Trouble Shooting Miracast

Technical Level : Intermediate

Summary

In general to mirror your display using Miracast, both the source and the display receiver should be Miracast certified. You can check devices at https://www.wi-fi.org/product-finder-results?capabilities=2&items=300 and also download a spreadsheet with all Miracast certifications. The first step in solving Miracast connectivity issues is verifying your devices are certified.

If your devices are certified, but Charms, Devices, Project does not offer "add a wireless display", check for software that might disable Miracast functionality by hooking into the network stack.

Applies To: Windows 8.1 Miracast enabled computers and tablets, including Surface 2, Surface Pro, Surface Pro2, Surface Pro 3. (The original Surface RT is not Miracast capable)


Details

Software or Policies that may prevent Miracast from Working:

1. VPN software (note that Netgear ReadyCloud software also adds a hidden VPN device and may be installed by the Genie installer).

Some third party VPN solutions identify WiFi Direct (the underlying technology for Miracast) as a "Split Tunnel" and deem it a risk to security so they disable the functionality.

Windows 8.1 has built in support for some third party VPN solutions, but not all. Currently supported are Checkpoint VPN, F5 VPN, Juniper Networks Junos Pulse, Microsoft, and SonicWALL Mobile Connect. You will need to uninstall third party VPN clients (and restart) and then configure. If your VPN solution is not supported, you will probably need to completely uninstall it and reboot to use Miracast successfully.

To setup a native VPN connection:

First, access Windows 8.1 native VPN connections: from the Start screen type VPN and search

Next, select Manage virtual private networks (VPN). You can then select one of the supported VPN solutions and complete the setup.

2. Some group policy settings or firewall settings if you are on a domain. This thread on TechNet may help you resolve this issue: https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/8a1060b2-2e79-49b4-bcca-76c15a639513/miracast-broke-after-connecting-to-domain?forum=w8itprogeneral

3. Third party anti virus and/or firewalls - recommend completely uninstalling these, restarting, and then checking to see if you can add a wireless display. You may be able to create a firewall rule for third party programs. For example, if you use ESET Endpoint Security, see http://blogs.msmvps.com/wnewquay/2015/04/24/surface-pro-3-wireless-display-adaptermiracast/ written by W. Newquay.

4. Third party virtualization software like VirtualBox either uninstall VirtualBox or uncheck the VirtualBox item in Wi-Fi Properties and reboot.

5. Netgear Genie installs a virtual adapter called NETGEAR Firewall Driver similar to the above VirtualBox Drive. Either uninstall the Netgear Genie software or uncheck the item in the properties box and reboot.

Stuttering

Bluestacks is known to cause audio and video stuttering on the Surface Pro 3. Uninstalling Bluestacks resolves the issue.

Microsoft branded Wireless Display Adapter fails to connect, everything else looks good.

If your Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter doesn't negotiate a connection with your computer or tablet, the following may help. This process may work for other branded Miracast dongles as well.

1. Go to Control Panel and open Device Manager and expand devices

2. Uninstall the Microsoft Miracast Display Adapter

3. Unplug  the wireless display adapter from the power source and the monitor and then re-connect Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter to monitor and power it up with USB power source or USB AC adapter from another device.

4. Reset the MWDA

•Press and hold the Reset button for 10 seconds.

•When the button is released, you will see the LED light blink on the adapter and a message on the TV that indicates it is resetting. Wait until it indicates "Ready to connect".

5. Restart your computer. Rediscover the MWDA - Slide in from the right side and select Devices from Charms. Select Project and then Add a Wireless Display. Connect to the Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter.

See Also:

Excerpted from: http://digitalmediaphile.com/index.php/2015/04/24/trouble-shooting-miracast/

Was this article helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this article?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this article?

Thanks for your feedback.

Hello Barb Bowman,

I have a Windows 8.1 PC with i7 Haswell Gen processor. Computer is up to date. 

My new Sony Bluray Player is connected to a projector with HDMI. The Bluray Player has the "screen mirroring" function. I can connect my Android Smartphone through "screen mirroring" very easily. I can watch anything on my smartphone through the Bluray Player and on the projector.

In Windows 8.1 however it does not work although I can see my Bluray Player through Charm Menu-"connect to a wireless monitor" etc...When I try to connect the PC, it says: "communication with wifi compatible device was disconnected".

I did all the things you and many people described such as disabling firewalls, antivirus, updating the drivers, firmware, etc... but I am frustrated that my smartphone connects so easily in two seconds...But I am working over a week to get the work done on a fine, up to date Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga PC with i7 Haswell and 8 GBs of RAM...A smartphone is just making fun of Wİndows 8.1

Need help. Thank you

Ozgur

10 people found this comment helpful

·

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

I must agree with Ozgur.

I have a HP Tablet and a Surface Pro 3 running Windows 10, a recently purchased Sony 4K TV and Blueray Surround sound system.  Both PC detect both Sony pieces of equipment but cannot make a connection.

With my iPhone on YouTube I touched a strange blue icon on the screen and the video was broadcast straight to the TV without any setting up !!!!!!

The Surface Pro 3 is supposed to be a certified Miracast product !!!.   I am trying to move away from Apple products, but if Microsoft cannot get there act together then I don't think that I can recommend Microsoft/Windows 10 products to anyone.

Perhaps Microsoft want us to purchase their Miracast product instead of making their software/products work with other Miracast certified products.

8 people found this comment helpful

·

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

I too am not finding any luck here. I've disabled my virtual machine software in the wifi settings per option four (although it is vmware, not virtualbox). I use it a lot, though, and would rather not have to do that.

I'd also rather not have to perform the last option as I'm not certain my MWDA is removable as described. I've got a Lenovo B50 All-in-One, with an i5 4460S Quad-Core. I also might be misunderstanding the role of the MWDA, so please articulate further if that's the issue for me.

I can listen and detect devices fine (aka my Sony blu ray player), it's just when I try to connect, it fails. The device I'm trying to connect to doesn't know it's failed, but the computer just says "Couldn't connect" and stops trying.

Any ideas?

5 people found this comment helpful

·

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

Back from the dead... Unchecked VB and it works.. Thanks !

4 people found this comment helpful

·

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

 I was having erratic issues with Miracast and not connecting, or "device / network unavailable", to the point I was tearing my hair out... 

Solution  that worked for me was: 
1) Go into Apps > Miracast > Settings. 
2) Clear Cache, Clear Data, Force Stop. 
3) Open Miracast, now should detect devices trying to Cast on same network.

Nb- It struck me that you may need to disable VPN's also, (not sure on that) 

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

Sorry, but this VPN error is ridiculous.

Some of the most used VPN providers are Astrill, ExpressVPN, HideMyAss (now HMA since it was acquired by AVG), and none of them are supported! I find this absolutely insulting that a company like Microsoft cannot build a product that works with VPNs out of the box, but even if there is a problem, it is even more ridiculous that the biggest mainstream VPN providers are not supported.

I live in China and there is no way I am turning off my VPN just to use Miracast. I run Windows on a Macbook Air with Bootcamp installed and rather restart into OSX to mirror via Airplay than to uninstall my VPN just because windows cannot handle the virtual driver, which in turn makes me think more and more about switching to MAC instead of messing around with my PC.

Kind regards,

An upset Windows User who likes his VPN

9 people found this comment helpful

·

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

did you ever figure this out?! Im having the same issue

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

Many times i have tried to fix my problem with miracast on notebook. All finished without success. I have read dozen of community solutions but always with no success at the and of a day. Sniffing network with Wireshark, upgrades for WIFI & GPU drivers, disablie/remove anti-vir and so on didn't helped. Once a time just removed VMare Player from notebook and VOILA!! The issue has gone away! Previously i have disabled vmware bridging protocol under wifi interface and thought it was enought  but it wasn't!.

Finally i just want to share with this not obvious solution. 

Was this comment helpful?

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this comment?

Thanks for your feedback.

 
 

Forum Article Info


Last updated September 28, 2023 Views 53,100 Applies to: