Wi-Fi & connectivity

[urend]

Is there really no way to force the Roku to connect to my wifi without having an active internet connection?

My internet is down for a few days. Yesterday the Roku ig hadn't figured that out yet and was still on my wifi, and I was able to stream from my local Plex server perfectly fine.

Today the Roku has figured out I don't have internet and is now refusing to be on my wifi. Obviously this is incredibly frustrating because I want to watch my media, which lives right here on my LAN.

So is there some workaround that I'm missing? Or is Roku really so deadset on showing me ads that I literally can't use the device at all otherwise?

[RokuTakashi · Accepted solution]

Hi, @urend 

Welcome to the Roku Community.

Roku devices require an internet connection for them to download channels and provide access for streaming various video and audio content online, For this matter, we recommend restarting your network connection for it to connect to your network without an internet connection. 

Reset Network Connection:

1. Press Home on your Roku remote.
2. Scroll and select Settings.
3. Select Advanced system settings.
4. Select Network connection reset.
5. Select Reset connection.

We hope this helps, and let us know if you have further concerns or inquries.

Best wishes,
Kash

[cbmelton]

But why is it a hard “requirement” to have internet in order to join a network? Can Roku add an option to “allow network connection without internet”? This would greatly help in situations like I had recently where my ISP had an outage for multiple days. I have media on my local network, but when my Roku got disconnected from my local network while I had no internet, I could no longer use my roku to stream my own local content. And Roku would not allow itself to be reconnected to my local network while there was no internet. 

[CElledge64]

I agree! I’m trying to use my phone hotspot and it connects with Roku but won’t finish connecting as I have no internet but my hotspot.😡

[TheMav]

Agreed, this is mind-numbingly stupid of Roku.

I have constant Fibre outages and the Roku is basically a bloody useless paperweight.  I have my own NAS with my own media, yet cannot connect to Jellyfin without a bloody internet connection, so although it confirms there's WiFi, once it cannot detect an internet connection is disconnects the WiFi.

And by the way, that 'advice' above from the Mod is as useful as a chocolate teapot!  Be warned that resetting the network connections mans you'll lose all your saved credentials and passwords (which was omitted of course), but even so, it doesn't solve the problem - same thing, checks network, but as soon as there's no WiFI, you've had it.  Roku are in the Dark Ages it seems.

Totally ridiculous and archaic.  We will be moving away from Roku because of this stupid design.  Their loss...