Pro tips
If you are comfortable working with your networking equipment, you can make adjustments to your wireless router which may help your Roku device and remote perform better. You will likely need to use your computer or mobile device to sign in to an admin tool on your router while you go through the process to set up how you will connect your Roku device to Wi-Fi.
If you cannot locate the username and password and believe they have not been changed (remember that passwords are typically case-sensitive), the default values may be listed on the manufacturer’s website or user manual, or possibly on the bottom of the router. If you need help configuring your router or other network equipment to get your Roku on the internet, refer to the user manual or contact the manufacturer.
Connect to the 5GHz wireless network
If your router and Roku device both support 5GHz, make sure it is enabled in the router settings and try connecting to the 5GHz wireless network (e.g., MyNetwork_5GHz). Changing the wireless channel on the router is not necessary when connecting to a 5GHz network.
- Note: If you are having trouble with how to connect your Roku device to Wi-Fi, keep in mind that not all Roku devices support 5GHz networks. To see if your device supports 5GHz, consult the product comparison chart and check the Specifications section. If dual-band is listed, your device is compatible with 5GHz networks.
Change the wireless channel
When your router automatically selects a wireless channel, it can lead to intermittent or slow connectivity due to undetected interference from other wireless devices. Try disabling this automatic setting on your router and choose a wireless channel manually.
- Tip: To help you find uncongested wireless channels in your home, you can download a wireless analyzer app on your mobile device. This can help you if you are having trouble with how to connect your Roku device to Wi-Fi. Visit the app store for your mobile device to find a wireless network analyzer.
If your Roku device is already connected to the 5GHz wireless network and you still encounter an issue, try configuring your router to use a different 5GHz channel. If your router only supports 2.4GHz, try using wireless channels 1, 6, or 11 which are the preferred channels in North America. Each time you change the wireless channel, you will likely need to apply/save changes before you are prompted to restart the router.
Exclude DFS channels from your 5GHz wireless network
Roku streaming devices support 5GHz radio bands U-NII-1 (non-DFS channels 36 to 48) and U-NII-3 (non-DFS channels 149-165), but some devices do not support bands U-NII-2A (DFS channels 50-64) and U-NII-2C (DFS channels 100-144). Roku devices that support DFS channels must be running Roku OS 12.0 or higher to use DFS channels.
Refer to the list below for streaming device models that do not support DFS channels. If you do not know your device's model number, learn how to locate the model number on your Roku device.
Models that do not support DFS channels: 3600X, 3800X, 3810X, 3811X, 4200X, 4201X, 4205X, 4210X, 4210X2, 4230X, 4230X, 4230X2, 4620X, 4630X, 4640X, 4660X, 4660X2, 4670R, 6301X, 6302X, 6303X, 6102X, 6103X, 6104X, 6106X, 6107X, 6108X, 6109X, 6110X, 6112X, 6113X, 6114X, 6402X, 6403X, 6404X, 6405X, 6406X, 6407X, 6408X, 6409X, 9101X
If your streaming device does not support DFS channels and your router is configured to use band U-NII-2A or UNII-2C, your device will likely not connect to your 5GHz wireless network. Instead, it will connect to your 2.4GHz wireless network where congestion that leads to potential performance issues is more common. To optimize performance, visit the settings for your router and configure your 5GHz network to exclude DFS channels (U-NII-2A channels 50-64 and U-NII-2C channels 100-144). After this change is made (and your router restarts), your Roku device should be able to connect to your 5GHz network.
Move the router farther away
If your router is close to your Roku device, try moving it a little farther away. This may seem counter-intuitive compared to most "how to connect to Wi-Fi" guides, but having your Roku device too close to the router may actually cause the wireless signal to degrade.