Chromecast causing wifi issues?

[hifialan]

Thank you for letting me know to turn off the guest network!! I had been pulling my hair out over this, even going so far as replacing my wireless router thinking it had gone bad. The moment the guest network went away, my wifi went back to normal. This was especially a problem for me because I also use an Amazon Fire TV stick with that same TV, and the interference routinely caused my Fire TV stick to lose connection. What is the engineering logic behind Google causing its guest network to be assigned the same wifi channel as my SSID? Isn't it "WIFI 101" to never have two wifi signals transmitting over the same channel??

 

[John Bunch]

The root problem is a technology called Wi-Fi Direct. Wi-Fi Direct is a mechanism where a Wi-Fi client (like Chromecast) also acts as a router (in Guest mode). This technology always causes Wi-Fi interference and should always be disabled. So on a Chromecast, always disable Guest mode.

Miracast, the technology for casting screens that competes with Chromecast, also uses Wi-Fi Direct. So never use Miracast, either. If you need to cast your screen, always use Chromecast, but never Guest mode. When not using Guest mode, Chromecast goes safely through your router.

The Roku Enhanced Remote with Voice Search that is included with every Roku 3 also uses Wi-Fi Direct. The solution is to buy a Roku 2, which comes with an infrared remote. If you already own a Roku 3, then buy the standard infrared remote separately. You also have to disable the feature using the Roku Settings: System > Advanced system settings > Device connect > Disable Device connect.