Your Roku TV needs three things to connect: a working WiFi network, the correct password, and a clear signal from your router to the TV

When your Roku TV won't connect, one of those three is broken. The TV itself is almost never the problem—Roku devices are reliable at connecting once the network side is working. Most of the time, the issue is either that your WiFi network is down, your password is wrong, or your router is too far away or blocked by walls and metal. Start by checking whether other devices in your house can reach the internet right now. If your phone or laptop is online, your network is working and the problem is specific to the Roku. If nothing can connect, your router or internet service is down, and you need to fix that first.

The steps below move from the most common causes to less common ones. Most people find the answer in the first two sections. If you get stuck at any point, the Frequently Asked Questions section covers the errors you are most likely to see.

Key Takeaways

  • Check whether other devices can reach the internet before troubleshooting the Roku—if they can't, your router or internet service is the problem, not the TV.
  • The most common cause is an incorrect WiFi password, which the Roku will accept but then fail to use when it tries to actually connect.
  • Restarting your router by unplugging it for 30 seconds fixes most connection problems because it clears the router's memory and forces it to rebuild its connection to your internet service.
  • If the Roku can see your WiFi network but won't connect, forget the network on the TV and enter the password again, character by character.
  • If the Roku can't see your WiFi network at all, move the router closer to the TV or remove obstacles like metal filing cabinets between them.

Check your WiFi password first

The single most common reason a Roku won't connect is that the password was typed wrong. WiFi passwords are case-sensitive, meaning capital letters matter. If you typed MyPassword but the actual password is mypassword, the Roku will reject the connection. Go to your router—it is usually a box about the size of a paperback book, often with antennas—and look for a sticker on the bottom or back. That sticker has your WiFi network name and password printed on it. Write both down exactly as they appear, including capitals and numbers.

On your Roku TV, go to Settings, then Network, then WiFi. Select your network name from the list. When the Roku asks for the password, type it in exactly as it appears on the router sticker. Use the remote's arrow buttons to move between letters and numbers. If you make a mistake, the Roku will show an error message but won't tell you which character was wrong—you have to start over and type the whole thing again. This is why writing it down first saves time. Take your time entering each character and double-check before you press confirm.

Restart your router to clear its memory

A router that has been running for weeks or months sometimes gets confused about which devices are connected and stops letting new ones join. Restarting it clears that confusion. Unplug the power cable from the back of your router—the one that plugs into the wall outlet, not the one that brings internet in. Wait 30 seconds. Count them out or set a timer on your phone. Then plug it back in.

The router will take about two minutes to fully restart. You will see lights on the front blink and change color. Wait until they stop changing and settle into a steady pattern. Then try connecting your Roku again. This single step fixes most connection problems because it forces the router to rebuild its connection to your internet service provider and clear out any devices that were stuck in its memory. If your Roku connects successfully after this restart, you are done—no further steps needed.

Forget the network on the Roku and reconnect

Sometimes the Roku remembers an old or incorrect password and keeps trying to use it even after you have changed the password on your router. The fix is to tell the Roku to forget that network entirely, then connect again from scratch. On your Roku, go to Settings, then Network, then WiFi. Find your network name in the list. Instead of selecting it, look for an option that says "Forget" or "Remove"—the exact wording depends on your Roku model, but it will be near the network name. Select it.

Now your Roku has erased that network from its memory. Go back to the WiFi list and select your network name again. When it asks for the password, type it in carefully using the remote. The Roku should connect within 10 to 15 seconds. If it does not, you will see an error message. Write down what the error says—it might be "Incorrect password" or "Cannot connect to network"—because different errors point to different problems. If you see an error, move to the next section.

Move your router closer to the TV or remove obstacles

WiFi signals weaken as they travel through walls, especially walls that contain metal pipes or electrical wiring. If your router is in a bedroom and your Roku TV is in the living room on the other side of the house, the signal might be too weak to connect reliably. The simplest test is to move the router as close to the TV as you can—even temporarily—and try connecting again. If the Roku connects when the router is nearby but not when it is far away, distance or obstacles are the problem.

You do not have to keep the router next to the TV permanently. Instead, you can move it to a more central location in your home, or you can buy a WiFi extender—a small device that plugs into an outlet and repeats your WiFi signal to reach farther. Another option is to use a wired connection if your Roku TV has an ethernet port on the back. An ethernet cable plugs directly into the router and the TV, and it does not depend on WiFi at all. This is the most reliable connection method, though it requires running a cable through your home.

Check whether your router is broadcasting your WiFi network

Occasionally a router stops broadcasting its WiFi network name—the name you see when you look for networks to join. When this happens, the Roku cannot see the network at all, even though the router is working and other devices might be connected through ethernet cables. On your Roku, go to Settings, then Network, then WiFi. Look at the list of available networks. If you do not see your network name, it might not be broadcasting.

To turn WiFi broadcasting back on, you need to access your router's settings through a computer or phone. Open a web browser and type 192.168.1.1 into the address bar, then press Enter. You may be asked to log in—the username is often "admin" and the password is often "admin" or "password", though check your router's manual or the sticker on the back for the correct credentials. Look for a setting called "SSID" or "WiFi Name" and make sure it is turned on. If you are not comfortable doing this, call your internet service provider and ask them to turn WiFi broadcasting back on for you.

Restart the Roku TV itself

A Roku TV that has been running for a long time sometimes develops temporary glitches that prevent it from connecting. Restarting it works the same way as restarting a router: it clears the TV's memory and forces it to start fresh. On your Roku remote, press the Home button to go to the main menu. Then go to Settings, then System, then Power. Select "Restart" and confirm. The TV will go black and restart, which takes about 30 seconds.

After the TV restarts, try connecting to WiFi again. If the Roku still will not connect after restarting both the TV and the router, and you have checked the password, then the problem is likely with your internet service itself or with the Roku's WiFi hardware. Contact your internet service provider to confirm your service is working, or contact Roku support if you believe the TV's WiFi hardware is broken. At this point you have ruled out the most common causes and may need specialized help.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Roku say the password is wrong when I know it is correct?

WiFi passwords are case-sensitive, so MyPassword and mypassword are treated as different passwords. Check the sticker on your router and type the password exactly as it appears, including capitals and numbers. If you are still stuck, restart your router and try again—sometimes a router glitch prevents it from accepting connections even with the correct password.

Can I connect my Roku to the internet with a cable instead of WiFi?

Yes, if your Roku TV has an ethernet port on the back. Plug one end of an ethernet cable into the port on the TV and the other end into your router. Go to Settings, then Network, and select the ethernet option. A wired connection is more reliable than WiFi and does not depend on signal strength or distance.

What if my Roku connects to WiFi but then loses the connection after a few minutes?

This usually means the signal is too weak or the router is dropping the connection. Try moving the router closer to the TV, or restart the router by unplugging it for 30 seconds. If the problem continues, your router may be overloaded with too many devices—try disconnecting other devices that are not in use and see if the Roku stays connected.

Do I need to restart my router every time my Roku won't connect?

No, but it is the first thing to try because it fixes most problems. If restarting the router does not work, then move on to checking the password and forgetting the network on the Roku. You should only need to restart the router once every few weeks under normal circumstances.

What does it mean if my Roku cannot see any WiFi networks at all?

Either your router is not broadcasting its WiFi network, or the Roku's WiFi hardware is broken. First, check whether other devices like your phone can see and join your WiFi network. If they can, the router is broadcasting and the Roku's WiFi hardware may be faulty. If no devices can see the network, restart your router and check that WiFi broadcasting is turned on in the router's settings.