Forum Discussion

WhiteBear78's avatar
WhiteBear78
Binge Watcher
5 months ago

“Not connected” message though Roku shows onscreen

I’m BACK!! Unfortunately, the Roku advice I got from you guys before didn’t fix all of my issues. Now, even though the Roku is hooked up correctly and shows up on my inputs, AND the Roku Home Screen is showing on my screen, it says “Not connected “!! I have tried unplugging the HDMI from both the Roku and the TV and unplugging the power from both devices. Nothing I have tried has worked. The Roku is blinking so the power is there to it. You guys came through before and I know you can again! Please help solve this VERY frustrating problem!! Thank you!!

tv & player wifi

20 Replies

  • atc98092's avatar
    atc98092
    Community Streaming Expert
    5 months ago

    The "not connected" message says your Roku is not connected to your home network. Naturally, it's connected to your TV since you can see the Roku home screen. But you need a network connection to use the Roku. Unless it's a Roku Ultra, that means a WiFi connection. The Roku cannot use an Internet connection to the TV, it has to have its own. 

    Go into your Roku Settings/Network menu and set up a new connection. 

    • WhiteBear78's avatar
      WhiteBear78
      Binge Watcher
      5 months ago

      Thank you for replying, Dan! Here’s what I’m not understanding: I used this Roku device with a TV that had NO capacity to connect to the internet. So it (the Roku) would have had no WiFi connection, correct? And I can’t move the cursor at all right now so I can’t access the Roku menu anyway because I tried. So I’m not understanding how this could be the problem. But I have to tell you that I’m 65 years old and not real tech savvy. Not completely useless but not very tech savvy either. I will very much appreciate any further advice you can provide!! I’m stuck!

      • atc98092's avatar
        atc98092
        Community Streaming Expert
        5 months ago

        Hi! Let's explain it further. I'm 70, but am also extremely tech savvy, so don't let your age hinder you. We can explain what you need to know. 🙂

        Any network connection for any device (TV, streaming player, computer) does not rely on any other device connected to it. Each device has to have its own network connection. There's a few exceptions to that, but let's not get into that rabbit hole. 

        So, your Roku needs to be connected to the network in able to be usable in any way. You have a basic TV, so no internal apps and no network connection. No problem, your Roku will work just fine on it. 

        Before we talk about connecting your Roku to the network, we need to know what model Roku it is. And it helps immensely to know the actual model number, not just the model name. Roku keeps reusing model names even with significant changes to the hardware. 

        The remote not working on your Roku is is issue. Confirm you are using the Roku remote that came with your player, not the TV remote. The TV remote will never work to control the Roku.

        So, please try to find the model number of your Roku, and ensure you are using the Roku remote, not the TV remote.