How To Fix TV Not Connecting To Wi-Fi? (Don’t Panic, Easy Fix!)

How To Fix TV Not Connecting To Wi-Fi? Your smart TV will unexpectedly stop connecting to your WiFi network at some point. But don’t be alarmed. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to re-establish connectivity and resume watching your favorite shows/movies.

If your smart TV not connecting to Wi-Fi, try resetting the connection settings and double-checking the information you enter about your router and password. If that fails, you’ll need to check that your router is operational.

The first step in diagnosing any connectivity issues with your smart TV, however, is determining what the problem is in the first place. If you’ve recently purchased a new Samsung Smart TV or replaced an internet router, you may be having trouble configuring your device.

No problem! CircuitAtHome assists millions of people in troubleshooting, repairing, and optimizing their technology. We keep the devices you rely on working all day, every day, from how to fix PlayStation controller drift to how to connect your laptop to your TV.

Here are our suggestions for determining why your Samsung TV isn’t connecting to Wi-Fi, as well as the steps to take to resolve the issue so you can get back to watching your favorite shows as soon as possible.

IS YOUR TELEVISION NOT CONNECTING TO WI-FI?

Here’s what you can try…

Enter the right password. Do remember Wi-Fi passwords are case-sensitive.

Is there a strong enough signal? Check to see if any other devices in the vicinity of the Smart TV are connected to the Wi-Fi network. If they aren’t, it’s possible that your smart TV is too far away from the router.

To extend your Wi-Fi, you can use wireless repeaters or switch to a wired (LAN cable) connection. One thing to keep in mind is that if your Wi-Fi router is dual-band, the 5GHz network has poor range and wall penetration. If your router is in a different room, connect your Smart TV to a 2.4GHz network.

• Check that your router’s DHCP option (located in the LAN or DHCP settings menu option) is turned on.

• Restart the television and router.

• Is your Smart TV compatible with the network band on your router? If you have a dual-band router, try disabling the 5GHz network and connecting the TV to a 2.4GHz network.

• Only a dual-band router will have these options. If you have one, these settings can be found in the Wireless menu option.

• There is one more setting in the Wireless menu on your router you can try: Channel. Routers give you the option of choosing a fixed Wi-Fi channel, or letting the router pick one automatically. It is likely that this has been set to automatic. If so, set one channel, perhaps Channel 11. If your router is already set to one specific channel, change it to automatic – the channel might be overcrowded, and letting the router ‘hop’ to a different one as and when required might help fix any TV Wi-Fi connection issues.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR TV IS NOT CONNECTING TO WIFI

Regardless of your smart TV model, here are some quick fixes to try if your TV isn’t connecting to WiFi:

1. Unplug your router/modem for a minimum of one minute.
2. Reconnect the router/modem to its power source.
3. Allow a few minutes for the router/modem to connect to the internet.
4. Attempt to reconnect your smart TV.

Most of the time, simply unplugging your router/modem solves the problem, but if you’re still having problems, consider the following:

TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION

The simplest way to determine whether the problem is with your network or your TV is to connect your Samsung TV to another working network.

If you already have two networks in your home, you can try to connect to a third one using the Samsung TV to see if the connection works. If it does, it appears that your problem is with the initial network connection you attempted to connect to.

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CHECKING YOUR SMART TV SIGNAL STRENGTH

If you still have the problem after trying another network or if you don’t have another available, you may have a problem with the signal strength from your router to the device. To check the signal strength of your Samsung Smart TV, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Settings using your TV remote.
2. Select General > Network > Open Network Settings > Wireless from the drop-down menu.
3. Examine the number of wifi bars displayed on your TV.

If you’re still seeing full bars, your problems are most likely elsewhere, and we’ll need to keep looking. If you only see one or two bars for your connection, you may need to move your router closer to your TV or install an expansion router to get a better connection.

You can also use an ethernet cable to connect your Samsung TV to your router if you don’t want to worry about the strength of your Wi-Fi connection. Simply plug an ethernet cord directly into the back of the TV and the other end into your router to secure their connection.

Alternative Video: How To Fix All Wi-Fi Problem For Android Smart TV?

CONFIRM WHETHER OR NOT YOUR ROUTER/MODEM IS THE PROBLEM

Attempting to connect other wireless devices is the best way to rule out your modem/router as the source of the problem. Choose a device that is close to your modem/router and located in the same room as your smart TV.

If this device (such as your smartphone or laptop) connects to your modem/router without issue, the source of the problem is most likely your smart TV. If, however, other devices cannot connect to the WiFi, you should work on getting your modem/router fixed or contact your modem/router manufacturer for support.

If other devices are already clearly working and connected to your existing WiFi, try disconnecting one device and then reconnecting it. Is the WiFi network and password you’re using working for that device but not your smart TV. If it is, you know for sure your TV is what’s causing the trouble.

ROUTER/MODEM HARD RESET

Check that your router and modem are properly installed and connected to the internet. If you are unsure how to make such connections, consult the owner’s manuals for both the modem and the router, or contact the manufacturer. A simple Google search for the model and how to reset/connect it should also work.

Typically, there is a small button that must be pressed and held in place with a paper clip or safety pin. This restores the router/modem to its factory settings. Keep in mind that if you do this, you will need to re-configure your WiFi and reconnect all of your home’s devices.

DOUBLE CHECK YOUR WIFI PASSWORD

Always keep in mind that secure WiFi networks require a password, and the security key (password) is case sensitive. It’s worth double-checking that you’ve entered the correct password into your smart TV and that you’re attempting to connect to the correct WiFi network.

For whatever reason, your smart TV may disconnect from your WiFi and then automatically attempt to reconnect, but this time with a different network in range. Just make sure your TV is still attempting to connect to the correct network.

VPNS AND DIAL-UP DON’T WORK WELL WITH SMART TVS

VPNs and other networks, such as PPPoE connections, are not easily accessible to your smart TV, so consider an alternative if you’re trying to connect to one. There are several methods you can try to use a VPN, but I really only recommend this if you’re a bit more technically savvy.

Furthermore, neither proxies nor dial-up connections are supported by smart TVs. Yes, they still exist! It’s incredible that in the twenty-first century, some people still use dial-up internet. Although I have a feeling those people don’t have a smart TV, but I digress…

2.4GHZ VS 5GHZ

If your modem supports 5GHz, double-check your television’s manual to ensure it also supports 5GHz. In some cases, your smart TV will be unable to connect to your 5GHz band but will connect to the 2.4 GHz band without issue.

So, try the 2.4 GHz band and see if that helps. Unless you have a lot of other devices connected to the 2.4GHz network, speed and loading time shouldn’t be an issue on this lower band.

MAX NUMBER OF ROUTER CONNECTIONS

If you have a maximum number of connections to your modem check that you’re not maxed out, however unlikely this is.

The majority of routers these days can handle upwards of 250 connect devices at once but perhaps you have an outdated router that has a limi that you’ve reached. Again, it’s not that common an issue but we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel here.

BRAND SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS

If you’ve made it to this point and you’re still not having any-luck, perhaps you own of the the following smart TV brands. If so, try these smart TV, brand specific instructions for re-establishing your WiFi connection.

SAMSUNG TV NOT CONNECTING TO WIFI

Check the Network Connection of Your TV to Make Sure It Is Connected to the Router/Modem. To accomplish this, follow the steps below:

1. Select Settings by pressing the Home button on your remote.
2. Navigate to Network Setup.
3. To check the status of your network, select View Network Status. Enter your password.
4. Check that your connection is set to Wireless rather than Wired. Change the connection from Wired to Wireless if it is currently set to Wired.

How to set TV connection to wireless?

1. Navigate to Settings, then Network Set.
2. Select Set up network configuration.
3. Select custom.
4. Set the option to Wireless.
5. Check that the Internet Access and Wireless devices are both working properly.
6. Examine your network’s SSID: The name that appears must be the name of your router’s network provider.
7. Finally, check the strength of your signal. If your modem/router is too far away, your television may not receive enough signal strength to connect. If the signal strength is negative (-), the connection to the router has been lost.

If none of the preceding steps work, you can connect your TV to your router using a LAN cable and a direct wire connection.

ANDROID TV NOT CONNECTING TO WIFI

Set date and time

1. Go to your TV settings at the top right corner of the screen.
2. The date and time is under ‘Preferences.’
3. Select ‘Automatic date & time.’
4. Select ‘Auto Synchronization.’

After this process, turn off your television and try to connect to your WiFi again. If the first option doesn’t work, you can try out these other processes. 

Reconnect your network

1. Go to your TV settings.
2. Scroll to network and open.
3. Go to your WiFi and check if the WiFi is disabled or disconnected.
4. If it is disconnected, reconnect it. If it isn’t, you can disconnect and reconnect it.

Use the forget network option

1. Go to TV settings and open your network.
2. Open your WiFi.
3. Scroll down to forget the network and click. A window will pop up with a message, ‘This clears info used to connect to this network, including a password.’
4. Click OK, and you will be asked to enter the password of your WiFi.
5. Input the password and reconnect the TV to the WiFi.

Set your network as static

1. Navigate to the TV settings.
2. The network is open.
3. WiFi is now operational.
4. Open the IP settings by selecting it.
5. Choose Static.
6. On your remote, press the next or OK button.
7. Don’t tamper with your IP address.
8. Do not change your IP or do anything else on the Gateway page. Simply click the next button.
9. The DNS1 page will appear next; remove the DNS and enter 8.8.8.8.
10. Click OK.
11. In DNS 2, enter 8.8.4.4.
12. Click OK.
13. Restart the television.
14. After rebooting, navigate to TV settings> Network> and connect your WiFi.

If you are connected but have no internet access, open your network, click on forget the network, and enter your password. Next, toggle your WiFi on and off, enter your password, and connect to the internet.

Use your laptop to rectify the TV connectivity issue

1. Open up your laptop and click Network Setting on your desktop. If you cannot find Network Settings directly, visit Control Panel > Network Settings.
2. Click Change Adapter Settings.
3. Select WiFi.
4. Right, Click on your WiFi and select properties.
5. Click configure and then select Advance.
6. Select preferred band. Under Value, select 2.4GHz.
7. Click OK.
8. Go back to your television and try to connect to your WiFi again.

It’s usually best practice for your television to be turned off during this process.

RESET THE FACTORY SETTING OF YOUR TV

Go to settings, scroll to storage and reset, and then select factory data reset, OK, and Factory Data reset. This option deletes all data from your television, including your synced email address, password, and any other existing WiFi connections. You can, on the other hand, check your router, turn it off for sixty seconds, and then turn it back on.

Other potential issues that will prevent your Android TV from working include a mistyped password. As a result, you can go over all of the inputs to ensure that everything is correct.

If you are still unable to connect your television to your WiFi, you should contact the manufacturer of your television or the retail store where you purchased it. You can also contact the manufacturer of your WiFi device.

SONY TV NOT CONNECTING TO WIFI

There are some steps you can take if your Sony TV isn’t connecting to your WiFi even though the router is turned on and visible on your television.

Quick Remedy

1. Unplug all of the devices and components, including your modem/router and television.
2. Wait 60 seconds before plugging them back in. Re-establish the connection, and it should work.

If it does not work, you can try any of the processes below.

1. Examine your password. Keep in mind that passwords are typically case-sensitive.
2. Reset your Sony TV: To reset your Sony smart TV, go to HOME > SETTINGS > STORAGE & RESET > RESTORE FACTORY SETTINGS > ERASE ALL DATA, and then wait for your TV to restart. Enter the password.
3. If the above option does not work, go to HOME > SETTINGS > SYSTEM SETTINGS > SET-UP > NETWORK > NETWORK SET-UP > EXPERT > WIRED SET-UP > MANUAL. Then locate Primary DNS and modify it to 8.8.8.8!
4. Your Sony television’s firmware should be updated.

HOW TO UPDATE YOUR TV FIRMWARE:

1. First, go to the settings of your TV.
2. Scroll to Customer Support or Product Support or setup.
3. Select Update.

If you have a network, the system will prompt you to choose a network. If you don’t have a network, you can click OK.

CONCLUSION

If your smart TV isn’t connecting to WiFi, don’t worry; this is a fairly common issue that is usually resolved by one of the following simple fixes:

1. If you can’t connect other devices to your WiFi, you know the router/modem is the problem.
2. Unplug your router/modem for at least a minute before reconnecting it.
3. By pressing and holding the small button, you can hard reset your router/modem.
4. Check that you’re connected to the correct network and that you’re using the correct password.
5. For smart TV WiFi, try to avoid using VPNs or dial-up connections.
6. Connect to your 2.4GHz band rather than the 5.0GHz band.
7. Check that you haven’t reached the router’s maximum number of connections.

Most of the time, your TV’s connectivity problem can be rectified using one of the methods above. However, in the rare case that all the above options failed contact the manufacturer.

FAQs About Connecting To Wi-Fi