I purchased a Roku Express 4K+ during last year’s Black Friday sale.

It worked pretty well with my TV for a few months until the last weekend, when it started disconnecting from my Wi-Fi at random.

At first, I thought something was wrong with my Internet connection, but my phone and laptop faced no such problems.

Confused, I googled Roku user forums and Reddit threads to find out what caused the problem and how to fix it.

While going through these forums, I found several people talking about factory resetting their Roku devices to resolve their Wi-Fi connection problems.

I found it too much of a chore and continued with my search, finally stumbling upon a somewhat obscure yet effective fix. 

If your Roku keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi, log into your router’s web console and change the Wi-Fi mode to b/g/n and the channel to 1, 6, or 11 for the 2.4GHz band. If your Roku is connected to the 5GHz band, use U-NII-1 (non-DFS channels 36 to 48) or U-NII-3 (non-DFS channels 149-165). 

Why Does My Roku Keep Disconnecting From the Internet?

All Roku streaming devices require a stable and strong Internet connection to work efficiently.

If your Internet is slow or laggy, your Roku will not churn out the best output.

That said, Roku devices disconnecting from Wi-Fi is a common problem and can occur due to various reasons.

Here are some of the most common reasons for this problem: 

• A weak Internet signal.
• Incorrect network settings.
• Software bugs.
• Router malfunctions.
• Outdated firmware.
• Corrupt file directories. 

Power Cycle Your Roku and Wi-Fi Router First

In most cases, a Roku device keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi due to software bugs present in it and the router.

These bugs create communication hurdles between the streaming device and the Internet.

However, you can easily eliminate them by power cycling your Roku and Wi-Fi router.

Power cycling resets a device to a working state by taking care of the software bugs and draining any static charge from it.

1. Disconnect your Roku device and Wi-Fi router from their power sockets.
2. Wait for 60 seconds.
3. Plug them back into their respective sockets and turn them on. 

Once up and running, check if your Roku’s Wi-Fi connection is stable.

Power cycling is also known to fix Roku black screen with sound.

Change Wi-Fi Settings

Your Internet connection may give you trouble with a Roku device if the Wi-Fi band and channel settings are incompatible with Roku.

You can change these settings by logging into your router’s web console to resolve this problem.

Follow these steps to do so: 

1. Launch a web browser and enter your router’s IP address in the address bar. You can find this address on your router. If you can’t locate it, try 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1.
2. Press Enter. You may get a warning screen. Click Advanced > Proceed to continue.
3. Type in the username and password. If you never set these, check out this list of usernames and passwords for various router brands.
4. Go to Settings. Depending on the router, you may have to open Advanced settings or Wireless settings.
5. Under the 2.4GHz band, set the mode to b/g/n and the channel to 1, 6, or 11.
6. If your Roku supports dual frequency, be sure to use the U-NII-1 (non-DFS channels 36 to 48) or U-NII-3 (non-DFS channels 149-165) band under 5GHz.
7. Click on Save or Apply.
8. Once done, restart your Wi-Fi router and Roku. 

Reset the Network on Your Roku

If changing the Wi-Fi settings proves no help, you should reset the network connection on your Roku device.

This is a highly effective solution if you are facing Internet problems only on a particular device, as it restores network defaults and gets rid of communication bugs.

To reset network settings on a Roku: 

1. Press the Home button on your Roku remote.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Choose Advanced system settings.
4. Open Network connection reset.
5. Select Reset connection. 

Once completed, your Roku device will restart, and you will need to sign into a network from scratch.

Follow these steps to do so: 

• Press Home on the remote.
• Choose Settings.
• Go to Network and select Set up connection.

• Tap on Wireless.
• Select your network from the list of available networks. If you can’t see it, choose Scan again.
• Enter your Wi-Fi password and click on Connect. 

Check out these troubleshooting tips if your Roku remote is not working.

Update Your Roku

Sometimes, outdated firmware can create compatibility issues between a Roku streaming device and the Wi-Fi router, leading it to disconnect from the Internet.

The only solution to this problem is to update the device to the latest build.

You can update your Roku device easily if it doesn’t disconnect from Wi-Fi often.

• Press Home on the Roku remote control.
• Launch Settings.
• Open System.
• Go to System Update.

• Choose Check Now to look for any new updates. 

If a new update is available, the Roku device will download and install it automatically.

You can also use a USB to update your Roku TV by visiting Roku USB update. 

Factory Reset Your Roku

In case none of the solutions covered so far get rid of your Roku device’s Wi-Fi problem, you should consider a factory reset.

Doing so will not only clear out major software problems of your Roku, but it will also restore its firmware to a stable working state.

Note: A factory reset will delete your personal preferences, settings, and downloaded apps. It will also log you out of all user accounts.

To factory reset a Roku: 

• Press the Home button on your Roku remote.
• Open Settings.
• Go to System.
• Choose Advanced system settings.

• Tap on Factory reset and Confirm.
• If it’s a Roku TV, select Factory reset everything. 

You can also reset a Roku device by long-pressing the ‘Reset’ button or pinhole located on its back or bottom panel. 

Switch to a Wired Connection

If you continue to face connection problems with your wireless network on a Roku device, you should switch to a wired connection.

A wired connection may seem like a downgrade at first sight, but it makes up for its shortcomings by providing up to 10 times the speed of a wireless one.

It’s also more reliable as it doesn’t suffer from interference or latency.

All you need to do is plug an Ethernet cable into a LAN port of your Wi-Fi router and connect its other end to the Roku device’s Ethernet port. 

Say Goodbye to Internet Fluctuations

Roku is well-known for its streaming players and TVs, but all these devices are not worth a dime without an Internet connection.

On top of that, having to reconnect them to Wi-Fi every now and then is a headache.

I faced this situation last week with my Roku Express and didn’t know what to do at first.

Only after spending hours on Google, I fixed my Roku by changing the Wi-Fi mode and channel in Wi-Fi settings.

If it doesn’t work for you, try resetting the network on your Roku.

In case the problem persists, you should contact Roku Support. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any Internet speed requirements for Roku streaming devices?

Roku recommends a minimum Internet speed of 3 Mbps for SD and 9 Mbps for HD content. 

Does Roku manufacture TVs?

Roku doesn’t manufacture TVs, but various other companies (like TCL and Hisense) have TVs operating on the Roku OS. 

Are Roku streaming devices compatible with non-Smart TVs?

All Roku streaming devices work with any TV with an HDMI port.