Wi-Fi & connectivity

[hrrundivbakship]

Hey there —

I’m stuck in a Roku “do loop,” and it’s driving me crazy.  I know I can’t be the only person who’s dealt with this situation, so I’m hoping someone out there has a solution for me.  Here’s the deal:

The family just moved from TX to PA, and we brought our 40”, non-Roku TV with its accompanying Roku 4200X external device.  Back in Dallas, these two units worked like a charm, streaming wireless content just like they were supposed to.  We lost the remote, but the Roku iPhone app worked just fine as a replacement.

Upon moving to Philly, we upgraded our TV to a 55” TCL unit with onboard Roku, and it works great.  We decided to relegate the old 40” TV, with its 4200X Roku device, to the guest room.  But we can’t get it to connect to any channels because it says the 4200X is not connected to our wireless network.  Here’s where we get stuck in the do-loop:  in order to tell the Roku 4200X to connect to our new Philly wireless network, I need to use a remote (either by connecting the 4200X device to the remote we use for the TCL ROKU TV, or the iPhone app controls).  But the remote/app can’t connect to the 4200X device because the 4200X is not on the network.  More simply put:  I need a remote connected to the 4200X to attach the 4200X to our network.  But I need to attach the 4200X to our network to use the remote.  AAAAUUUGH!

Any ideas?  I have a horrible feeling I’ve missed a really simple fix, but at this point, I’m not proud.  I just want to get this TV working.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[makaiguy]

@hrrundivbakship-

You can only use the Roku app on a phone with a Roku that is ALREADY connected to your local network.  Consequently, you cannot use the app on your phone to SET UP the Roku's net connection.

Roku TVs use a different command set than Roku streaming devices do.  Consequently your Roku TV remote is of no use on your Roku device.

Your best and easiest bet is just to get a replacement physical remote.  Once you've used it to establish the net connection on the Roku, you can use the phone app if you prefer. 

Any of the remotes Roku sells will work with your Roku 3 (4200) (remotes sold by Roku here).  The "Voice Remotes" control via wifi and must be paired with your Roku via the included instructions.  The "Simple Remote" doesn't need pairing and controls via infrared, so the front of your Roku 3 needs to be placed where it is visible from the remote's location.

These also can be found at most Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc. stores, and online at Amazon, eBay, etc.  You can also find clone remotes from third party manufacturers, like this one on Amazon for under 7 bucks.

And finally, many inexpensive third party universal remotes can also control a Roku device like the Roku 3 via infrared -- just be sure it contains control codes for Roku devices.