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RNL98
Newbie

Lost Remote….HELPPP. College student trying to save money

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I recently moved into a new apartment and I can not find my remote to my roku stream. I have multiple roku TVs but the remotes will not connect to the stream. My wifi has also changed so I can not use the app remote. What is the simplest and cheapest way to resolve this? 

1 Solution

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atc98092
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Lost Remote….HELPPP. College student trying to save money

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I assume you mean the Roku Streambar. Roku TV remotes do not work on Roku players, because the TV remotes use a different IR code set from the players. 

You have several options for a new remote. You can get a genuine Roku remote from almost any store that sells Roku devices for $15-30. The more expensive models use WiFi Direct, which came standard with the Streambar. 

But there's a less expensive solution as well. Your Streambar also supports using a basic IR remote. For a Roku remote, that's the $15 model. But you can find universal IR remotes that support Roku players for under $10 almost anywhere that sells electronic devices. I think the lowest cost remote like this I've ever seen was $5-6. 

There is another option, but it will only work under certain conditions. You can use the Roku app on a smart phone or tablet, but there are restrictions on that. First, the Roku has to be connected to the network. If you've just moved into a new place, and you're connecting to a building offered WiFi, you won't be connected until you enter the correct information. And the only way to do that is with a remote. The other roadblock is that the Roku app will only connect to your Roku device if your WiFi network is private and does not have any security setting to block connected devices from seeing other connected devices. If your network is shared between apartments, it's an almost certainty that the security setting I just mentions is there. And for user safety, it must remain enabled, so your phone will not see your Roku. Also, some quasi-public networks like this use an IP address range that isn't considered "private", and the Roku app will not function on such a network. 

Dan

Roku Community Streaming Expert

Help others find this answer and click "Accept as Solution."
If you appreciate my answer, maybe give me a Kudo.

I am not a Roku employee, just another user.

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2 REPLIES 2
atc98092
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Lost Remote….HELPPP. College student trying to save money

Jump to solution

I assume you mean the Roku Streambar. Roku TV remotes do not work on Roku players, because the TV remotes use a different IR code set from the players. 

You have several options for a new remote. You can get a genuine Roku remote from almost any store that sells Roku devices for $15-30. The more expensive models use WiFi Direct, which came standard with the Streambar. 

But there's a less expensive solution as well. Your Streambar also supports using a basic IR remote. For a Roku remote, that's the $15 model. But you can find universal IR remotes that support Roku players for under $10 almost anywhere that sells electronic devices. I think the lowest cost remote like this I've ever seen was $5-6. 

There is another option, but it will only work under certain conditions. You can use the Roku app on a smart phone or tablet, but there are restrictions on that. First, the Roku has to be connected to the network. If you've just moved into a new place, and you're connecting to a building offered WiFi, you won't be connected until you enter the correct information. And the only way to do that is with a remote. The other roadblock is that the Roku app will only connect to your Roku device if your WiFi network is private and does not have any security setting to block connected devices from seeing other connected devices. If your network is shared between apartments, it's an almost certainty that the security setting I just mentions is there. And for user safety, it must remain enabled, so your phone will not see your Roku. Also, some quasi-public networks like this use an IP address range that isn't considered "private", and the Roku app will not function on such a network. 

Dan

Roku Community Streaming Expert

Help others find this answer and click "Accept as Solution."
If you appreciate my answer, maybe give me a Kudo.

I am not a Roku employee, just another user.
Hellen68
Reel Rookie

Re: Lost Remote….HELPPP. College student trying to save money

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Thanks for advice!
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