Wi-Fi & connectivity

[brennanpersonal]

The title says it all

[DBDukes]

@brennanpersonal 

The original Roku Premiere, model 4620, introduced in 2016, is essentially a Roku Ultra with some bells and whistles removed (no USB port, etc.) The Ultra was also introduced in 2016, and replaced the Roku 3, which dated to 2013. The Premiere (4620) was dual band.

In 2018, the Premiere was revamped, model 3920, and was essentially a 4K version of the Roku Express with more memory. This Premiere (3920) was 2.4 GHz band only.

I suspect you had the newer Premiere, which was a lesser device than the older Premiere.

While the Roku 3 can outperform the 3920 Premiere, it's also nine years old technology, and the device itself is at least 6 years old (manufacture date). You will need to replace it eventually, but do enjoy it while it still chugs along. It was one of the most reliable devices Roku ever built.

[brennanpersonal]

Very kind of you to take the time and offer this rundown.  Yes, the Premier I have is the newer model.  So I will just put it in a bag and use it for travel.  It seems odd ROKU would place this on the market with such a weakness.  We have been dealing with the buffering for a year till I decided to reinstall my old unit 3.  All is well now.

[brennanpersonal]

Added note: Still not sure why the Premier is so poor at pulling in an "excellent" signal.

[DBDukes · Accepted solution]

@brennanpersonal 

Your Premier is 2.4 GHz only. Because that technology has been around so long, many devices use it. I don't know how many you have on your network, but most wireless enabled devices operate on 2.4 GHz band.

Plus, if you have neighbors, they can be running devices on the same band. Now, they would have a separate network, but still, if they are using the same 2.4 GHz channel, they can interfere.

Think of it like you have an exclusive club (your network). If people are members of your club (they have the password to your network) they can get in. But there's still a mob outside making noise (nearby devices on a different network).

Also, the TV itself can interfere with devices on a 2.4 GHz network. And it's a lot closer than devices on another network.

Changing your 2.4 GHz channel can sometimes help. It did for me a few years back. It may or may not make a difference for you. If you do choose that route, stay on one of these three channels: 1, 6, 11.