Forum Discussion

kd145's avatar
kd145
Newbie
2 years ago

Streaming stick 4k having an issue with remote to connect to wifi

I've had my streaming stick for several years and last night the remote started acting up. Like, volume down turned the TV off, I could only scroll up, when I chose an app to watch the cursor jumped to the left. The remote on their mobile app worked just fine.

I've reset the streaming stick several times, unplugged the streaming stick several times and restarted my router. Each time, I get a screen to pair the remote but it never works. Now the remote on the app can't find the streaming stick. That's because the streaming stick doesn't connect to the wifi.

Can the problem be with the wifi antenna of the streaming stick? I just want to exhaust some possibilities before buying another device.

remotes

1 Reply

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

    kd145 

    With a Streaming Stick, you need to use a Roku Voice (rf/wifi) Remote in order to communicate with the Roku device.

    The Long-Range Wireless Receiver (LRWR) that is built into the power supply cable for the Streaming Stick provides for both the connection to your network/router (wifi) and for providing a hidden, private network for the Voice Remote to connect to.

    So, your culprit could be either a bad Voice remote, a bad LRWR, or a loss of communication with your network/router.

    Try unplugging the LRWR from the device and reseating the connections. (if the power cable is plugged into the USB port of your TV, try using a power adapter at the wall outlet, like a cell phone charging adapter).  Then restart your router as well.

    ----

    To replace the proprietary LRWR is about $20 and is available from Roku.  To replace the Voice Remote is also about $20 -$30 depending on model. https://www.roku.com/products/accessories

    Since it sounds like your device is past the one-year warranty, need to decide if the seperate purchase of components to diagnose is worth it or to replace with a new Streaming Stick 4k that is currently on sale for $35. https://www.roku.com/products/players

    As I usually mention to Stick users, I generally steer clear of the Stick models due to this proprietary LRWR cable.  If you use a set top streaming player like the Roku Express 4k/4k+, the wifi module is located internally so does not require/come equipped with a seperate LRWR cable. (just mentioning as an option if you want to avoid similar situation in future).