Wifi Connectivity
The device comes with Wifi 802.11ac built in, which supports the 2.4G and 5G signals, that are reported to work well.
Ethernet Connectivity
However, if preferred, connectivity can be established using a direct ethernet connection to your router with the appropriate adaptor. See entry on this page.
Click here for the recommended Gen 2 product from the Google Play Store [which launches in UK for £19.99]
Note however that there are several similar devices available on the market that can not only support a wired ethernet connection but also provide USB connectivity [via one or more ports] which can be used for adding additional storage, remote keyboards etc. etc.
If you are considering purchasing any of these then ensure their compatibility with the Chromecast dongle as some vloggers have reported that devices they own do not play happily.
From other devices
Don't forget that your new streaming dongle is also a fully fledged Chromecast device so you can definitely still use your phone, tablet, or laptop to beam movies, music, and TV shows over to your big TV screen or monitor.
Compatible Apps and / or entire the Android screen output
If you are running an App that has built in Cast compatibility it will have a Cast icon [a small screen with diagonal lines through it] near the top right corner that you simply click to have that App's activity shown on your big screen. Where this is not available you should be able to find a similar Cast icon [pull down the Android shade for quick access] on your device and when you use this the entire content of your device's screen is Cast live to the big screen. This is of course very handy, but a slight drawback is that your device must be permanently available to the Cast session while in use, unlike when you use the Cast from within a compatible App where the device is no longer part of what is happening and can even be turned off or taken out of the room.
Using a Browser
Maybe you want to get a web browser tab from your laptop up on your TV, for example.
In Chrome, click the three dots (top right) then Cast—you should see the Chromecast with Google TV appear if it’s on the same Wi-Fi network.
Alternatively you can download and use the TV Bro browser that is shown on the Apps page.