Flashcast without externally powered OTG cable (No invasive cable cutting required!)

yangzai · Oct 1, 2013

Note: You will still need a NON-POWERED OTG cable though, but there's no need to cut it.

Having only a non-powered OTG cable and eager to hack my Chromecast, I went looking for other cables/adaptors lying around my house in an attempt to find an alternative. Here's what I came up with.

Things you will need:
NON-POWERED OTG Cable
Male-to-Male USB Cable
USB HUB

Steps:
1. Connect the micro USB end of the OTG cable to the Chromecast and the other end to the male end of the USB hub.

2. Insert your Flashcast thumbdrive into one of the ports of the USB hub and the Male-to-Male USB cable into another port.

3. Insert the other end of the Male-to-Male USB cable to your preferred USB power source. (I used a portable charger for convenience sake.)

There are many other possible solutions depending on the cables/adaptors you manage to find. The point I'm trying to make is, instead of sourcing for a rare cable days or weeks of shipping time away from you, an immediate alternative might just around the corner waiting for your discovery.

hearnia_2K · Oct 1, 2013

yangzai said:
Note: You will still need a NON-POWERED OTG cable though, but there's no need to cut it.

Having only a non-powered OTG cable and eager to hack my Chromecast, I went looking for other cables/adaptors lying around my house in an attempt to find an alternative. Here's what I came up with.

Things you will need:
NON-POWERED OTG Cable
Male-to-Male USB Cable
USB HUB

Steps:
1. Connect the micro USB end of the OTG cable to the Chromecast and the other end to the male end of the USB hub.

2. Insert your Flashcast thumbdrive into one of the ports of the USB hub and the Male-to-Male USB cable into another port.

3. Insert the other end of the Male-to-Male USB cable to your preferred USB power source. (I used a portable charger for convenience sake.)

There are many other possible solutions depending on the cables/adaptors you manage to find. The point I'm trying to make is, instead of sourcing for a rare cable days or weeks of shipping time away from you, an immediate alternative might just around the corner waiting for your discovery.

Did something very similar myself too, has worked using 2 or 3 hubs. Worth noting a cheaper crappy hub is far more likely to work for this than a posh expensive one, as some have protections to prevent power going the wrong way through the hub, as I believe this is specified in some of the standards.

sfetaz · Oct 1, 2013

Literally right Before reading this thread I successfully rooted my Chromecast with this method, but to note my usb hub is powered by an ac adapter, i assumed this was a requirement.

Sent from New Nexus 7

jercb123 · Oct 2, 2013

This will only work if your hub will backfeed. I had to use a external hard drive power y cable.

yangzai · Oct 2, 2013

hearnia_2K said:
Did something very similar myself too, has worked using 2 or 3 hubs. Worth noting a cheaper crappy hub is far more likely to work for this than a posh expensive one, as some have protections to prevent power going the wrong way through the hub, as I believe this is specified in some of the standards.

sfetaz said:
Literally right Before reading this thread I successfully rooted my Chromecast with this method, but to note my usb hub is powered by an ac adapter, i assumed this was a requirement.

Sent from New Nexus 7

jercb123 said:
This will only work if your hub will backfeed. I had to use a external hard drive power y cable.

Sadly, mine didn't come with an AC adaptor, had to improvise. Like what hearnia_2K said, most cheap hubs should work, and posh ones will likely come together with an AC adaptor anyway.

blitz_7 · Oct 3, 2013

Worked great with a rockband USB hub.

klbjr · Oct 3, 2013

blitz_7 said:
Worked great with a rockband USB hub.

Just bought a Belkin powered USB hub from local Walmart on clearance for $4. Thought it was a bust till I took jercb123's advice and used a Y USB cord from one of my external HDD's.Used the other end of the Y cable plugged into one my phone wall chargers and took with first try. Thanks for this.

laserbiz · Oct 4, 2013

Did I screw up?

I went out and purchased a non-powered otg cable and before reading any posts( I know I should have read thru this thread a couple of times, but I didn't) I started connecting things to each other. the light on the chrome cast was white then it went red. I unplugged everything then connected the chromecast to my TV via HDMI. the screen said it was updating and got as far as 10% before I unplugged it. I waited a few minutes then plugged into my tv again and the screen said updating, 0% then 10%. I unplugged it again.

A couple of facts to consider:

1. I did not yet down load the new image and burn it to a usb drive.
2. the chrome cast, before the latest connection to the HDMI of the TV, was still
not updated.

Did I some how allow the update to happen? what should I do? do I give up on rooting this for now? Thanks for your answers and help!!!( I hope I made some sense!)

tchebb · Oct 4, 2013

laserbiz said:
I went out and purchased a non-powered otg cable and before reading any posts( I know I should have read thru this thread a couple of times, but I didn't) I started connecting things to each other. the light on the chrome cast was white then it went red. I unplugged everything then connected the chromecast to my TV via HDMI. the screen said it was updating and got as far as 10% before I unplugged it. I waited a few minutes then plugged into my tv again and the screen said updating, 0% then 10%. I unplugged it again.

A couple of facts to consider:

1. I did not yet down load the new image and burn it to a usb drive.
2. the chrome cast, before the latest connection to the HDMI of the TV, was still
not updated.

Did I some how allow the update to happen? what should I do? do I give up on rooting this for now? Thanks for your answers and help!!!( I hope I made some sense!)

Once the update has been downloaded, there is no easy way to root the device. The only way to get out of recovery mode is to let it update, unless you're willing to disassemble the device. If you are that desperate to root, you can attempt to force a USB boot by using the method described here. However, that method is quite invasive and possibly dangerous, and I can't be held responsible if using it breaks your Chromecast.

Lpuboy87 · Oct 23, 2013

Hmm i followed the methods mentioned here but flashcast isnt getting loaded

My chromecast is new and hasnt been turned on since I ordered it last month ( I've been away) so its still new in the box. I also have a USB 4 port belkin hub with its own power source. I have that plugged into the wall...cable to the hub....USB stick in 1 port with the flashcast bin loaded onto it....other port has usb cable to chromecast which is then hooked to TV. I hold button on cast and connect power..Red light comes on..(still holding button)....nothing happening...I got like 3 dots on my screen but nothing happens even after holding down for 30+ seconds. If i dont press the button on cast and connect power..then it just boots normally

ideas?

tchebb · Oct 24, 2013

Lpuboy87 said:
Hmm i followed the methods mentioned here but flashcast isnt getting loaded My chromecast is new and hasnt been turned on since I ordered it last month ( I've been away) so its still new in the box. I also have a USB 4 port belkin hub with its own power source. I have that plugged into the wall...cable to the hub....USB stick in 1 port with the flashcast bin loaded onto it....other port has usb cable to chromecast which is then hooked to TV. I hold button on cast and connect power..Red light comes on..(still holding button)....nothing happening...I got like 3 dots on my screen but nothing happens even after holding down for 30+ seconds. If i dont press the button on cast and connect power..then it just boots normally ideas?

The Chromecast needs to be connected to the USB-B port of the hub using a regular OTG cable. See my post here for more information.

Lpuboy87 · Oct 24, 2013

tchebb said:
The Chromecast needs to be connected to the USB-B port of the hub using a regular OTG cable. See my post here for more information.

Then it dosnt turn on. I put the chromecast with a regular OTG cable connected to it connected to usb to mini B connector to Hub....flash drive in other of the 4 USB ports on hub...and port was powered with power cable that it came with.

This is the HUB I have

yangzai · Oct 25, 2013

Lpuboy87 said:
Then it dosnt turn on. I put the chromecast with a regular OTG cable connected to it connected to usb to mini B connector to Hub....flash drive in other of the 4 USB ports on hub...and port was powered with power cable that it came with.

This is the HUB I have

In any case you can't have both the chromecast and the flashdrive on the ports - they cant communicate over the ports. One of them must be on the male end of the hub.

maarawoe · Oct 27, 2013

Any chance to get this working without a male-to-male usb cable? I have an unpovered otg cable and few powered and unpowered usb hubs.....
thx

tchebb · Oct 27, 2013

maarawoe said:
Any chance to get this working without a male-to-male usb cable? I have an unpovered otg cable and few powered and unpowered usb hubs.....
thx

It may work with certain powered hubs. Use the OTG cable to connect the USB-B port of the hub to the Chromecast, plug your USB drive into one of the USB-A ports on the hub, and then connect the hub's power. If the Chromecast turns on, you should be able to hold the button to boot from the USB drive.

maarawoe · Oct 27, 2013

tchebb said:
It may work with certain powered hubs. Use the OTG cable to connect the USB-B port of the hub to the Chromecast, plug your USB drive into one of the USB-A ports on the hub, and then connect the hub's power. If the Chromecast turns on, you should be able to hold the button to boot from the USB drive.

Hmm seems non of my hubs is able to backfeed the chromecast to turn it on so no other way than wayting for the Y otg cable...

Male to male usb cable seems to be more exotic part of any household than regular or Y otg

BurnOmatic · Oct 27, 2013

do what i did, i had a few spare male /female usb cables, i chopped 2 up and took the male ends and hooked them up together then taped them up XD it worked great !

BurnOmatic · Oct 28, 2013

maarawoe said:
Hmm seems non of my hubs is able to backfeed the chromecast to turn it on so no other way than wayting for the Y otg cable...
Male to male usb cable seems to be more exotic part of any household than regular or Y otg

can you show me a pic of your hub, it might be the one i have, i have this one

maarawoe · Oct 28, 2013

So I soldered a male to male usb cable but still no luck - d-link or belkin hubs I have are not able to pass the power to the otg...
Probably no other way than wait for the Y otg...

BurnOmatic · Oct 28, 2013

find a pic on google of your hub, cause if you look on mine the power plug is that little first one on the short side the mini usb , i hooked the unpowered otg cable to that and then to my Chromecast, then i put the usb drive on the big usb port on the bottom and the usb cable that would deliver power to the hub by connecting that one to the usb port on the top port of hub then to my pc. at first i was doing it the other way around and it wouldnt take, i would get those dots and a white screen then once i did it like that it worked.

Flashcast without externally powered OTG cable (No invasive cable cutting required!)

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