TV Not Connecting to Wi-Fi? Here’s How to Fix the Problem

Nearly all smart televisions have Wi-Fi capability. If your TV is online, you can run any Google Play app and even cast displays using your phone. Clearly, this wouldn’t be possible without Internet access. However, you may run into connectivity issues occasionally. If your smart TV is not connecting to Wi-Fi, even though your Wi-Fi is working properly on other devices, one of the following solutions will help restore the connectivity.

Also read: 22 Android TV Apps to Supercharge Your Smart TV

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.

Also read: How to Transfer Files from Android Phone to Smart TV

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.

1. Press the Home button on your TV remote control.
2. Navigate to the “General Settings” option using your TV’s directional pad or arrow keys. It’s available under “Settings” in a drop-down order. In some TV models, you may not find a separate “General Settings” option.
3. From the Settings/General Settings, try to locate the “Network and Internet” option for your device. Selecting it displays the current SSID.

4. Continue to scroll down through the SSID details and select the “forget network” option. To view this in some TV models, you may have to navigate to a nested menu by clicking the SSID.

Forgetting the network means that all your saved SSID information is deleted forever.

5. Click “OK” to proceed.

6. After forgetting the network, restart your television.
7. Using your TV remote, go back to the “Network and Internet” option.
8. Scan all available Wi-Fi networks and re-enter your password for the SSID that you just forgot. The system will automatically save the details for future logins.
9. Check whether the Wi-Fi connectivity issues have been resolved.

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.

Also read: 11 Solutions for the “Wi-Fi Doesn’t Have a Valid IP Configuration” Error

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.

1. Using the TV remote’s Home button, navigate to “Network and Internet.”
2. Scroll down to see all available networks.
3. Scan for new networks or click “Add new network” for a new TV Wi-Fi configuration.

4. Enter the password of a new Wi-Fi network and finish authentication.
5. Check whether the TV is connecting smoothly with the latest Wi-Fi.
6. If adding a new Wi-Fi SSID does not restore Internet access, proceed to the next method.

Also read: How to Find and Share Your Wi-Fi Password Easily on Any Device

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.

1. Using the Home button on your TV remote, go to “Network and Internet.”
2. You should find an optional setting called “IP settings.” It may be labeled differently on your device.
3. Click on the “IP settings” menu to view all available IP address tweaks on your network.

4. On a Windows computer connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your TV, open the Command Prompt in Admin mode.
5. Type arp -a to generate a list of available devices connected to your network

6. Detect a static IP address which can be reallocated to your television. If that’s not possible, you will have to purchase one from your ISP or a VPN service.

7. Go back to “IP Settings” and choose “Static IP” from the available options. (Other options include Dynamic/DHCP.)

8. Re-enter the static IP address and save it on your TV.
9. Reconnect to the same Wi-Fi with the new static IP address in place.

Also read: How to Stop Wi-Fi from Turning on Automatically on Android

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.

1. From your TV remote’s Home button, navigate to “General Settings” or a similarly named option.
2. Select “Device Preferences” to enable advanced settings on your television.

3. Scroll down through the device preferences to find the “Location” option on your TV. On some television models, you can access this option directly from the home screen settings.

4. If the location is turned off, turn it back on so that the Wi-Fi can discover the exact device location.

Also read: How to Set a Metered Wi-Fi Connection on Android

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.

1. Go to “Settings -> Device Preferences” and click “Date and Time” and available time zone options.
2. If the date/time is correct, you will not see any available options. If the date/time is incorrect, fix it by selecting “Set automatic date/time” and the correct time zone.
3. If your TV has time synchronization settings, use broadcast or network-generated time.

Also read: 5 Ways to View Saved Wi-Fi Passwords in Windows

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.

1. From Settings on the home screen, go to the “Apps” option, which is usually located before “Device Preferences.” In some cases, the “Apps” menu can be directly accessed from the home screen.
2. Navigate to the apps that you want to uninstall. Select them and click the “Uninstall” button.

Also read: How to Connect to Hidden Wi-Fi Networks on Windows

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.

1. Go to “Settings” and click “Device Preferences” to look for more options.
2. See if the “Reboot” and “Reset” options are available under the menu. If they are not available here, check your TV manual or manufacturer website to help locate them.

3. Select “Reboot” or “Reset” as required.

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.

Also read: How to Fix Mac Wi-Fi Problems and Dropped Connections

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I connect mobile data to my smart TV?

Yes, you can connect the mobile data from your smartphone or tablet to a smart TV. It will work just as any other Wi-Fi SSID, but the mobile hotspot always has to be turned on while you use the Internet connectivity on the smart TV.

I have tried these methods, but my TV is still not connecting to Wi-Fi. What should I do?

If none of the above methods work for you, you can use a few additional options unique to your television brand.

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.

Will these method work with a MiFi device?

Most of these methods should work regardless of the device you’re using to get online. However, we also have a few other methods to troubleshoot MiFi connection issues in particular.

Image credit: Loewe Technology via Unsplash