothing makes any difference.

The problem is that I don't know what is at fault. Every provider will blame the others. There is no alert or error message when this happens. Is there a log I can look at somewhere to see what is causing this? I have "Send error and crash reports to Google" turned on but I'm doubtful Google does anything about those, or even if they are sent at all. I am on the second Chromecast now and I am not going to keep buying them until something starts working properly. I suspect the hardware is actually OK as it displays the default screen and starts up fine. 

[Ashepherdson]

I hate to be "that guy" but it really sounds like a Wi-Fi- coverage issue here, and signal extenders are kinda known for causing loopy issues as well.  If you have a neighbor that has the same router, its possible its on the same channel and is causing interference, can you adjust your Wi-Fi channels on your router?  

[Majikthyse]

Thanks, I agree that it's most likely a wi-fi coverage problem. But Chromecast is the only device that drops the connection. Others may show data loading delays, but they always recover. The router, according to BT, "intelligently" monitors channels and chooses a vacant one. I have accessed the event log but I don't really know what I am looking for.

[Ashepherdson]

Sooo.. did some digging, this article may help you out, it seems that there have been so many users of BT broadband with issues on their chromecasts that Google has created a support article about it! 

https://support.google.com/chromecast/answer/4641787?hl=en-GB

For your situation here are the suggested steps:

You can continue to use Chromecast by disabling the Smart Setup feature. You can learn more about switching Smart Setup on or off  or follow the steps below:

1. In a browser window, navigate to http://bthomehub.home.
2. Click Advanced Settings
3. Enter your password (this can usually be found on the bottom of the HomeHub router).
4. On the next page, you'll see a prompt explaining that changing the settings is not needed for general use. Click Continue to Advanced Settings.
5. Select “Home Network”
6. Select "Smart setup."
7. When you see "Enable smart setup," select No. (If it currently says "Yes," make sure to change it to "No".)
8. Click Apply to save your changes.

[Majikthyse]

Many thanks again, but I have a Smart Hub 2 which may imply that I can't turn off smart setup. Those instructions don't work for my router.

[Ashepherdson]

So I did a bit more Googling as I'm in Canada and don't have any experience with BT, and I came across this forum.  Long story short it seems the BT home hub 2 is not compatible with Chromecast and the BT users ended up getting an upgraded unit from BT internet to solve their issue. 

https://community.bt.com/t5/Archive-Staging/Chromecast-on-BT-Home-Hub-2/td-p/1423381/page/2

[Majikthyse]

Sorry for late reply, I have been interacting with BT. They don't have an explanation, and a new router is on the way. Their instructions to disconnect all the cables and reconnect them served only to disable the landline phone, which connects via wi-fi. I haven't been able to test the Chromecast much, but it did run OK for 20 mins last night. If I may, I'll leave this thread open for a bit, and see what difference the new router makes.

[Jeran]

Hey there,

Were you able to receive and test out that new router?

Just checking up,
Jeran
 

[Majikthyse]

Still waiting for it I'm afraid. After hard resetting the existing router the problem persists.

[Jeran]

No problem at all, I'll leave this thread open, so you have time to try it out and report back.

Best regards,

Jeran

[Majikthyse]

The new router arrived on Tuesday. That night the Chromecast was fine, although I only used it for 20 mins. But last night it disconnected again after only 5 mins of use, just like before. The wi-fi bandwidth is the same as before also, and no better around the house.

[Jeran]

Hmm, if you have the chance, would you be able to set up that Chromecast device on a Mobile Hotspot network temporarily? If the Chromecast doesn't have the same disconnecting issue on the mobile network, the problem may lie in your home network. However, if the issue persists across different networks, there may be an issue with your Chromecast device.

Best regards,

Jeran

[Jeran]

Hey there,

Did you have any more questions or need any additional help? If not, I'll go ahead and lock up this thread in 24 hours.

Just checking up,
Jeran
 

[Majikthyse]

I still have not got to the bottom of this. Router replaced, engineer visited to adjust wi-fi coverage. No improvement, Chromecast still disconnects without any clue as to why. I am considering using a different app from Google Home.

[Jeran]

I'm really sorry to hear that the Chromecast keeps acting up! If you preferred, you can contact Google Support via phone to see if they can dig a little deeper to find the issue, since going back and forth on the forum can be a little slow.

Best regards,

Jeran

[Jeran]

Hey there,

Did you have any more questions or need any additional help?

Thank you,
Jeran
 

[Majikthyse]

Chromecast support told me that the maximum distance from a router is 6m. This seems very  short. So I bought a longer ethernet cable and moved the router, but I still can't get it within 6m of the Chromecast. However that has made no difference at all. I have seen discussions elsewhere about alternative casting apps, which I may try.  I still don't know what is at fault - the Chromecast, the router, or the Google Home app.

[Ashepherdson]

It's the router. BT has many issues with their routers and streaming devices and smart home devices... I have personally talked with multiple BT users with the same issue.  Best bet is to use your own router system and have the BT operate as a modem only, this will shut down any issues. 

[Majikthyse]

I am reluctant to shell out for a new router when I can't be 100% sure that it's the problem. I also had disconnections with a previous Virgin media one. I am paying BT for a wi-fi service and expect it to be of serviceable quality.

[petersonsilva]

This also affects me!! Really annoying. Started happening to me a couple of days ago.

It cannot possibly have anything to do with the router. My setup has not changed in ages, not in kind of router, internet provider, distance between router and chromecast, etc.

[JimShane]

Okay, here is my story.

We were using a Netgear Nighthawk mesh system to provide wifi throughout our house.

My chromecast was constantly dropping it's signal - sometimes the chromecast icon was present, sometimes it wasn't.   I could begin casting a show, then it would drop.  It was especially noticeable on Hulu = but it happened on all subscription services.  My kids figured out that if we moved out of the room where the television was (a basement rec room - and the router was also there maybe 12 feet from the router), then we would usually get the chromecast icon.  So, I was thinking that maybe it was a 2.4 verses 5 Ghz connection issue).   The chromecast icon would appear when we were in central stairwells that didn't have as good wifi connections, so I assumed that 2.4Ghz was used there, while in the rec-room itself, our phones would connect at 5.0 Ghz.  (with the way the Nighthawk was set up, we had no way to force it to choose 2.4 v 5)

Now, it turns out that I wasn't aware that there was a limit to the number of satellites that I could have on that system.   Everything seemed to be working okay (not for chromecast, but for accessing wifi, in general throughout our house) - until I added another satellite.   We wanted a satellite in our unattached garage.

Well, once I added that, I discovered that I was stretching the limit (of the number of satellites). So, a couple weeks ago, I decided to replace my netgear nighthawk system with an Eero system (which allows me to add more satellites).   

And, it seems that using the new mesh router has solved my chromecast issue.

It may not have been chromecast at all, but rather the network.  (I dont' know why).  And, I don't know why other computers and things worked okay (We have four teenagers - and so with onlline school during covid and all, we got a lot of use of a wifi throughout our house).  And our house was built in 1937, so it has very thick well-built walls on multiple floors - which is great - but not for WiFi.   

So, I don't know how you can try this out on a different network - unless you take your chromecast with you to a friend's house or a hotel and see if it works.   (And because the problem is intermittent,you can't be sure you sovled it).   But for us - and we've only had the Eero for a week and a half, it seems to work!

[Majikthyse]

Thanks JimShane, that's interesting. I wondered if the phone was the problem, as it developed ghost touch issues. I have a new (well newer) phone and that has not solved it. The wi-fi signal strength and speed right by the Chromecast are absolutely fine. This is my 3rd Chromecast, because of repeated failures, and I wonder if these things are of serviceable quality. It's the only thing left to replace. Does anyone have opinions of other casting devices?

[McDivaNator]

I am having the same exact issue my Chromecast drops at a whim of a hat and it doesn't matter my modem is sitting directly next to the stupid thing and I'll be in the middle of a show and it just drops the program no matter what app I'm in whether it be Discovery plus YouTube Hulu Disney plus it doesn't matter it'll just drop it with no explanation as to why. And when for example in Discovery plus it drops it it'll say explanation as to why unknown it's rather irritating and it's getting worse I have the most up-to-date update on my Chromecast and like I said it's sitting basically on top of my modem and my phone is the Motorola g stylus the most up-to-date of the stylus I'm starting to wonder if it's not something within the Motorola programming or something to do with them. I wish there was a fix of some kind to fix it because I love my phone and I love my Chromecast but the only other phone I have is an LG older than crap dinosaur phone and it won't even download Discovery Plus oh and my internet with it being so close to the Chromecast it's getting the most amount of bandwidth available from my internet so with that being said Google needs to get on it and fix it

[Majikthyse]

I think it is better if I reboot router and Chromecast. It seems to be more stable for a few days, and then I have to do it again. Still not sure what is at fault. Lately I find that it's easier to reconnect when it drops out. I just have to re-establish the connection between phone and Chromecast. The problem is that every service provide blames someone else.

[JimShane]

Here it is nearly a year later.  Since i traded our netgear nighthawk mesh system for an eero mesh system, i haven't had any issues.

I can safely say the network was the issue, not the chromecast. 

And, in both cases, the issue was on a chromecast on a tv in the same room as the main router/modem for the mesh network.

[JenniferV]

Hello there,

Thanks for sharing your resolution and experience about this, JimShane.

Majikthyse, thanks for being a step ahead of us. If you haven't yet, you may try connecting it to a different network or mobile hotspot to isolate the issue. 

McDivaNator, I'm sorry to hear that you're also having a connectivity issue with your Chromecast. Could you please tell us the make and model of your router and also your service provider? What troubleshooting steps have you done so far?

Regards,

Jennifer

[McDivaNator]

I have Xfinity, Comcast internet and my modem is a Cisco 1.0 Dpc3941T and my Chromecast the 4th or 5th gen dongle I believe 291998 is the firmware it's up to date. It only does it when it's been connected to one streaming app to long like YouTube or say if I connect to Discovery plus and I Lock my phone and let it play it will play exactly 3 episodes and then; the last set of whatever advertising/commercias, will automatically cause it to freeze or the minute that I open up the app it will cause the cast cause it to restart or throw up the,"there has been an error. Error unknown reasons". With the gray screen causing me to have to go through the reboot of the cast. Or it will automatically go back to the ambient mode and I'll have to go back into Discovery plus and start all over connecting to the cast and re-picking whatever it was I was watching. With YouTube it will play for hours and then I'll go into you to pick something else to play lock my phone and it'll go back to ambient mode causing me to have to go back into YouTube disconnect from the Chromecast reconnect and then pick what I want to watch again it's very specific on those exact issues. With Hulu I've given up on Hulu! Hulu will cause it to crash every two episodes. it'll get through the first episode fine second episode about Midway through it'll crash it causing it to just reboot and it'll say sorry for the problem and then reboot so I just got rid of Hulu cuz it was just frustrating and it seems to be anything surrounding advertisements that's what it gets hung up on. I don't know if that has anything to do with it too much information being switched around or too much fluctuation in the network I don't know but my Chromecast is basically sitting on top of my modem and it's only connected to my modem it's not connected to my phone or hotspot it's connected directly to my modem Wi-Fi only. I don't know how to connect it to a hotspot so I don't know anything about that. The only troubleshooting I have done is throw it against the wall no I'm just kidding I got a new one I don't know how to do the whole hooking up through my phone or hooking it up to a hotspot or changing Network thing all I did was go out and get the same one that I had before and that's it I don't know what you're talking about when it comes to changing networks and things like that cuz I don't know how to do that.

[Majikthyse]

A long wait for my reply to this, but that's because I have just changed my ISP. So I have a new router although it's connected to the same fibre cable. I thought the Chromecast was better, but last night it dropped out again. I am sure now that it does this when the phone receives additional data, typically as a notification. Last night it was a WhatsApp message. Android 10 seems unable reliably to handle the bandwidth of the Chromecast and notifications at the same time. Having changed all of the hardware except the TV I am now convinced that the problem is in the OS.

[McDivaNator]

See and that is exactly what I started to think was that something cannot handle too much information change the advertisements of the commercials when they come on something's not capable of the information transfer so if you're playing the show consistently without any change of information like upload of the commercial information and then back to the show it doesn't drop it and if you're using tubi and it doesn't flip from the commercial information back to the show it doesn't drop I have noticed that it will be fine if they're not uploading an actual commercial if it pauses it and doesn't give you any information other than tubi information the show will continuously play however if you go back to Hulu and they uploaded commercials information and then go back to the show bam it drops it so it's definitely incapable of doing commercial show commercial show commercial show it has to do with inability to switch quickly from one thing to another and it is definitely within Chromecast design it can do it but it's not capable of doing it repetitively quickly

[Majikthyse]

I also found that the Chromecast disconnects from the phone but keeps playing on the TV, so there is no way to stop the playback. This is unquestionably a fault with the Chromecast or its app, ie entirely within Google's remit and nobody else's.

[McDivaNator]

Is that what it's doing because I wasn't sure if it was disconnecting from the phone or what but every time I go back into the program it seems to quickly reconnect. I have found with some programs like tubu and YouTube that it will just continuously play if it's got autoplay it will continue to play even if I leave it'll just continuously play which is awesome I like that a lot because it's more the sound of a program that just soothes me so I like programs that will just keep playing that's why I have it and that makes me happy. So that's why I no longer have Hulu or Discovery Plus or any other programming because to me I'm not going to pay for something that doesn't do what I want it to do YouTube and tubi they're free and they don't seem to have a problem but they also don't have any weird high dollar commercials going with them I've noticed that with YouTube that they don't make Chromecast have commercials and so it doesn't stop working but yes I agree I didn't know that the that was what it was doing was disconnecting from my phone so yes you are accurate in that it does disconnect during playback but like I said when I go back into the programming it reconnects quickly but it does have a problem with YouTube sometimes it will like I said lock it up and make me disconnect and reconnect and then have to start it all over again it's definitely an issue with connections but how do we fix it is there a way to fix it we've identified the problem with isolated the problem is there a way to fix it