So, I spent about two hours searching the Internet, searching the Community Forum, watching YouTube videos and reading the comments, chatting with Roku tech support to try to find the answer to the question: What if my public network requires both a Password AND a User Name?
The instructions for Hotel & Dorm don’t apply and I sure shouldn’t need another device to make this work.
My mother is in a nice retirement community with public Internet that requires a User Name and Password to connect. No problem of any kind with Windows PCs and IPhones identifying that access needs both fields. Not sure if there are any technical reasons at the router security levels was to why this isn’t seamless with the Roku device. One way that would have been nice is that after selecting the Network Name, on the right side of the screen it says “Private Network enter Password” with a field for the password and below that it says “Public Network enter User Name and Password” with two fields to fill out.
So, the Roku support desk should never even have to address this problem. As well as the fact that telling me to follow the Hotel & Dorm instructions is useless or, even more entertaining, that I should contact the facility Computer Support and have them reconfigure the network protocols on dozens of routers makes it pretty obvious that someone is just cutting and pasting a wild guess.
If the Roku device can’t be made to seamlessly connect, like a Windows PC or an IPhone, then the following needs to be on your main support pages.
On the Roku Home page, the person should click on Support, then Wi-Fi & connectivity. Then select Network (8), soon to be 9.
There should be a choice that says “Connect to a Public Network”
The following should appear:
For a Public Network where access needs a User Name and a Password:
Select Home, Settings, Network, Set up connection, Wireless, Private Network.
On the right side you will see the MAC Address for the Roku device.
Take a picture or write down the MAC Address.
Contact your Computer Support desk at the facility. They will need to add the Roku device to the list of devices that may access the public network without requiring a password. For this they will need the MAC Address. Once they have added the MAC Address, restart the Roku device and it should connect.
This should be on the main support pages, not in the Community forum. Community forums are hard to find a highly specific post, and filled with “helpful” people telling you to try the Hotels & Dorm or some other incorrect piece of advice.
