Remotes

[crazyheifer]

We do not have either remote for our Roku and havent for sometime. We had to upgrade our internet router/modem and have lost connection to the Roku. I have tried all of the options and I just cannot make this work with either Roku (Express+) I've googled, Ive tried everything to no avail. Do I just need to buy a new Roku or a universal remote?

[Michelle3]

If you have a smartphone or tablet, you could download the Roku app.  Or, if you really still care about a physical remote, I’d recommend either a Voice Remote that still uses batteries (which I got a few days ago at Walmart for my Roku 3910), or a Voice Remote Pro which uses a USB charger.

Voice Remote: https://www.roku.com/products/accessories/roku-voice-remote 

Voice Remote Pro: https://www.roku.com/products/accessories/roku-voice-remote-pro

~ Jordan

[crazyheifer]

Ive been using the phone remote for years. I figured that was a given in my statement as we have been without the remotes for so long. However, we were on vacation when our modem died. We had to get all new equipment so our rokus lost their connections to internet. I cant connect to them in any shape form or fashion to change the info.

[Strega]

If you set the SSID and passphrase of the new router to be identical to the old one, then it may “just work”.  (ie: Roku won’t even know it’s connecting to a new device.)  However, if you ever need or want to change your passphrase, then you’re going to want a real remote.

[DBDukes · Accepted solution]

@crazyheifer 

An app with remote functionality will not connect to a Roku device until the Roku device is actually connected to a network. A remote is required to connect to a network.

The proposal by @Strega will allow the saved network settings to work. (This isn't really an exception to what I stated in bold above; that initial network setup was accomplished with a remote.)

The Roku Voice Remote ($20), which came with the Roku Express+ model 3931, will work. If you have an older model Express+, it came with an IR remote (Roku Simple Remote, $15), but the Voice Remote will work as well. Likewise, the Voice Remote Pro ($30). The Simple Remote will work with all Express+ models as well, but it doesn't have the additional features of the Voice Remote.

All Roku remotes are available at Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and other retailers (depending on current stock). If you want one today, one of those retailers is probably your best bet. You can order online fro Roku (probably takes the longest) or from Amazon (fastest if Prime) or other retailers, including those brick and mortar stores mentioned.