Wi-Fi & connectivity

[twomp6]

Every time my Router is reset or I lose my wi-fi signal my Roku Device will not connect for an extended period of time, and when it does, it seems to do so by mere luck. The signal is always "excellent" yet still it will not connect. 

This has been an issue ever since I started using my Roku device a year ago. I have done some research on the internet and see this a very common issue and have not found any information to solve the problem. I am coming to the reasonable conclusion it is a poorly made device which clearly does not work properly. Trying to connect to a strong wi-fi signal hundreds of times and restarting the device as many times with no solution is pathetic. 

I seriously doubt anyone can solve this problem in the forum but I will post this query regardless and hope for a possible solution. In the meantime I would advise no one to ever purchase one of these devices. You can get a headache for free. With the bugs and kinks it has it should not be sold, if it does not work it is a waste of money. I also see Roku customer support is non-existent, maybe they don't care about their product either. 

[Ello2022]

Well good morning. Can you please provide your Roku model and firmware version. Also who is your ISP? When you can provide more information then we can help you 

[twomp6]

3921RQ-Roku Premiere+.  Software version 1.5.0. Xfinity. 

[makaiguy · Accepted solution]

@twomp6 

Your problem may have been caused by an update to your router which affects some Roku models. If you receive this update it changes the router's wifi connection parameters from b/g/n to g/n. This has been reported for routers supplied by Comcast/xFinity, Cox, and AT&T, but there may be others.

Affected users report the Roku identifies the local network as available and rates the connection quality, but will not then connect. The fix is to switch the router configuration protocols from the g/n wifi set by the update back to b/g/n. If you don't have access to your router's configuration controls you may have to have your internet provider do it for you.

Step-by-step post from @AvsGunnar for Comcast/Xfinity users:
https://community.roku.com/t5/Network-Wireless-Wired-Connections/Error-014-30-stuck-for-three-days/m...

[twomp6]

I have read about that. I appreciate you taking the time to post the response. Honestly, I thought that might be the issue. It will connect but only for a moment maybe once out of a couple dozen times. I'll try contacting xfinity and see if they can resolve the issue. If not I am putting the device in a drawer somewhere. I wouldn't even give it to someone for free so they could deal with these issues. Since I purchased mine there have been constant problems, it's a **bleep** shoot if it even will work or not. 

[Strega]

My parents don't have a Roku, but they have a printer that uses 2.4GHz only, so I've had to go over to their place and adjust their Xfinity router twice after Xfinity has silently "updated" them.

Other options are to get your own router, so you have more control over these things, or to do what Xfinity apparently wants and get a 5GHz-capable Roku.  If you replace the xfinity box, it will generally pay for itself within a year or so due to Xfinity's rental prices. 

Also, you've probably seen on the Xfinity forum, that they ship with a "merged" network – ie: the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks have the same SSID.  However, you'll find Xfinity's community experts frequently suggesting that people undo that to make a lot of devices work.  (Just to be clear, I don't recall this being recommended for Roku specifically, but lots of other small devices seem to react badly – just keep that in mind if someday you find you can't get your security cam, or internet thermostat not connecting.)

[twomp6 · Accepted solution]

All of these steps are a lot of work to just watch streaming channels on a device you paid for that should work. I don't have the will power, time, interest or money to buy a new router or do any of this nonsense just to use a 30 dollar roku. Thanks for the response though. 

[twomp6]

It also has had issues since purchase connecting to wifi as I mentioned in my first post. It is all guess work. I am satisfied drawing the conclusion roku is a terrible device that does not work properly. Having to go through any of these protocols just to watch something on your tv on a device you paid for isn't for me. 

[Ello2022]

@twomp6  You bought the base model Roku. It only works on the 2.4GHz. If you bought the next model up those are dual band and would not have an issues. It’s just like anything out there you buy. Look at cars. The base model is missing features the other higher models have. It has nothing to do with Roku. The 3921 you own was released in 2018 also. But it is still a base model 

[Strega]

Well in today's world, pointing a web browser at a router and clicking a few buttons is considered pretty basic stuff.  Of course, I know it's easy to think that it was easier in the old days, but I remember dad putting up the antenna on the 2nd story roof and running the antenna wire, and the power wire that ran the antenna rotor up there. 

Then we could watch TV (4 low def channels) for maybe 3 weeks before the TV went on the fritz.  Then dad would read the troubleshooting guide, and we'd pull out a dozen or so of the most-likely tubes, and drive to the drug store to run them through their tube tester.  Hopefully, we'd find a bad one, buy a new one, come home, plug them back into the right places, and most of the time it would work.  If not, we'd try some more tubes.  When that failed, we'd call the repair man.  Sometimes he could fix it in our home.  Sometimes he had to take it away.

Then winter would come and sometimes the antenna rotor would freeze.  OK, make that one low def channel.

By the way, that TV cost $500 in 1965, and according to an inflation calculator, that is $4,563.56 in today's dollars.  Rokus are insanely cheap compared to what we used to pay for video gadgets.  Sorry you didn't like yours.  Mine have been fine.