Forum Discussion

dac88's avatar
dac88
Channel Surfer
2 months ago

Roku Ultra (2024) Wifi Connection Issues

Is anyone else having trouble keeping their Roku Ultra or other modern Roku devices connected to Wifi? 

I have two Ultras in the house, and even more often now, they stop connecting to my WiFi. I checked my router, and it’s working. I checked if other WiFi enabled devices are connected, and they are, while the Rokus fails. I even gave one a factory reset, but that didn’t help at all.

So, Roku, can you set up a software patch that can fix this issue? I also have a Roku TV by TCL that occasionally has the same problem. And, my router is close enough to both Ultra devices. In fact, no other device in my household suffers from connection failure as bad as these Rokus. 

Hope to hear from a Roku technician or member of the community with professional input soon. Thanks!

roku player
tv & player wifi

18 Replies

  • deebee09's avatar
    deebee09
    Newbie
    3 hours ago

    I have a fast internet Fiber Optics connection and my router/modem is supposed to be able to handle 30 devices with the WiFi. Every other device work flawlessly.

    I have 2 Roku Ultra devices, one is a few years old. I bought a new one last June and about 2 weeks ago I started getting WiFi connection issues. I reset my modem/router, and it worked okay for the rest of the day. The next day, when I started to watch the morning news, it had WiFi issues again. Then I reset the Router Modem again and reset my Wifi connection again. It worked okay for a couple of hours. I next got in touch with a service representative and we ended up doing a Network connection reset and a couple of hours later in Again had the Wifi Issue. I finally did a factory reset and again it made a new connection and a few hours later it stated failing again.

    The nest thing that I did was to re-install my old Roku Ultra device and I haven't had a problem since then. I think that the design of the new Roku Ultras is flawed. It is supposed to be faster and speed uses more power. I am thinking that they are not using chips that can handle the heat.  Perhaps the newer designs would use FETs or have venting for air flow to allow for the heat to escape, could be helpful. Perhaps using use components that are a military grade (they are designed for extreme temperatures) would make a difference. I think that components that meet military specs would be better than a complete redesigning. They would be more expensive and they may have to increase the cost to make them reliable. I am thinking that I am going to try to send my new device back for a refund or an exchange.

    • atc98092's avatar
      atc98092
      Community Streaming Expert
      2 hours ago

      My 4850 is on WiFi, as it's more than triple the speed I get using Ethernet (which is capped at 100Mbps in theory, real world about 91 Mbps). I have no connectivity issues with an access point located about three feet away from the Roku. It measures out at 323 Mbps on my Gigabit network with a 900 Mbps Internet connection. But the Roku internal hardware isn't capable of supporting that speed using fixed bitrate test videos. About the fastest video I can play without any buffering is about 170 Mbps (playing either over WiFi or directly from a USB drive). But that seems to be a processing limitation of the hardware, since the network connection tests far faster than that. 

      Since your 4850 (I'm assuming since you said you bought it recently) is having trouble retaining your network connection (I am also assuming you haven't tested it with Ethernet) I tend to believe also that it's likely a hardware issue. I have stopped using Ethernet on any of my Roku players that support it (3 Ultra versions, and another 4-5 that are WiFi only), and have zero issues with their network connectivity. 

  • dac88's avatar
    dac88
    Channel Surfer
    27 days ago

    Appreciate the advice. After weeks of testing, so far, changing the 2.4GHz channel from auto to a specific channel has worked well. But, sometimes I do have network connection issues still. The good thing is, choosing a channel makes this issue less likely to occur often, so that’s a plus. I attached a photo below showing the Roku Ultra, circled in red, having the connection issue, while my Mac is doing totally fine playing a live chat video on YouTube. Both devices are using the same WiFi network and all.

     

    • RokuEmmanuel-D's avatar
      RokuEmmanuel-D
      Community Moderator
      27 days ago

      Thanks for the update! dac88​ 

      You mentioned that it's still occurring intermittently. Does it show the same error code as the initial report you have? Also, how many devices, including non-Roku devices, are connected to the internet? 

      Let us know what you find!

      Roku Community Team

      • dac88's avatar
        dac88
        Channel Surfer
        27 days ago

        Hey Emmanuel, I actually have two Ultras and the TCL Roku, plus the MacBook and three phones using Wi-Fi. Some other devices in the house, like game systems (which are currently unplugged) and a Fire TV, are also sharing the interest, too. I'll hang on to my photo for reference to the error code to compare it with any other I see, but honestly, there are times I just get buffing with that familiar connection issue banner, instead of seeing an error code. And if it doesn't resolve itself by reconnecting automatically again, I just restart the device.

         

  • jontalk's avatar
    jontalk
    Roku Guru
    2 months ago

    dac88​ Out of curiosity, have you tried using a network app like Wifi Analyzer for Android or something similar for iPhone? I ask since channel congestion often is the issue. Since you're a Reel Rookie, I'm going to assume you know how to log into the router and make adjustments. I'd make sure the default 'auto' setting for channel selection is disabled so you can manually choose one with less congestion per the referenced app mentioned

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

      On 2.4GHz, the best channels to use are 1, 6, or 11, as those are the only three that don't overlap. On 5GHz, the channel itself shouldn't matter with a 4850. Just select a channel with the least amount of competing access points. 

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

    I have all my Roku players connected to WiFi, since the wired connection on my Ultras is only 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet). My Ultra 4850 is just fine on WiFi, and gets about a 330 Mbps connection. I do have multiple access points in my home, and the one the 4850 uses is within 3 feet, so about ideal conditions. But my 4800 is two rooms away from its nearest access point and it too remains connected. 

  • RokuRiamie-D's avatar
    RokuRiamie-D
    Community Moderator
    2 months ago

    Hey dac88​

    We noticed your post about having trouble with your Roku Ultra's stop connecting to your Wi-Fi, and we'd like to know the following:

    • Has this happened to all of your Roku devices?
    • Are you getting any errors when you're trying to connect it?
    • Have you tried connecting it to another network or a mobile hotspot?
    • How about you try resetting the network connection of your Roku device? To do it, visit here.

    Looking forward to your reply.

    Roku Community Team

    • dac88's avatar
      dac88
      Channel Surfer
      2 months ago

      This issue has only happened to my most recent Roku devices. The TCL with Roku built in and the two Roku Ultras. I still have a Roku 3 from way back and never had this issue.

      The issue has happened often enough to finally say something here because no other devices I own experience WIFI issues like my three Roku devices I mentioned. When I tried to connect I got a message with red cloud illustration mentioning connection issues happening still. Then, I reset both Ultra devices and they let me connect to my network. But this has been recurring.

      I also have tried resetting the network connection and for a while it would seem to work, until my Ultra freezes while I’m watching YouTube or something on Netflix and then that familiar message comes up about network issues. My internet is reliable, so not sure why these Rokus occasionally go on the fritz. And, my latest Ultra I bought was this past May, 2025.

      • RokuEmmanuel-D's avatar
        RokuEmmanuel-D
        Community Moderator
        2 months ago

        Thanks for the extra details, dac88​!

        Could you also provide the error message prompting on your screen? In the meantime, try connecting your affected Roku devices to a hotspot, and see if it will stay connected. 

        Let us know what you find out!

        Roku Community Team