Chromecast with GoogleTV (4K) occiasionally shows as 'offline' in Google Home app

[Jesse16]

I have a CCwGTV (4K) hooked up to my TV but it occasionally shows as 'offline' in the Google Home app. It has a wired connection and the issues persisted even after I got a new router. I've also tried a factory reset to no avail. When it shows as offline, it doesn't respond to Google Assistant commands, and casting sometimes works and sometimes doesn't, so it's pretty annoying.

Anyone got the same experience? Possible solutions?

[Kimy]

Hi Jesse16,

Thanks for posting here in the Google Nest Community. Since you’ve already tried to factory reset the Chromecast device, yet the issue persists, we may be overlooking the possibility that it’s not the Chromecast device, especially if its stand-alone functions are working. Try to refresh the communication by rebooting all involved devices (Chromecast, router, casting source, etc.). Let us know how it goes.

Thanks,

Kimy

[Jesse16]

Thanks Kimy. The Chromecast shows up as offline in all my devices (PW2, P8P, my gf's P8). So it's definitely not any of those devices. That leaves the router, but since the issue remained even after I replaced my router for a new one, I can't conclude anything else than a fault in the Chromecast. The issue is always temporarily resolved after I reboot the Chromecast, but then within a matter of hours or sometimes days, it shows up again...

[Kimy]

Hello Jesse16,

Thanks for the reply. It’s possible that your devices are on opposite bands (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz). It could also be the router, as some routers have smart band steering capability. If it’s intermittent, this must have something to do with the network. It’s not a bad feature, but it has its flaws. Since you have multiple smartphones to use, you can isolate them by disconnecting your Chromecast from your Wi-Fi and connecting them to another smartphone’s mobile hotspot along with your actual phone and other casting source. You can observe from there.

At times, it could also be related to the actual phone. Turn off the cellular or mobile data on the phone since it could be jumping from Wi-Fi to LTE. Ensure that the VPN is off.

Let us know how it goes.

Regards,

Kimy

[Jesse16]

You might be on to something with the router, because both featured an option called something like 'Channel optimization' which I disabled just now. Let's see how it goes, thanks so far!

[Jesse16]

Still no luck, unfortunately. It shouldn't have any impact anyway, because the Chromecast is connected via a wired ethernet connection. No other device ever loses its connection to the router, be it wired or wireless.

It's also not my phone because the Chromecast shows up as offline on _all_ devices.

[Kimy · Accepted solution]

Hi Jesse16,

Thanks for the details. One last approach: let’s have your Chromecast device connected via Wi-Fi instead of an Ethernet connection. The objective is to identify if there’s an issue with the device’s network chipset.

We look forward to your response.

Best,

Kimy

[Jesse16]

Thanks again for you continued support! In fact I just did this yesterday (and made sure once again that all devices are connected to the 5Ghz network, luckily my router shows them as separate ssid's). So far, so good! I hope you can leave this thread open for a few days so I can update it later.

[Kimy]

Hello Jesse16,

Thanks for the reply. I’m glad that you’ve finally sorted this out. We won’t lock this, but the system might if there’s no activity for a period of time. Let us know if something’s up.

Regards,

Kimy

[Jesse16]

So connecting it via WiFi instead of ethernet seems to have solved my issue in the sense that the CCwGTV now no longer sometimes appears as offline in my Google Home app. However, does that mean the ethernet network chipset on my unit might be defective?

It's still under warrantly so I might want to get it replaced if it has a defective ethernet chip...

[Kimy]

Hi Jesse16,

I’m glad that this has been sorted out. The actual Chromecast device’s network chipset is intended for WLAN connectivity, similar to certain handheld devices that don't have an Ethernet port. It is usually purchased separately (not included in the box). It’s a power cord with an Ethernet port, and the purpose is for a stable connection, especially for gamers (previous Stadia users). It has its own warranty and may be replaced separately (spare parts), but you’ll keep your Chromecast device.

I hope this sheds some light on the situation. Let me know if you still have questions.

Best,

Kimy

[Jesse16]

Gotcha, in fact I'm an ex-Stadia user so because force of habit I got an ethernet adapter for my CCwGTV 4K right away but apparently forgot about it 🙂

Luckily it's the official one from Google so i'll get in touch with store support. Thanks again for your help! Kind regards.

[Kimy]

Hello Jesse16,

Awesome! I’m glad that you found all the answers you’re looking for. Feel free to come here if you still have a few questions that you forgot to ask.

Cheers,

Kimy