[Update: New update] Chromecast with Google TV keeps turning off Wi-Fi on its own and fails to connect to 5GHz band, as per reports

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…

Original story (published on January 12, 2021) follows:

Google Chromecast with Google TV doesn’t seem to have the most optimized Wi-Fi management software owing to a string of complaints from users highlighting various Wi-Fi issues pertaining to the device.

The dongle seems to be having a hard time staying connected to a Wi-Fi network simply because it keeps automatically setting the Wi-Fi toggle to off for some reason.

Several users have also indicated that they are unable to connect the Chromecast to their 5GHz band Wi-Fi network. And even when it does connect, connectivity is unpredictable.

We have covered both issues by dividing them into two sub-sections.

Several users have reported that the Wi-Fi option on Chromecast keeps turning off on its own if it’s left idle for some time or even in the middle of streaming content.

The problem isn’t interference. The device connects to wifi great! The problem is that the firmware disables the wifi connection completely. As soon as you reenable wifi on the device, it connects instantly.
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As a result, users are continually having to head over to the settings in order to turn it back on which is frustrating, to say the least. Several have even tried factory resetting to no avail.

Moreover, the issue only seems to affect the new Chromecast with Google TV as several users have observed that they did not have to deal with any of this previously with their Chromecast 3.

And while Google hasn’t officially acknowledged the bug as of now, there is one thing that you can try as a workaround.

After changing Settings -> System -> Energy Saver = Never I was able to play 2.9 movies (around 7-8 hours straight) yesterday without the wifi connection being dropped.
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Not exactly a solution, we know, but still something worth giving a shot.

There are also several reports doing rounds about the Chromecast only accepting 2.4GHz networks and not detecting 5GHz Wi-Fi at all.

Setting up the new chromecast with Google TV & my 5ghz wifi network isn’t showing up as a connection option. My 2.4ghz one is though. Is this a common issue with the new chromecast?
What can be done about this?
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In this case, it is important to know that Google Chromecast supports only select Wi-Fi channels for now.

Just spoke with Google support about this – you’ll need to set your 5Ghz Wifi channel to one of 36, 40, 44 or 48, the reason was that the Chromecast cannot access other channels – I had mine on 153, as that’s a clear part of the spectrum in my unit block.
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You can do the above-mentioned through the Wi-Fi settings of your router.

Not everyone is having issues connecting to 5GHz Wi-Fi though as there are several other complaints from users saying that they are facing constant network drops after getting connected.

If you are one of such users, then make sure that your Chromecast is placed as close to the router as possible with no chances of interferences that can potentially hamper strong connectivity.

What ended up working was to use an HDMI extender cable from the back of my TV to the front (so the Chromecast was no longer behind it). So far, speeds appear to be better, so hopefully it stays that way
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This is because 5GHz Wi-Fi makes use of higher frequency waves when compared to its 2.4GHz counterpart which results in a noticeably lesser range.

Hopefully, the above helped address your Wi-Fi issues on Chromecast. Be sure to inform us in the comments below if it did. Also check out our similar story about Google Chromecast with Google TV missing important tabs.

13:40 pm (IST): Chromecast with Google TV just bagged a new update with the version QTS2.200918.033. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi issues have persisted with the same as per reports.

With Google yet to roll out a fix for this issue, one affected user has suggested a workaround that has worked for them and one other user. Maybe you should try it too.

This is what helped. I disabled SON on the router and changed the 5 GHz SSID name to be different from the 2.4 GHz. I had the CwGTV only connected to the 2.4 GHz SSID. Then the problem went away entirely. I have not had any wifi toggle offs since.
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Yes I also disabled the SoN network and it’s seemed to work. So far 2 days without the WiFi cutting off.
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01:25 pm (IST): The latest Chromecast with Google TV update brings along improvements for 5GHz and Mesh WiFi networks and much more. Head over here to check out the complete coverage.

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