How to Connect a Roku to Internet with Ethernet or Wi-Fi

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Do you want to connect your Roku to the internet so you can watch streaming shows on Netflix, Hulu, or Max (formerly known as HBO Max)? Is your Roku not connecting to your dorm's or hotel's network? When setting up your Roku player or TV, you'll need to connect your Roku player to Wi-Fi or Ethernet (if supported) to start streaming. This wikiHow article teaches you how to connect a Roku streaming player or stick to the internet for the first time and then how to reconnect to Wi-Fi again.

Things You Should Know

If you're reconnecting or need to change Wi-Fi networks, go to Home > Settings > Network > Set up Connection > Wired/Wireless.
If you're in a hotel or dorm room, select that option during setup.
Follow the on-screen instructions to connect to your Wi-Fi network when you're setting up your Roku TV or streaming device for the first time.

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Connecting to Wi-Fi During Setup

Use this method if you've never used your Roku before and need to go through the set-up process. If you've already set up your Roku at least once, see this method instead.
Even if you lost the remote, you can still connect your Roku to a TV.

Don’t worry if you don’t see anything on the screen immediately; in a few minutes, you should see the Roku logo animation on the screen.
Lost your remote? Luckily, newer remotes have a special "remote finder" button that you can use to find it!
On the Let’s get started screen, your Roku remote should start to pair automatically when it turns on. If it doesn’t pair, press and hold the pairing button for about 3 - 5 seconds until the green pairing light on the back of the Roku remote starts flashing.

Select your language. Press OK on your Roku remote to continue, choose a country, click Set up for home use, and press OK again on your ROKU remote.

If you select to use a wireless connection, proceed to the next step.
If you chose a wired connection, your Roku player will automatically detect your connection once you plug the ethernet cable into your streaming device or TV. If you're using a wired connection, you're done and can skip the rest of these steps, as that's all you'll need to do to connect your Roku to the internet! [1] X Research source

If your Roku still does not pick up your Wi-Fi network, it may be too far from the router to make a connection. In this case, you might want to use an ethernet connection or move the router closer to your Roku. [2] X Research source
Once you choose a network, your Roku device will take a moment to make sure it can connect to the home network.
If you are connecting from a dorm or hotel, select that option in the pop-up. Then, you'll see more on-screen instructions to connect, including using your smartphone to connect to your TV and entering a password.

Enter the password. Next, you'll be asked to enter the Wi-Fi network password (if required). Press "Show password" so you can see your password as you type, and remember that your network passwords are case-sensitive. Use the shift button on the on-screen keyboard when you need to enter a capital letter.

Select Connect and press OK on your Roku remote. If you typed your password correctly, you'll see a confirmation message that your Roku successfully connected to your network. If not, you'll need to try again.

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Reconnecting to the Internet

You can use this method if you've already set up your Roku but need to change your Wi-Fi network, update your Wi-Fi password, or switch from Wi-Fi to ethernet (and vice-versa).
Have a replacement remote instead of the original? You can sync the replacement remote so you can use that in these steps instead.

Navigate to Settings and press OK on your Roku remote. When you scroll to "Settings," the first option should already be highlighted.

Press OK on your remote again. "Network" should be highlighted.

Navigate to Set up connection and press OK . You'll see the option to set up a connection on the right side of the page.

If you chose a wired connection, your Roku will automatically detect the ethernet cable and connect to the internet.

If your Roku still does not pick up your network from the router, they may be too far apart to make a connection. In this case, you might want to switch to ethernet or move the router closer to the Roku.
Once you choose a Wi-Fi network, your Roku will attempt to connect.

Enter the password (if required). Select Show password so you can see your password as you type. Remember that Wi-Fi passwords are case-sensitive. Use the shift key on the on-screen keyboard when you need to enter a capital letter.

Select Connect by highlighting it and press OK. If you typed your Wi-Fi password correctly, you'll see a confirmation message that your Roku is successfully connected to the internet.

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Troubleshooting

Error codes 14.30, 009, 14, 14.10, 14.11, 14.50, 14.62, and 14.64 mean you should restart both the router and the Roku.
Error codes 14.40 and 14.41 mean your Wi-Fi password is incorrect.
Error codes 012 and 013 mean there is a problem with your ethernet (wired) connection. Check to see that your router is working properly by using connecting a different device. If you can connect to the internet on another device, restart your Roku. If you are can't, disconnect and reconnect the Ethernet cable. If the problem continues, reset your router, and contact your ISP.
Error codes 14.20, 14.62, 14.64, 016, and 017 mean that the wireless signal is too weak. Move the router closer or switch to Ethernet.
Follow the on-screen instructions. If you get an error, you'll also see a guide that you can use to solve your problem on the screen.

Connect to a 5GHz network if possible. If your router offers two frequency channels, use the 5GHz one. It's a stronger signal, but if your router is far away from your TV or Roku device, it won't work as reliably as the 2.4GHz frequency.

Change the router channel. Your router usually automatically picks the best channel, but you can also do it manually if you feel that your internet speeds are slow. If you're using a 2.4GHz frequency, try using channels 1, 6, or 11. [3] X Research source

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