Do you have a Roku TV that keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi when turned off or while streaming a channel or app? Then, you are not alone.
You may see a popup that says “Your Wi-Fi is disconnected” or “Not connected” even though other devices connected to your Wi-Fi are working perfectly fine.
If it happens while streaming, then your Roku TV will keep disconnecting from apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube and Hulu.
Then, you may have to restart your Roku again and the cycle continues over and over.
On the other hand, you may also be facing the issue where your Roku disconnects from your Wi-Fi you every time you restart your Roku and you have to set up the network connection all over again.
Either ways, I know how frustrating this can be and I am going to show you some proven ways to fix this issue once and for all!
Without any further ado, let’s dive right in!
Roku TV Keeps Disconnecting from Wi-Fi
First, why does your Roku TV keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi?
It may be due to a software glitch on network router or Roku TV, incompatibility issues with network frequency band, network connection mode or network channel, unsuccessful network pings, auto power saving feature, automatic DOS protection on router or corrupt cache file.
If you don’t understand these, don’t worry.
I will explain each as I show you how to fix each of the potential issues.
With that said, let’s look at some proven ways to stop your Roku TV from disconnecting from Wi-Fi.
1. Power Cycle the Network Router
One of the quickest ways to fix a Roku TV that keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi is to simply power cycle the router. Sometimes, that’s all it takes!
It doesn’t matter that all your other devices (other streaming devices, smart home devices, phone, computer etc.) are all working perfectly well with your network router.
A simple power cycle will help to re-establish the network connection between your Roku device and router, which often fixes the constant loss of internet.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Turn off your network router, and unplug it from the power outlet
- Leave it unplugged for for 5 minutes
- Plug it back into the power outlet, and turn it on
- Finally, go back to the network settings on your Roku devices and set up the network connection
To set up the network connection, go to Settings > Network > Set Up Network. Select your network from the list of available devices, and it should connect automatically. Otherwise, scan for networks and/or enter your password and you should be good to go!
Like I said earlier, a simple restart of your router is sometimes all you need to re-establish the network connection and stop your Roku from disconnecting from Wi-Fi constantly.
However, if that doesn’t work for you, move on to the next fix.
2. Clear Roku Cache & Restart It
Another way to fix a Roku device that keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi is to actually clear the cache memory on your Roku, then restart it.
In some cases, software glitches or corrupt cache files on your Roku device can cause it to keep disconnecting from Wi-Fi even after establishing the network connection (shown in step 1 above).
In such cases, a quick purge of the system cache followed by a quick system restart will do the trick.
Here’s how to clear your Roku cache and restart it:
To do that, there’s a special key combination you need to press on the remote while on the home screen which will clear the cache and restart your TV automatically.
- First, press the ‘Home’ button to return to the home dashboard
While on the home screen, press the following key combination:
- Press the ‘Home’ button on your Roku TV remote 5 times
- Next, press the ‘Up arrow’ ⬆️ button on your remote once
- After that, press the ‘Rewind’ ⏪ button twice
- Then, press the ‘Fast forward’⏩ button twice
After a few seconds, your TV will shut down and boot up again. Once the TV restarts, connect it again to the Wi-Fi network and you should be good to go!
If your Roku is stuck looking for Wireless networks while trying to reconnect and you have to unplug your Roku every time, this will also help fix the issue.
NOTE: If this doesn’t work on the first try, repeat the process 1-3 more times before moving to the next one. While some users were able to fix the issue with this process in one try, others reported that it only worked for them after a few tries.
If you are still experiencing the issue after 2-4 tries, then move to the next step.
3. Enable Fast TV Start Feature
If you have a Roku TV that disconnects from Wi-Fi when turned off, this particular fix applies to you. However, if your Roku disconnects from Wi-Fi only in the middle of a movie or show (but does not disconnect when turned off), then your move to the next fix already.
That said, some newer Roku devices have the “Fast TV Start” feature. What this feature does is that it puts your Roku into “standby mode” when you turn it off.
While in standby mode, your Roku device remains connected to your Wi-Fi network and also wakes up faster (you will notice that your Roku TV turns on much faster once this feature has been enabled).
If you have a voice remote, you can also use it to wake up your Roku device.
Here’s how to enable Fast TV Start on Roku:
- Go to Settings > System > Power > Fast TV Start
- Highlight Enable ‘Fast TV Start’, press the OK button on your Roku remote to enabled the feature
- Once done, your Roku device should stop disconnecting from Wi-Fi when turned off.
NOTE: This feature might use more power than the default settings, and will also override the default power settings.
If your Roku device does not have the rest mode feature or it still keeps disconnecting when turned off, then move on to the next fix.
NOTE: Every fix that follows this applies to both cases (i.e. whether it disconnects while streaming or after turning it off).
4. Switch to 2.4 GHz Network Frequency Band
Some Roku models are known to only be able to use the 2.4 GHz network frequency band.
Therefore, if you are connected to a 5.0 GHz network frequency band, your Roku TV may keep disconnecting from the Wi-Fi network and apps like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon Prime Vide and other streaming channels.
Roku Express is a known victim when it comes to this. The issue is also known to happen on some older Roku model like the 2710 models.
Therefore, if you have a dual-band network router, you need to ensure that you connect to the 2.4 GHz band – and you should be good to go!
However, the newer Roku devices are all capable of using both dual-band networks (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz capable).
Irrespective of the model you have, try switching to the 2.4 GHz band and see if the issue is fixed for you.
Here’s how to do that:
- First, ensure that both bands of your network router are being broadcast (or at least the 2.4 GHz band if you have no other use for the 5.0GHz band). You can check this on your Router dashboard or contact your ISP for help.
- Press Home button on Roku remote
- Scroll and select Settings
- Select Network
- Select Set up connection
- Choose Wireless
- Select your Wi-Fi network (2.4 GHz band) from the list of available networks. If you do not see your network, select Scan again to see all networks.
- Enter your correct network password.
- Finally, select Connect
Now, your Roku TV should no longer disconnect from your Wi-Fi network. Otherwise, move to the next step.
5. Manually Switch Wi-Fi Channel Selection and Mode
Even when connected to the right network band, the selected channel and connection mode on your network router can also cause your Roku device to keep disconnecting from the internet.
Check 1: Manually Switch Channel Selection
If your network band is connected to use DFS channels (52-140) on the 5.0 GHz network band which Roku cannot use, your Roku will keep losing connection.
When that’s the case, you may notice that you need to restart your Roku every time before you can reconnect to the network.
If that’s you, then you need to disable the use of DFS on the 5.0 GHz band or manually switch to a wireless channel that’s more stable with Roku (Channel 1, 6 or 11).
First, you can view the channel that is currently assigned to your network when the issue happens via the Roku network connection test. That way, you can switch the channel to one of the other channel options that work well with Roku (1, 6 or 11).
- To do a network connection test, go to Settings > Network > About
- You can see from the screenshot below that it is connected to Wireless channel 11.
- So, if you check yours and it’s connected to Channel 1, switch it to Channel 11 or 6.
You can do this directly on your router’s dashboard (app or web). You may also contact your ISP (Xfinity/Comcast, Cox, Spectrum, AT&T, Verizon etc.) to help you with this.
In fact, a number of users have reported that switching their network channel helped fix the issue.
If that fixes the issue for you, great! Otherwise, you may have an issue with the wireless mode instead.
Check 2: Switch Wireless Mode on Router to b/g/n
The network mode is another thing that is known to cause Wi-Fi connection issues with TCL Roku TVs, Hisense Roku TVs, Onn Roku TVs, Roku Express, Roku Ultra and other brands/models of Roku TV.
According to Roku, some Roku devices are only capable of connecting with the wireless b/g/n networks on the 2.4 GHz band.
Although this is most commonly associated with the Roku Premiere and Express streaming devices, the same thing could be responsible for the WiFi connection issue on other Roku TV models and brands.
What you need to do is simple – you need to change the router settings for the 2.4 GHz band from g/n to b/g/n. You may also find this together with the Channel selection settings. 
If you don’t know how to do this, you can reach out to your router provider to help you with it.
By manually selecting a stable channel or switching the wireless mode on your network router, you should be able to fix the issue and your Roku TV should stop disconnecting from Wi-Fi.
6. Disable Network Pings & Force Restart Roku
Another proven way to fix a Roku TV that keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi is to disable network pings via the secret menu, then restart your Roku device.
First, what exactly is this network ping and why does it actually work?
A ping (Packet Internet or Inter-Network Groper) is a basic internet program that allows a user or device to test and verify if a particular destination IP address exists and is reachable.
If your Roku TV pings the W-Fi network and for whatever reason, it is “unreachable”, then your TV might disconnect from the Wi-Fi.
By disabling this, you are essentially skipping the “check” which is not in any way necessary for the Wi-Fi network to work anyway.
Now, let’s take a look at this 2-step process fix.
A. Disable Network Ping:
To disable the network pings, you need to press a combination of keys on your Roku TV remote which will bring up the secret menu. If you don’t have one, you can get a replacement.
- First, make sure your TV is on and is on the home screen
- Using the remote, press the ‘Home’ button 5 times
- Press ‘Fast forward’ button once
- Press the ‘Play’ button once
- Press the ‘Rewind’ button once
- Press the ‘Play’ button once again
- Then, press the ‘Fast forward’ button once again
- Now, your TV should show the platform secret screen, select ‘System Operations Menu’
- On the next screen, select ‘Network menu’
- Click on ‘Disable network pings’
Once it is disabled, it should be showing ‘Enable network ping’, make sure it is left that way (don’t click it again).
- Now, press the ‘Home’ button to return to the home menu.
That’s not all, there’s one more thing left to do – clear the Roku TV cache and restart it (shown earlier). Again, here’s how to do that:
- Press the ‘Home’ button on your Roku TV remote 5 times
- Next, press the ‘Up arrow’ ⬆️ button on your remote once
- After that, press the ‘Rewind’ ⏪ button twice
- Then, press the ‘Fast forward’⏩ button. twice
Your Roku TV should freeze for a second and then it will restart automatically.
Now, your Roku TV should no longer disconnect from your Wi-Fi.
7. Disable Power Saving Feature
The power saving feature (also called auto power savings) is a feature that allows compatible Roku devices to enter a low power mode after sitting idle for 20 minutes (that is, when it’s not streaming content or being controlled by a remote or mobile app).
While in the power saving mode, the Roku device can disconnect from Wi-Fi.
Therefore, you need to check if the power saving feature is turned on, in which case you want to turn it off.
However, the feature is not available on all Roku devices. It’s available on the following models.
| Device | Model |
|---|---|
| Roku Express 4K | 3940 |
| Roku Express 4K+ | 3941 |
| Roku Streaming Stick® 4K | 3820 |
| Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ | 3821 |
| Roku 4 | 4400 |
| Roku Ultra | 4800 |
| Roku Ultra LT | 4801 |
To view the model number, go to the home screen on your Roku player and select Settings > System > About.
Here’s how to turn off Auto Power Savings on your Roku device:
- Go to Settings > System > Power > Auto Power Savings
- Uncheck the box next to “After 20 minutes of no interaction”
Once you disable auto power savings feature, your Roku player will remain “awake” and ready to be used any time your TV is powered on without disconnecting from Wi-Fi.
8. Update Roku System Software
Is your Roku TV still disconnecting from Wi-Fi and apps? Then you need to update the system software.
If your Roku device disconnects so frequently that you don’t think you can update the software from the TV menu before it disconnects again, then you can use the manual method (method 2).
However, if your Roku stays connected for a few minutes (30minutes+) before it disconnects or if it only disconnects after you turn it off, then try the first method first (it’s relatively easier.)
Method 1: System Software Update from Settings Menu
To check and update your Roku software:
- Click on the Home button on your Roku TV remote
- Select Settings > System > System Update
- Click on Check Now to manually check for any update
If there is any available software update, your Roku device will download it, install it automatically and then reboot once completed.
This will also automatically update the apps and channels on your Roku TV to the most recent available versions.
To use this method, your Roku TV needs to be connected to the internet.
Otherwise, try the manual update method. You can also use the manual method if your Roku TV becomes stuck on software update while using the first method.
Method 2: Manual System Software Update
Here’s how to update your Roku TV system software manually:
Step 1: Download the Latest Roku OS Software
- Open a web browser on your computer and visit tvupdate.roku.com.
- Choose the brand of your Roku TV e.g TCL, Hisense, Onn, Sharp, Philips etc.
- Enter your Roku Model Number and Serial Number. To find these, go to Settings > System > About on your Roku TV. The model appears as 4 numbers followed by a letter (e.g. 6104X), and the serial number is a combination of 12 numbers and/or letters. Then, click on ‘Next’.
- Click on ‘Download Software’ to get the installer file on your computer (it will be named ‘update.roku‘)
Step 2: Format the USB Drive
Like I mentioned earlier, if your USB drive is already formatted as FAT32, FAT16 or MS-DOS (FAT). So, if you don’t want to format your USB drive, go ahead and jump to the next step. If a format is required, you can copy your files to another location, come back to this step and proceed onwards from here.
On windows:
- Plug the USB flash drive into your computer.
- Open the File Explorer and go to ‘This PC’.
- Right-click the USB flash drive and select ‘Format’.
- If the flash drive capacity is more than 2GB, select FAT32. If it is less than 2GB, select FAT16.
- Then, select ‘Start’
On Mac:
- Plug the USB flash drive into your computer.
- Open Finder and search for ‘Disk Utility’
- Select the USB flash drive from the left panel.
- Click on the Erase tab on the right panel.
- Select MS-DOS (FAT) from the drop-down menu.
- Click the Erase button and click Erase button again when prompted to format your drive.
Step 3: Copy the Downloaded Software File to USB drive
- Now, locate the update.roku file on your computer (should be in the Downloads folder by default unless you changed the storage location)
- Insert the USB flash drive and copy the update.roku file to the flash drive (do not put it in a subfolder)
- Eject the flash drive and remove it from the port of your computer
Step 4: Insert USB Drive Into Roku TV & Update
- Insert the flash drive into the USB port on your Roku TV
NOTE: If you see the message “Update file could not be opened. Please try again”, the format of the USB flash drive is likely not recognized. In that case, you need to format it. To do that, go back to step 2 above (if you skipped it earlier and proceed from there).
- Press the Home button on Roku remote on your Roku TV remote, and select Settings > System > System update > I can’t connect.
Your Roku TV validates the file on the USB flash drive and displays a 12-digit code on the TV screen. If you see the message “Contents of the update file are invalid”, your Roku TV is already running the latest software version.
- Go back to your computer and enter the code and click on next.
- After you enter the code correctly, a new 6-digit code appears on your computer screen
- Return to your Roku TV and enter the 6-digit code using your Roku TV remote. The software update begins immediately, and your Roku TV restarts once the software update is complete.
- After your Roku TV restarts, you can remove the USB flash drive.
The video below will show you the whole process:
9. Reduce the Number of Devices Connected to Wi-Fi
If there is a lot of devices connected to your network router or the maximum number of devices have been reached, you may experience issues where your Roku TV keeps dropping the internet.
In that case, you need to reduce the activity on your network by disconnecting other devices that are connected to your router.
You may also increase the number of devices that are allowed to connect to your Wi-Fi as well.
This will ensure that the network bandwidth limit is not reached.
Also, make sure that your router is close enough to your Roku device for the best signal.
10. Reset Roku Network Settings
Another way to stop your Roku from disconnecting from the internet is to reset the network settings.
A network reset will disassociate the network access point and reset the Roku TV network driver. That way, a fresh connection will be made when you connect back to your Wi-Fi.
If your Roku is also stuck looking for Wireless networks while trying to reconnect and you have to unplug your Roku every time, a network reset will also fix that.
Here’s how to reset network connection on Roku TV:
Press the settings (gear icon) on the remote. Under settings, select System > Advanced System Settings > Network Connection Reset and press the OK button. Your Roku TV should reboot after this.
Since the network reset will forget all the network(s) you’ve connected to before, you need to set up the network connection again. Here’s how:
- Press Home button on Roku remote
- Scroll and select Settings
- Select Network
- Select Set up connection
- Choose Wireless
- Select your WiFi network from the list of available networks. If you do not see your network, select Scan again to see all networks.
- Enter your correct network password.
- Finally, select Connect
Now, you should be able to connect to your network router. More importantly, your Roku should stop disconnecting from Wi-Fi.
11. Turn Off Automatic DOS Protections
Another reason why your Roku device might keep disconnecting seconds or minutes after connecting is having automatic DOS protection enabled on your router.
If you look through your router logs, you may find out that your router registers a DOS attack every time your Roku connects, which then causes the disconnection.
In that case, the issue will be fixed by turning off the automatic DOS protection feature on your network router.
If your router has this feature, you should be able to find it under the security settings or advanced settings on your router dashboard.
Don’t know how to do this or check the log to see if a DOS attack is registered every time you connect your Roku device? Then reach out to your ISP to help you with that.
12. Reset Roku to Factory Settings
At this point, the next thing you want to do is restore your Roku TV to factory settings.
Just like the network reset earlier, this will clear all your network settings, configuration and more!
Here’s how to factory reset your Roku TV:
- Click on Home button on Roku remote
- Scroll and select Settings
- Select System > Advanced system settings > Factory reset
- Enter the code displayed on the TV and click on ‘OK’
Alternatively, you can reset your TCL Roku TV without remote by using the physical reset button on the TV. Here’s how to do that:
- First, locate the physical reset button on your TCL Roku TV. You will need a pin or any tiny object to push the button.
- Once you locate the reset button, press and hold the button firmly for 10 – 20 seconds while your device is powered on. When it shuts down, keep holding down the reset button until it powers on again and shows the Roku TV logo. Then, you can release the button.
- When the factory reset is complete, the TV will reboot twice and finally turn on.
Now, your Roku device will restart like a brand new one and you should be good to go!
13. Switch to an Ethernet Cable
If your Roku TV still keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi even after a factory reset, then you may want to consider switching to hardwired connection instead.
Moreover, ethernet cables are generally faster than Wi-Fi connections. The only limitation could come from the location of your Wi-Fi router and your TV.
However, if you have your TV and network router in the same room (which is the best anyway to avoid wireless signal interference), and you have a good ethernet cable, then you are very good to go.
To use the ethernet connection, connect one end of an ethernet cable to your network router and the other end of the cable to the ethernet port on your Roku TV, Roku Express or Roku Ultra. Then, go to Settings > Network > Network Connection > Wired.
NOTE:
- If your Roku TV does not come with an ethernet port, you can still use an ethernet cable by using a USB 2.0 ethernet adapter
- Plug the USB-to-ethernet adapter to the USB port on your Roku device, then plug the other end into your ethernet port on your router
- Next, reset your network connection as shown above (this will remove the current Wi-Fi connections)
- Restart your Roku device, and it will automatically be connected to the internet via ethernet
You can check the demonstration in the video below:
14. Get Roku Power Adapter with Wi-Fi Extender
You can also use a Wi-Fi extender cable to fix the issue with Roku dropping internet once and for all.
Even better, this will definitely improve the speed of your internet connection.
If you have the Roku® Streaming Stick®+ (models 3810 and 3811), Roku® Streaming Stick® 4K or Roku® Streaming Stick® 4K+, then I will recommend that you get the Roku power adapter with Wi-Fi extender cable.
I mentioned those specific models because those are the models that are compatible with the cable.
All you need to do is plug it to the power adapter and then into your Roku stick, and the issue will be fixed once and for all!
You may have to pair your Roku remote again, but once that’s done, you are good to go!
15. Change or Upgrade Your Network Router
Some users have also reported that the issue only started after changing their network router.
Similarly, a number of users have also reported that the issue stopped once they switched to a different network router.
Whether this is happening on a new network router or you’ve been using it for a while without issue, you cannot rule out the possibility of some incompatibility between your router and Router device.
If the issue had just recently started on the same network router you’ve been using before without such issue, then try updating the software of your network router – via dashboard or contact ISP.
That could help fix any software issue that might be causing the connection issue.
Otherwise, you may have to get a new network router. Moreover, you may also have an outdated router and/or modem.
Once you update your router and/or mesh system or get a new one, the issue will most likely be fixed if it’s coming from your router.
16. Upgrade Roku Device to Newer Model
If you have an older Roku device, then you might want to consider upgrading your Roku device instead.
I know it sucks and you shouldn’t have to replace your Roku stick every one or two years, but a lot of users with the older models reported that the issue stopped after upgrading their device.
This is no surprise as older models get less updates, support lesser features and don’t support more recent technologies (something generally seen with tech).
So, if you have an older device, this might be a good option for you especially since you’ll be getting a lot of newer features and improvements.
17. Contact Roku Customer Support
If you have tried all the methods discussed in this guide, your Roku TV should no longer disconnect from Wi-Fi.
However, if the issue still persists, the only thing you can do is to contact Roku for support.
You will be asked to provide the following:
- Roku Model
- Serial Number
- Device ID
- Channels with issue (all or specific ones)
- Issue ID
To generate an Issue ID, press the Home button 5 times and then the Back button 5 times in quick succession on the remote. You’ll see an Issue ID pop up on your screen.
That is all for now.
If you found this guide helpful, let me know which of these methods helped you stop your Roku TV from disconnecting from Wi-Fi every now and then, or when you turn it off in the comment section below.
Wow. Some great content here. Applied caching issue and now roku is back to working order. Many thanks
You are welcome Mark, thanks for your kind words.