Wi-Fi & connectivity

[rgwhitaker]

Also, within the 5 Ghz settings, the Channel is set to 36 and cannot be changed.

[rgwhitaker]

I'll go in and change the password to something simple and let you know.

[rgwhitaker]

OK.

That worked!

I changed the password to a simple password--no numbers or special characters, then rebooted the router, and it's working!!!

But then it made me think: when I renamed the network and changed the password (containing numbers and a special character) before, I didn't reboot the router. Would that have made a difference?

[AvsGunnar]

@rgwhitaker 

Sometimes it is a combination of rebooting router and resetting the Network Connection in the Roku device to clear the connection cache and apply it's settings to the network.

Generally, whenever making changes at router, good practice to just reboot it. (That helps to clear the router cache).

Some Roku devices do not play well with some routers and special characters.  Others have no problem.

Really just have to experiment what characters it will and will not allow.

Good to hear you are now back up and running.  👍

----

If you go to Settings/Network/About you should now see what channel you are connected to.  (This will also tell you what band since the higher numbers are 5ghz, and channels 1-11 would be 2.4ghz band.

[rgwhitaker]

Thank you again for your help!

Just out of curiosity, should I reset my password to something more secure, with numbers and special characters, then reboot, or do you think it's okay the way it is?

Thanks again for your help!

[AvsGunnar]

@rgwhitaker 

You are welcome.  Glad to see it resolved for you.

You can certainly try some numbers and special characters. (again, it might take some experimenting to see which special characters, if any, cause an issue.)

I don't rely too much on the network password though.  Mine is pretty simple.  I just encrypt my traffic and protect at the device level.  (If someone wants to see what I am watching on my Roku, so be it.  They will likely be a bit underwhelmed.)

The settings for most routers (where you can do the most damage and gain access to someone's network) usually lies behind a default username of "admin", and password of "password".  Most people never even change those or know they exist. (this is the password I change)

Your SSID password is keeping the honest people honest.  If anyone serious wants to get into a network, it is via software tools and scripts, not physically guessing and typing in passwords.  It really takes no longer to access a complicated password vs. a simple one with the above. (talking matter of seconds to minutes).

If using Windows computers on your network, best practice is to just use a firewall and a good antivirus.  This is why most problems stem from a download to a computer rather than a true network breach on a home network.  Much easier to trick someone into installing something that just resides in the computer files/settings/registry and then connects to the Internet later.

[jontalk]

For what its worth, 'renting' a modem/router from Comcast diminishes choices as you can see and in most cases they're slower and lack features of stand alone devices. I've had my own modem/router for ages and get 20% faster speed than whats provided and recently upgraded to a WiFi 6 Asus router which is amazing. The AC band is typically the fastest when using 5 gHz. Where channel selection is concerned its best to use a phone app like WiFi Analyzer which will show you how congested certain channels are then provide you with the best choice. I've never owned a device like yours but from the sound of it, being limited to certain channels is restrictive. Asus routers have tons of settings to help improve speed, range and other things

It's common to see people have difficulty with WiFi when they choose a highly congested channel. That said, I personally use a powerline network setup though the Streaming Stick lacks an Ethernet port if memory serves. Regardless I hope you have solved the problem 🙂

[rgwhitaker]

Thank you.