Fixed: Chrome Remote Desktop Unable to Reach the Host

Are you frustrated by "Chrome Remote Desktop cannot reach the host"? Read this post to learn more about the 11 solutions and another way for you to avoid this problem.

Ellie

By Ellie / Updated on November 21, 2022

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Help me! Chrome Remote Desktop unable to reach the host 

"I use the Chrome Remote Desktop Portable app to connect my iPhone to my desktop. I don't have any problem when I connect using mobile data. But when I connect to Wi-Fi (same LAN), I get an error saying that "Unable to reach the host". What can I do now?”

Why get the "Chrome Remote Desktop unable to reach the host" issue?

In fact, there are many reasons that may cause Chrome Remote Desktop cannot connect, but after sorting them out effectively, we can summarize them into the following areas.

  • Internet connection problems
  • Windows firewall and anti-virus software blocking
  • Chrome Remote Desktop is set up incorrectly
  • Chrome Remote Desktop permission not granted

11 solutions for Chrome Remote Desktop unable to reach the host

To fix the error, here we list 11 solutions for you to fix the error "Unable to reach the remote computer this is probably due to configuration". Keep reading!

Method 1. Uninstall and reinstall Chrome Remote Desktop

Step 1. Search "apps & features" in the search box, and then open it.

Apps Features

Step 2. Locate and click “Chrome Remote Desktop Host” on the right pane, and then select “Uninstall”.

Uninstall Remote Desktop Host

Step 3. Open browser to Chrome Remote Desktop, switch to the Remote Access tab, click the blue Download button on the right window, then click the Accept & Install blue icon.

Step 4. Choose a name, click Next, then choose a PIN, then click "Start", then Chrome Remote Desktop reinstallation will be successful.

Choose a PIN

Method 2. Uninstall and reinstall Chrome

Step 1. Search "apps & features" in the search box, and then open it.

Apps Features

Step 2. Find Google Chrome, click "Uninstall", and click Uninstall again to confirm the action.

Uninstall Google Chrome

Step 3. Press Win + R and then enter “%appdata%”, hit OK. Find the Google folder and delete the folder in it. Finally, download and install again.

App Data

Method 3. Check the Internet

Step 1. Press Windows + R, type ping 8.8.8.8 -t and press the Enter key.

Open Command Prompt

Step 2. If the difference of the number after “time” is small, it means the Internet connection is normal; if the number after “time” rises or falls sharply, it means the Internet connection is faulty.

Check the Packet Loss Rate

Method 4. Disable the firewall and anti-virus software

Step 1. Press Win+R and enter “control panel”, hit "OK".

Run Control Panel

Step 2. Select "System and Security", then Windows Defender Firewall, and choose to Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off.

Turn Defender Firewall On or Off

Step 3. Tick Turn off Windows Defender Firewall under Private and Public network settings respectively and then click OK.

Turn off Windows Firewall

Step 4. If you have third-party antivirus software installed on your computer, you need to right-click on the notification bar to exit the software, then type Startup Apps in the search box and turn off the startup option of the software in Windows Settings.

Method 5. Disable IPv6 protocol

Step 1. Press Win+I  to open Windows Settings, find and click on Network & Internet options. Switch to the Ethernet tab in the left sidebar and select Change adapter options in the right pane.

Change Adapter Options

Step 2. Select the adapter you want to disable, right-click it and select Properties in the drop-down menu, uncheck the Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) checkbox, and click OK.

Internet Protocol Version 6

Method 6. Restart Chrome Remote Desktop Service

Step 1. Press Win+R and type in "services.msc", hit "OK" to open Windows services.

Services MSC

Step 2. Scroll down and locate Chrome Remote Desktop Services, right-click and then choose “Restart”.

Restart Service

Note: Run the following command in CMD is also accessible to restart. 

Step 1. Search "cmd" in the search box and choose "Run as administrator".

Run as Administrator

Step 2. Enter the following command line and then press Enter.

  • net stop chromoting
  • net start chromoting

Method 7.  Delete the First Run file

You need to open this computer on your desktop, navigate to the following path: C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\First Run, and delete the last First Run file.

Delete Files

Method 8. Use Chrome Remote Desktop for the Web

Step 1. Refer to the steps for reinstalling Chrome Remote Desktop in method 1. Download and install Chrome Remote Desktop on 2 PCs respectively, and make sure you are logged into the same Google account and locate the Remote Access tab. Click on the remote device that you have finished setting up.

Chrome Remote Support

Step 2. In the Remote Access window, enter the PIN code set on the remote computer, and click the arrow icon to connect.

Enter the Setup Key

Method 9. Disable VPN

Step 1. Search VPN in the search box and click on VPN Settings to open it.

VPN Settings

Step 2. In the Network & Internet window, switch to the VPN tab on the left, find the connected VPN in the right window, and click Remove.

Disable VPN in the Windows Settings

Method 10. Change the IP address of the connected device

✎ Modify your public IP address

  • Unplug the router. Most ISPs use dynamic IPs that change automatically every once in a while. You can unplug your router and wait for a while (5 minutes or more) to get a new IP address the next time you connect to the Internet.
  • Contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider). Some ISPs in some areas will only provide you with a fixed IP address. If you want to change the fixed IP, contact your ISP for technical assistance, but usually, the ISP will only help you change the IP address once.
  • Use a proxy tool to disguise the IP address. You can use a VPN to disguise an IP address for your device, but there is usually an additional charge.

✎ Modify your personal IP address

  • Use the command prompt to modify it. Type cmd in the taskbar search box, enter ipconfig /renew in the window, and press Enter to execute the command to update your IP address.

Update IP Address

Method 11. Check permissions

When you use Chrome Remote Desktop to connect to another computer, the host computer needs to get permission from the user. If you fail to grant permission, then you may encounter the problem "Chrome Remote Desktop unable to reach the host".

When you connect to another computer using Chrome Remote Desktop, a pop-up window requesting permissions may appear and you will need to look for it. This pop-up may be in the taskbar, or you may have minimized it.

AnyViewer: Remotely access a PC from iOS devices

Did you fix the error "Chrome Remote Desktop unable to reach the host this is probably due to the configuration?" If the issue remains when you use WiFi to connect and you don't want to take too much time on fixing it, we recommend using a free remote access software-- AnyViewer.

★Tips:
 Compared to Chrome Remote Desktop, AnyViewer owns the easier operation, high responsiveness, intuitive and concise interface. Besides, its iOS version has a gesture manual, helping you quickly get started with it.
 It is secured by Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) encryption, which can safeguard the privacy and data of your remote session.
 The setup of AnyViewer is fairly easy. Even though you are new to PC, you can perform well.

Now get the AnyViewer and operate with me.

On your PC:

Download Freeware Win 11/10/8.1/8/7
Secure Download

On your iOS device:

Download Freeware iOS 10.0 or later
Secure Download

Step 1. Create an AnyViewer account on your PC and log into the same account on the computer and the iPhone/iPad.

Log in AnyViewer

Step 2. On the iOS device, go to Device, and tap the remote computer under My devices list.

My Device iOS

Step 3. Click Remote control to achieve unattended remote access to the specific computer.

Unattended Remote Control iOS

Step 4. Now you can control your PC with an iOS device successfully.

Virtual Mouse

Step 5. There are many functions and shortcuts in AnyViewer, such as Virtual mouse, Touch Mode, Gesture Guide and so on, which may give you a better experience with AnyViewer.

Touch Mode

Conclusion

If you are struggling with the issue "Chrome Remote Desktop unable to reach the host", you can try the above 11 solutions in order to see whether they can help you out of the problem. However, if the issue remains, you can try to use AnyViewer.