I bought this in high hopes I could cast the screens from my Windows 10 desktop and laptop to my TVs
Setup
The initial setup was as I expected, requiring me to sign in to the device's own WiFi network to allow it to connect to my home WiFi. This worked, and I was immediately able to cast from my Android phone to the device. For what it's worth, it has a pretty slick info screen showing how to connect any device.
(ii) But wait... One star?
I then tried to cast my Windows 10 laptop, but the interface kept refusing to connect. From the icons on the TV screen, it appeared that the adapter detected that there was an incoming connection, but each time, it would apparently drop its WiFi connection to my home network.
I think.
I mean, there are three icons, and they aren't the most clear. But that's what I was able to discern. I tried the same on my desktop Windows 10 PC, with the same results. I tried resetting the device, restoring factory settings, using a USB power supply with more power, in case the wireless adapter was having trouble getting power, all to no avail.
Chapter 3: Spirals of Despair, in which our character takes bad advice from a Wireless HDMI adapter, just like the fortune teller predicted.
So, in desperation, I logged directly into the web interface through my home network, which immediately suggested that I update the firmware to the latest and greatest 1.13610.11 version. So I figured this might be the solution to all my problems, right? Wrong.
I dutifully installed the update, and the device rebooted. Everything looked okay, except some of the unit-specific information was missing from the TV screen now. The unit was no longer connected to my home WiFi network, but I figured that would just need to be reconfigured as before, so I took my phone and looked for the device's own network.
And looked.
And looked.
No network.
No network on my phone. No network on my backup phone. No network on my laptop. No network on my desktop.
The closest I can figure is that upgrading the firmware, as the device itself recommended, broke the interface for the network adapter. So now I have absolutely no way to connect to the device. Even the previously functional Android screen casting functionality is now borked.
Firmware upgrade? More like firmware deadgrade, am I right?
It has a single physical button, which I've used to reset it several times. Alas, all in vain. In the words of the late great Leonard Nimoy "He's dead, Jim"
X: Epilogue, wherein we all reflect on how much we've grown, and remember those we lost along the way
Anyway, in synopsis; If you want a Chromecast device to cast from an Android phone or Google Chrome, this will work, as long as you never, EVER, upgrade the firmware (but there are better solutions out there for that *ahem* Chromecast *ahem*). If you, like me, want to cast your Windows laptop to a TV (which should, in 2021, be trivial) then look elsewhere.
| Brand Name | DRYMOKINI |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 2.89 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 4.2 x 1.5 x 0.3 inches |
| Item model number | LMUS-G17-02 |
| Special Features | Wireless |
