Wi-Fi & connectivity

[WhiteBear78]

I’m BACK!! Unfortunately, the Roku advice I got from you guys before didn’t fix all of my issues. Now, even though the Roku is hooked up correctly and shows up on my inputs, AND the Roku Home Screen is showing on my screen, it says “Not connected “!! I have tried unplugging the HDMI from both the Roku and the TV and unplugging the power from both devices. Nothing I have tried has worked. The Roku is blinking so the power is there to it. You guys came through before and I know you can again! Please help solve this VERY frustrating problem!! Thank you!!

[atc98092]

The "not connected" message says your Roku is not connected to your home network. Naturally, it's connected to your TV since you can see the Roku home screen. But you need a network connection to use the Roku. Unless it's a Roku Ultra, that means a WiFi connection. The Roku cannot use an Internet connection to the TV, it has to have its own. 

Go into your Roku Settings/Network menu and set up a new connection. 

[WhiteBear78]

Thank you for replying, Dan! Here’s what I’m not understanding: I used this Roku device with a TV that had NO capacity to connect to the internet. So it (the Roku) would have had no WiFi connection, correct? And I can’t move the cursor at all right now so I can’t access the Roku menu anyway because I tried. So I’m not understanding how this could be the problem. But I have to tell you that I’m 65 years old and not real tech savvy. Not completely useless but not very tech savvy either. I will very much appreciate any further advice you can provide!! I’m stuck!

[atc98092]

Hi! Let's explain it further. I'm 70, but am also extremely tech savvy, so don't let your age hinder you. We can explain what you need to know. 🙂

Any network connection for any device (TV, streaming player, computer) does not rely on any other device connected to it. Each device has to have its own network connection. There's a few exceptions to that, but let's not get into that rabbit hole. 

So, your Roku needs to be connected to the network in able to be usable in any way. You have a basic TV, so no internal apps and no network connection. No problem, your Roku will work just fine on it. 

Before we talk about connecting your Roku to the network, we need to know what model Roku it is. And it helps immensely to know the actual model number, not just the model name. Roku keeps reusing model names even with significant changes to the hardware. 

The remote not working on your Roku is is issue. Confirm you are using the Roku remote that came with your player, not the TV remote. The TV remote will never work to control the Roku.

So, please try to find the model number of your Roku, and ensure you are using the Roku remote, not the TV remote. 

[WhiteBear78]

Thanks again! It looks like I have a model 3900X. I hope that’s enough information but please let me know. The other issue I’m afraid I may have is that I lost the original remote and bought one on eBay that was supposed to be compatible with ANY Roku device. Obviously it looks like the old one but may not be compatible. Please let me know what else you need to know!

[JWS9518]

What model of remote did you purchase?  I would take any description on Ebay with a grain of salt.

[WhiteBear78]

The only letters/numbers I found on the remote were under the battery cover: HS-1002. I obviously don’t know if that is a model number or not, though.

[WhiteBear78]

I just looked on eBay and this is what the listing now says:

”Newest technology replacement remote for ROKU 1/2/3/4 Express +/Premiere+/Ultra

which probably means nothing!!

[atc98092]

OK, the 3900 is the original Express. It came with a basic IR remote, although I think it will work with a WiFi Direct remote as well. I can't determine what remote you have, but if it's a WiFi Direct remote it will only work after it's paired with the Roku. The simplest thing to do would be to pick up a generic IR remote that lists support for Roku players (not Roku TVs, those take a different IR code set). You can find one of those for less than $10 almost anywhere that sells replacement remotes. 

Once you have a working remote, you can connect your Roku to your WiFi. If your router is something you rent or received from your ISP, hopefully they haven't disabled the 2.4GHz radio, as that's the only band your Roku supports. Odds are it's on, so just let the Roku search for nearby WiFi access points and select the one you know is yours. Enter your password and you should be good to go with the Roku.

[WhiteBear78]

Well I will have to decide if I will use Roku enough to get yet another remote and then have to hope that it will work. I’m trying to find a way to get FOX without having to pay for a whole package of BS channels!! It seems that there is just no way to get the channels I want without paying for a bunch of garbage I don’t want! They have all of us over a F-ing barrel of course!