Forum Discussion

cstrombe's avatar
cstrombe
Reel Rookie
2 years ago
Solved

Can I connect to hotel wifi with new never-activated Roku while I'm traveling?

Had a Roku long ago, but tempted to buy a new one after finding this page. I am actually traveling now, and am considering buying a Roku during this trip if I can use it in my hotel (Hilton with capt...
tv & player wifi
  • makaiguy's avatar
    makaiguy
    2 years ago

    cstrombe- As the section you quoted said, your Roku must already have been set up and successfully connected to a network before you can use its hotel/dorm connecting capability.  Typically this means setting it up at home before taking it on the road.

    But failing that...

    If you have a cell phone that can run a wifi Hotspot you can temporarily connect your Roku to that in order to run the initial setup of the Roku.

    After that, this document will guide you through setting up a hotel/dorm connection: https://support.roku.com/article/215058118

atc98092's avatar
atc98092
Community Streaming Expert
2 years ago

I doubt it. Unless the hotel WiFi doesn't require using an activation web page, I don't see any way to complete the setup of a new Roku player. You could use a phone hotspot to complete the initial setup, and then connect to the hotel network once it's complete. 

I was in a Marriott hotel once that allowed connecting without the login page, but I have a  hunch it was because I was on an extremely high floor and most likely the signal could not be accessed outside their building. I've never encountered a Hilton property that let me connect without using the login page. 

makaiguy's avatar
makaiguy
Community Streaming Expert
2 years ago

cstrombe- As the section you quoted said, your Roku must already have been set up and successfully connected to a network before you can use its hotel/dorm connecting capability.  Typically this means setting it up at home before taking it on the road.

But failing that...

If you have a cell phone that can run a wifi Hotspot you can temporarily connect your Roku to that in order to run the initial setup of the Roku.

After that, this document will guide you through setting up a hotel/dorm connection: https://support.roku.com/article/215058118

  • cstrombe's avatar
    cstrombe
    Reel Rookie
    2 years ago

    Ah ok that makes sense, and sounds doable (set up hotspot on phone). Thanks! Follow-up question--which devices offer the "hotel connectivity" option? I'm looking at a local Target and they sell "Roku Express HD" and "Roku Express 4K+" and "Roku Streaming Stick 4K". 

    • atc98092's avatar
      atc98092
      Community Streaming Expert
      2 years ago
      cstrombe wrote:

      Ah ok that makes sense, and sounds doable (set up hotspot on phone). Thanks! Follow-up question--which devices offer the "hotel connectivity" option? I'm looking at a local Target and they sell "Roku Express HD" and "Roku Express 4K+" and "Roku Streaming Stick 4K". 

      All Roku players support it. But stay away from the basic Express. For the small additional cost the Express 4K+ is a significantly better player. Better processor, more memory, dual band WiFi and Voice Remote. And it overall just works better. 

      • AvsGunnar's avatar
        AvsGunnar
        Community Streaming Expert
        2 years ago

        Actually, the new Roku Express HD 3960 uses the same basic processor as the Roku Express 4k/4k+ and the Ultra devices. (ARM Cortex A55).  Also dual-band capable (2.4 and 5ghz) and supports ethernet via an adapter.

        https://developer.roku.com/docs/specs/hardware.md

        It is light on the RAM (512mb) though.  Seems like Roku only likes to provide 1gb RAM to their devices that are capable of streaming 4k content.

        I think the Express 4k+ is the better deal though due to the higher RAM (noticeably snappier), additional resolution support, and a better remote/voice remote.