Wi-Fi & connectivity

[bmorton]

How do I connect directly to my Internet router via ethernet with the Roku Streaming Stick 4K Remote and Long-Range Wi-Fi device? I tried to connect with adapter and did not work. I want to do "wired" connection instead of "wireless". 

Thanks

[makaiguy · Accepted solution]

Sorry.  Streaming Sticks have only WiFi network connections, no direct Ethernet connections.

Roku Ultras have Ethernet jacks.

Roku Express 4K, Roku Express 4K+ and Roku Streambar can connect to Ethernet via an external adapter  connected to their USB ports.

[AvsGunnar]

@bmorton 

If you have the Roku Streaming Stick 3820/3821, you can use an ethernet adapter since it has the newer Realtek chipset.  Although not officially supported as being ethernet capable, the process is set forth in this thread https://community.roku.com/t5/Wi-Fi-connectivity/Using-Streaming-Stick-4K-4K-Wired-amp-Without-Remot... by @StreamerUser.

As for the ethernet adapter, although some users have gotten various 10/100/1000 (USB 3.0) adapters to work with Roku devices, these are hit or miss. (mostly miss).  Try the known compatible 10/100 (USB 2.0) ethernet adapters listed in the Roku Support Article https://support.roku.com/article/360058027813 and try and verify that the chipsets are either AX8877X or SMSC95XX.  (the X are variables, these will be actual numbers in the adapter's specs, so an AX88771 chipset will be compatible).

[renojim]

Keep in mind that if you can get an Ethernet adapter to work the remote won't work since it communicates via Wi-Fi direct and you'll no longer have any Wi-Fi connection.  You'll have to use the Roku app on your phone as a remote.

[bmrkusr]

I can confirm that wired networking does work (as of mid-december 2023) on the Stick 4K (running OS 12.5.0), using the "Cable Matters Micro USB to Ethernet Adapter" you can buy on Amazon, even if the merchant's listing says it's not compatible with Roku devices.  You will have to control your Stick 4K via the official Roku app on either your tablet or smartphone, because the standard Roku remote that comes with your device is a WiFi device, not a bluetooth one.

!BUT! The OS will periodically complain about its missing wireless receiver, even if the Stick 4K has a working network connection and you're successfully using the Roku app on your tablet or your smartphone to control the device.

So, it works... and it sort of doesn't, because of the (somewhat) frequent pop-up about the missing WiFi receiver.

[rokonymous · Accepted solution]

Got the Roku Streaming Stick 4K (3820) to work with Ethernet and remote. For that I connected a cheap USB hub via OTG cable to the stick and plugged the ethernet adapter and the antenna cable into it. Connect the wireless cable/adapter as usual to a power source (USB-A). For the other end (Micro-USB) that usually goes to the stick, I used 2 adapters as that is what I had laying around (Micro-USB to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A (male)) to connect it to a cheap old USB 2.0 hub. No external power required for the hub as the power has to come through the Roku antenna cable to power everything. Additionally, I connected an old Anker USB-3 ethernet gigabit adapter to the hub and a network cable. For the last part, I used an OTG cable (Micro-USB to USB-A female) that I plugged into the stick and the hub into the OTG cable. Using a 2A power supply (to be safe), it boots up normally, connects to Ethernet automatically and the remote can be used as usual. The USB ethernet adapter is even hotplug capable and WIFI could still be used if desired. I had to test with some different usb cables, adapters and hubs that I had laying around until it worked. The hub should be a super cheap and passive one that does not have any internal logic to distribute power since power will flow from the antenna cable to the hub, stick and ethernet adapter.