Miracast/Wireless Display Connections Not Working (Company Wide)

[shawnf]

Hello All,

I work within our company's IT Infrastructure department. As of about 4-6 weeks ago (hard to pin down an exact date), Miracast and wireless display connections are no longer working at all, for anyone within the company with a Windows laptop. We 150 users with Windows 10 and about 25 with Windows 11 (myself included). Our company exclusively uses Dell Laptops and Dell desktops, all in all about 7 different models in total across the board.

We have verified that at this point 10+ people have tried on many different devices. We have all of our devices connected to our internal domain, which does have a Palo Alto firewall, CyberReason security, and Cisco Umbrella DNS Security that is managed by our parent company. We do not believe any of the aforementioned security is the cause of the issue, as I attempted to connect with a new Dell Latitude 3540 laptop running Windows 11 pre and post updates. Still no luck. We have been using 2 styles of Wireless HDMI Display Adapters, a Windows Wireless Display Adapter, and also a J5create 4K Wireless HDMI Screencast adapter.

Troubleshooting Steps that we have attempted:

Uninstalling/reinstalling the wifi card driver as well as updating to the latest one, or rolling back
Uninstalling/reinstalling the display drivers directly from Dell
Resetting the network info on the device
Using multiple different networks (both our internal domain networks and our guest wifi)
Attempted to connect with wifi turned off (that of course did not work)
Made certain all necessary boxes were checked for Windows to allow Wireless Display connection

Our team is at a loss trying to figure out what the issue might be? Would anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!
Shawn

 

[ChatGPT]

Hi Shawn, It sounds like you've already performed extensive troubleshooting for the Miracast and wireless display issues within your organization. Here are some additional steps and considerations that might help identify and resolve the problem:

Additional Troubleshooting Steps​

1. Check Windows Updates:
   • Ensure that all devices have the latest Windows updates installed. Sometimes, specific updates can address or inadvertently cause connectivity issues.
   []Verify Wireless Display Feature Installation:
   • Make sure the Wireless Display feature is installed on all devices:
     • Go to Settings > Apps > Optional features.
     • Check if Wireless Display is listed. If not, click on Add a feature and install it.
   []Firewall and Security Software:
   • Temporarily disable security software and the firewall to see if the issue persists. Although you’ve mentioned that you don’t believe it's the cause, sometimes updates to these systems can lead to unexpected behavior.
   • Specifically check the following:
     • Palo Alto Firewall: Ensure that it is not blocking the ports used by Miracast (e.g., TCP 7250 for connection initiation, and random high ports for data transfer).
     • CyberReason Security: Make sure there are no specific policies or rules blocking wireless display connections.
     • Cisco Umbrella: Verify that DNS filtering policies are not interfering with the communication required for Miracast.
   []Group Policy Settings:
   • Check if there are any Group Policy settings that might interfere with wireless display connections:
     • Local Group Policy Editor: gpedit.msc
     • Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Miracast and ensure policies are set to allow Miracast.
   []Intel Wi-Fi Chipset Compatibility:
   • Verify that the Wi-Fi chipset in your devices supports Miracast. Updating the firmware of your Wi-Fi chipset might help.
   • Visit the Intel support page to see if there are any known issues or additional drivers.
   []Miracast Compatibility:
   • Confirm that your display adapters are compatible with Windows 10/11. Check for firmware updates for the adapters themselves.
   []Logging and Diagnostics:
   • Collect and analyze logs for more insights:
     • Use the Event Viewer to look for errors related to Miracast, Wi-Fi, and display connections.
     • Enable Network Diagnostic Logging for more detailed insights:
       • Command Prompt (Admin): netsh wlan set tracing mode=yes persistent=yes.
   []Power Management Settings:
   • Ensure that power saving options are not affecting wireless display functionality:
     • In Device Manager, go to the Wi-Fi adapter properties and uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" under the Power Management tab.
   []Manual Connection:
   • Attempt a manual connection using the Connect app:
     • Press Windows + K and see if the wireless display appears.
     • Use the Connect app (search for Connect in the Start menu) to search for and connect to the wireless display.

       Recap​

       Here's an organized summary of the suggestions in a tabular format: [table="width: 100%"] | Step | Actions |

       Windows Updates	Ensure the latest Windows updates are installed
       Verify Wireless Display Feature	Confirm feature installation: Settings > Apps > Optional features
       Firewall/Security Software	Temporarily disable and review settings for Palo Alto Firewall, CyberReason Security, and Cisco Umbrella
       Group Policy Settings	gpedit.msc > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Miracast; ensure policies allow Miracast
       Intel Wi-Fi Chipset Compatibility	Ensure chipset supports Miracast, check for firmware updates via Intel support
       Miracast Compatibility	Verify display adapters’ compatibility and check for firmware updates
       Logging and Diagnostics	Review Event Viewer logs; enable Network Diagnostic Logging: netsh wlan set tracing mode=yes persistent=yes
       Power Management Settings	Modify Wi-Fi adapter power settings in Device Manager (uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power")
       Manual Connection	Use Windows + K or the Connect app to manually search for wireless displays

       [/table]

       Final Thoughts​

       If these steps don't resolve the issue, consider the following:
       • Network Segmentation: If your network has recently changed, check if segmentation or new VLANs might be affecting Miracast traffic.
       • External Support: Reaching out to Dell or the manufacturers of your wireless display adapters for additional support and possible firmware updates.
       Let us know how it goes, and if there's any specific step you'd like more detailed guidance on, I'm here to help!