Chromecast on data

[SylviaF]

I want to use chromecast when we're away in our van.  We don't often have WiFi so it needs to work on data.  How can I do it??

[scythe944]

Turn on your phone's hotspot and connect your chromecast to it.

[SylviaF]

Thanks for that. I'll give it a try.

[Byteguy]

Using your phone's hotspot is not a supported configuration.  But, some people have reported that it works fine.

There is a trick... most phones can't BE the WiFi network and act like they are ON the network at the same time.

So, you will probably need another device


Turn on the WiFi hotspot on your phone to make a new network (note: this HAS to have full internet access)
Connect your other device to your phone hotspot
Use the other device to setup your Chromecast to use the phone hotspot
Use the other device to cast to your Chromecast

A couple more warnings... as I said, your hotspot has to have internet access. Chromecasts require this even when you are casting local content. Be warned that Chromecasts can use a LOT of data quickly. Because of this, speed of connection is important. Even if you have "unlimited data", some providers throttle phone data speeds when you do a lot of data. This will impact the quality of your casting or cause a lot of stutters.

[SylviaF]

Thanks for your reply.

This is proving far more complex than I expected! 

So are you saying that I cannot use Chromecast unless one of my devices has a WiFi connection?  I thought I could use it on campsites where I have a data connection but no WiFi .

[scythe944]

I'm not sure where you heard that, but right on Google's website, the specifications list WiFi - 2.4 and 5Ghz networks, NOT cellular https://store.google.com/us/product/chromecast_specs?hl=en-US.  You need a wifi network for it to connect to and also the device that you're connecting to it to cast will need to be on that network as well. As stated by Byteguy, some phones can become a hotspot and use their data and some cannot.