Roku is one of the most popular streaming services thanks to its plethora of content, ease of use, and ability to plug and play in almost any TV.
But setting things up and troubleshooting can be difficult, especially when on the surface, everything seems fine.
Many Roku users are having trouble getting their Roku devices or TVs connected to their WiFi network, even when all other devices are connected and operational.
If you’re struggling with this problem then look no further – let’s investigate why this might be happening, and what you can do to easily fix it!
Table of Contents
Why Roku Won’t Connect to the Internet & How to Fix It
Roku Connection Test
The first thing to do is to test your Roku’s connection, which can in turn help to diagnose the problem.
If your Roku is not connected to the internet at all, the test won’t yield any results, and you’ll have to explore other fixes around your router. If your Roku is connected but struggling with a poor connection or some other issue, it’ll be easier to know how to tackle this problem.
To carry out a test, follow these instructions:
- From the Home screen, press the Left button on your remote
- Scroll down to Settings then press the Right button on your remote
- Press Right again to access the Network page
- The About screen should display information on connection type, download speed, and signal strength – if it doesn’t, the test hasn’t run successfully and your Roku is not connected to the internet at all
- If you’re seeing information on the About page, you can learn what might be impeding your Roku’s connection. For example, poor signal strength may be an indicator or a suboptimally placed router.
- If everything looks fine but there are still issues, scroll down to Check Connection then press OK to run a real-time test. The results of this test will offer more insights.
If the results of that test still look ok, try streaming something to test your connection. If still nothing works, it’s time to restart your Roku. This will force the device to attempt reconnection, which may be successful.
To restart your Roku, follow these steps:
- From the Home screen, press the Left button on your remote
- Scroll down to Settings then press the Right button on your remote
- Scroll down to System and press the Right button
- Select System Restart and press OK
Your Roku will now restart and (hopefully) reconnect.
Router Issues
When tackling this problem it’s important to rule out all the options that could be causing a poor or weak connection, or blocking it altogether. The best place to start is with the WiFi router itself.
Now, as the title of this article specifies, you’ve probably already done that, or you’ve assumed that the issue is not with your router, as all your other devices are connected. But it can be worth doing a preliminary check just to make sure.
First of all, check that your router is on, working, all wired connections are secure, and there are no blockages between the router and your Roku device.
Rokus seem to have slightly more trouble with wireless connections than other similar devices like mobile phones and laptops, so give them the best possible chance of a stable connection by placing the router as close to them as possible and ensuring there’s nothing in the way.
If your router’s nice and close to your Roku, and there’s nothing in the way and no wires hanging out, it’s time to try the oldest trick in the book…
Power Cycle Your Router
The trusty ‘turning it off and on again’ trick is tried and tested. This method of soft resetting your router (and indeed, almost any electronic device) can clear out runtime errors and glitches that need a reboot to remedy. Here’s how to do it:
- Press or hold the power button on your router, or remove the power supply
- Wait for 30 – 60 seconds
- Plug in your router and/or turn it back on
That’s it! There’s a good chance this will solve your issue if you haven’t done it in a while!
Wrong WiFi Network
Most Roku devices can connect to the internet on a 2.4 GHz or a 5 GHz WiFi network. Some older models such as the Roku Premier do not have 5 GHz capabilities.
Most newer Roku devices are compatible with 5 GHz, so if your router has a 5 GHz network, ensure it’s trying to connect to that instead of the 2.4 GHz, as 5 GHz is faster and allows for more stable connections thanks to multiple non-overlapping network channels.
Busy Network Channels
The more devices using the 2.4 GHz network band, the harder it will be for them to establish and maintain connections. Bluetooth and some household appliances also use the 2.4 GHz network, so there’s an extra level of interference on top of Wi-Fi internet.
Try to ensure unnecessary devices aren’t clogging up the 2.4 GHz band. Disconnect mobile devices from any Bluetooth headphones and speakers that aren’t in use, and turn off any laptops or computers that will be connected to the Wi-Fi if they don’t need to be online.
If you have a dual-channel router, you can change the wireless channel to a non-overlapping one, which will allow separate devices to connect independently of each other. The 5 GHz band has 24 non-overlapping channels, and the 2.4 GHz channel has three: 1, 6, and 11.
If all your other electronics operate on the 5 GHz network and your Roku is 2.4 GHz, having both channels operational and setting the 2.4 GHz band to a non-overlapping channel gives all your devices the best chance to connect to the Wi-Fi without causing any congestion.
To help your Roku connect to the most optimal channel (especially older, non-5 GHz models), switch your router’s 2.4 GHz settings to b/g/n, as this is the baseline standard for 2.4 GHz internet. This will force the Roku to connect to that, and you should be able to enjoy a steady and stable connection.
Final Thoughts
This can actually be a slightly more technical issue than it appears on the surface, especially if the easier, more usually successful fixes don’t work for you. I would also recommend trying to establish a wired connection from your router to your Roku via an ethernet cable if your problems return or aren’t solved in the first place.
Of course, it’s always possible that your Roku device is malfunctioning, and these connection problems won’t go away no matter what you do. You can contact Roku support for further information, and discuss the possibility of replacing your device.
Good luck!
