[baby-yoda]

does chromecast still require WAN access to operate?

[m-p-3]

I believe so, and it's less than useful on network with a captive portals like hotel rooms.

At least the upcoming Chromecast with Google TV comes with a remote, so you should be able to interact with the captive portal and use it that way.

[fragmede]

While the chromecast's inability to work with captive portals is it's own problem, they make tiny wifi routers, half as tall and twice as thick as a smartphone, and they're cheap. If you find yourself facing captive portals more than once, I'd recommend buying one so you can use your Chromecast in hotel rooms, among other use cases.

[m-p-3]

I already have one from TP-Link, but having the new Chromecast would allow me to shrink down on hardware even more.

[Rebelgecko]

Most smartphones are also wifi routers

[kelnos]

It shouldn't. Obviously if you're casting from a WAN source (like YouTube or Netflix), it needs WAN access, but if you're casting from a source on your local network, it should work without the WAN.