Why Is My TV Not Connecting to Wi-Fi?

If your home Wi-Fi is working on other devices but not on your TV, you may rule out any network issues due to a modem or router. However, there could be some unresolved issues in your TV software.

Poor Wi-Fi receiver signal: Whether your smart TV receives Internet from a set-top box or a USB dongle, sometimes its receiver may fail to detect the signal. This is linked to the device’s power cycle issues. In most cases, shutting down the television and restarting it after some time has passed can restore connectivity. Otherwise, you may need to go for a hard reset.Many other devices connected to the same network: While your average router/MiFi supports many home devices, it affects the overall network speed. Smart television displays are vulnerable to slowness and buffering because of their relatively large size and a very different configuration. Even when the TV Wi-Fi shows a “connected” status, the signal strength can be weak. This can cause difficulty in opening apps.

Improper WLAN channel: A potential cause of your TV not connecting to Wi-Fi is its lack of support for your router’s WLAN channels. Most homes have a 2.4 GHz WLAN channel to meet with 802.11b/g/n/ax standards. It will easily connect to any TV that has been designed in the last few years. If you’re using the advanced 5 GHz WLAN channel with a relatively older TV, it can cause connection dropouts or slower speeds.VPN issues: if your smart TV is linked to a VPN service, any connection dropouts due to VPN failure will lead to a “No Wi-Fi” status. Temporarily revoking VPN access or uninstalling the VPN app helps resolve the issue.

While there are many other software issues that can affect TV Internet, as a consumer, you won’t be able to resolve them on your own. Only the manufacturer or a qualified technician can fix such back-end problems.

How to Fix Wi-Fi Connectivity on Your Smart TV

For any TV Wi-Fi issues that don’t require advanced diagnostics, you can try the following solutions. The methods vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but the overall troubleshooting strategy is similar.

1. Forget Wi-Fi Network and Reconnect

The TV’s ability to fetch the Wi-Fi’s SSID and password is a great help, as you don’t have to remember them every time. But a fresh authentication can help resolve any connectivity issues due to poor signal strength. Just as you do on a phone, tablet or laptop, forget the Wi-Fi network on a smart TV using your remote control, then reconnect to the same Wi-Fi network as if it were a new SSID/password. Forgetting the network means that all your saved SSID information is deleted forever. The above method works only with an SSID that requires a secure password or PIN. All routers and modems fall under that category. It won’t work with a VPN and other networks requiring additional authentication.

2.Connect to a New Wi-Fi Network

It may seem baffling when a Wi-Fi network fails to connect to your smart TV, but it will easily do so with other home devices, such as smartphones and computers. These connection failures happen due to several other devices latching on to the same network or a WLAN misconfiguration between your TV and the Wi-Fi source. In such cases, it is best to establish a connection with a new Wi-Fi source.

3. Allocate a Dedicated Static IP to Your TV

There are alternate wireless modes on your TV, and you can try enabling the right one to mesh with a given SSID. Try to change the WLAN channel from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz if your television model supports the advanced frequency, which it may not if it’s an older model. If it doesn’t, simply allocate a dedicated static IP to your device.

4. Enable Location Access on Your TV

Is location access on your TV disabled? It can prevent you from accessing Wi-Fi. All Google Play services and third-party apps require the TV’s exact location. Even when your TV doesn’t have a GPS module, the Wi-Fi network information can detect the approximate location, which has to be turned on.

5. Verify Date and Time Settings

If the system date and time on your television is incorrect, it can lead to network troubles. It usually happens due to improper time zone settings. You need to fix the current date and time followed by resetting it automatically.

6. Uninstall Any Apps You Don’t Need

As with any other electronic device, a smart TV has limited storage space. If you use a set-top box or USB dongle for Wi-Fi access, it can accumulate a large number of downloaded apps. Some of them may cause slowdowns in the main app, which is crucial for Internet connectivity. It is a good idea to uninstall those unnecessary apps.

7. Reboot and Reset

If all the above methods fail to restore Internet connectivity on your smart TV, you may want to go for a reboot or reset. A reboot causes the installation of new software updates, breathing fresh life into your network. In contrast, a reset erases all data on your TV, so you will have to enter your credentials again. These methods can be used to fix troubles with Wi-Fi access and treat any persistent display or sound issues. Use them as a last resort. When you click “Reboot now,” your TV will turn off and restart automatically. None of your television data will be erased. However, if any updates are pending or the network connection has to be repaired, those processes will finish before you can access your TV’s home screen. If you click “Reset,” all your television data and apps will be completely deleted. After an automatic restart, you will have to re-enter the network SSID and password and your Google account password. If you have a PIN code for your TV, you need to enter that as well during a reset. Do not ever reset the television if you have forgotten your PIN. Call a technician instead. Image credit: Loewe Technology via Unsplash Samsung TV not connecting to Wi-Fi

Troubleshoot using the Network Status screen.Try the self-diagnosis feature of the Samsung TV.Ensure that the distance between the modem or router and the TV is within 10.5 feet with no obstacles.

Sony TV not connecting to Wi-Fi Power reset your TV by unplugging the power source and waiting for 60 seconds. If an external USB device is connected to the TV, disconnect it first. LG TV not connecting to Wi-Fi

Turn off Quick Start.Turn off LG’s Simplink feature.Remove any USB memories attached to your TV.Do a smartphone hotspot test.