If you find yourself in a situation where your TV is not able to connect to a WiFi network, there are a few things that you can check to determine what the issue is. Smart TVs are modern sleek and stylish devices that take advantage of the power of the Internet and provide viewers with an endless number of films, TV shows, and other content available in a few clicks. And you can understand the level of frustration that grips viewers when, after switching on, the device cannot find a wireless network. With this guide, we will help you to determine and solve the problem that you have with the WiFi connection. So let’s start.
Why My TV Won’t Connect to WiFi?
So Why My TV Won’t Connect to WiFi? Possible reasons why your TV won’t connect to WiFi can be in multiple things. One of the most common reasons for this problem is that the internet does not work, you have connection buffering problems, the TV needs a firmware update or you need to do a factory reset.
Almost all Smart TVs can connect to the internet via WiFi (or Ethernet) and operate on it like on a basic computer. Older TV models don’t have these features. Although this problem seems complex to you, a TV that won’t connect to a WiFi network can be an easy fix. There are simple steps that you can try to fix this problem.
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Fast Fix tips to connect TV to WiFi:
- Unplug all components, wait a minute or two, and then plug it back on and try to connect to WiFi.
- Try to restore your TV to “Default settings” then scan the WiFi network and re-enter your password.
Here are the 7 possible reasons why your TV won’t connect to WiFi:
| 1. Internet Does not Work |
| 2. Smart TV in The Correct Network Area |
| 3. Disable Guest Mode |
| 4. Connection Buffering |
| 5. Repairing Damage to the Integrated Wi-Fi Module |
| 6. Smart TV Firmware Update |
| 7. Factory Reset |
Below we will go through all these 7 steps in detail and explain what you need to do to connect your smart TV to WiFi.
If you have problem Connecting Your Laptop to a TV via Wi-Fi, read this article!
Internet Does Not Work
This is the simplest reason for failure. Therefore, always start by checking other Internet-connected devices to make sure the problem is specific to the TV. If all mobile devices do not work, then the problem is that the network is not functioning and you need to contact your Internet provider for relevant information.
When the TV specifically isn’t working, the first attempt at troubleshooting is to restart the device. Some devices for television – Smart TV have the ability to restart the TV from the settings menu:
- Put the device into standby mode using the remote control (RC).
- Turn off the TV from the wall outlet.
- Turn on the TV again using the remote control, such actions will discharge the remaining power in its circuit.
- Connect the TV back and turn it on using the remote control.
- Power off and reboot the router. It is possible that the problem may be local to him since the signal is determined by his location.
In order to fix the problem of bad signal, they will try to move the router to the central part of the house. If this method does not work, you can consider using a range extender that will identify the weakest points of the home.
Another reason a TV loses visible communication is due to signal interference. There are many devices that propagate their signals in the direction in which the smart TV operates. These can be wireless video game controllers, home phones, baby monitors, and even microwave ovens. They can actually degrade the ability of Smart TVs to communicate. One of the easiest ways to solve this problem is to place the router next to the TV.
If there are many metal objects between the device and the wireless connection, be sure to remove them as they create persistent signal interference.
Unauthorized devices clutter up and slow down the Wi-Fi range. In order to prevent this from happening, it is required to change the security settings as soon as possible, especially if the network uses WEP or is open, which makes it easier for people to access Wi-Fi without user permission.
Smart TV in The Correct Network Area
If the user is using WiFi for a smart connection, you need to make sure the device has a connection to the correct network. If the subscriber lives in an apartment building, it is possible that the TV just connected to the neighbor’s network by default. You will need to refer to the TV manual for how to navigate to the Wi-Fi setup screen and verify that it is using the same network name (SSID) as your laptop or mobile device.
The network settings for Smart TV can be found in the settings menu on the TV by selecting the correct network and connecting to it.
When connecting Smart TV – make sure that the device is authenticated. This means the TV needs to prove to the router that it has permission to access the user’s network, which is called authentication. To do this, open the TV’s Wi-Fi setup screen and examine its status description. If it contains the network name (SSID), but it says “Not connected” or something like that, they find the “Connect” button and study what is written on it.
The TV may ask the user for a password – this is the Pre-Shared Key (PSK) of the router. It is similar to the code that is entered on other mobile devices. If your router has a button on top, you can press it for a few seconds before selecting “Connect” on TV to allow the TV to connect the subscriber without a password. This operation is called a push-button connection.
Disable Guest Mode
Some routers have a “guest mode” that allows devices to access the user’s network, but only in a locked mode, reducing the risk of hacking. However, this option itself may interfere with the automatic setting of the TV’s Internet connection, so if you need it to connect to a regular Wi-Fi connection, it is better to disable or reconfigure the mode.
In order to use guest mode on a router, it must support a dual SSID – a service set identifier and a unique name for the router. If you find yourself in the position where the wireless router is too far from your TV, it can be that your TV is not receiving any signal at all. Check this by going to the Smart TV setup screen and using the network scan function.
Connection Buffering
Streaming content to a TV can require a lot of bandwidth to stream well at high definition. If multiple devices use a given network at the same time, it can increase bandwidth and cause buffering problems. Depending on the type of internet connection and the capabilities of the ISP, users can often get slower transfer rates during peak hours, which also causes buffering failures. Upgrading a user’s internet plan with higher bandwidth may resolve errors related to network congestion.
There are several factors that can also cause WiFi signal failures:
- Distance from the router to the TV. If it is too large, the signal will be weak, and interruptions in streaming video will be a frequent event in the house, especially during peak hours. To avoid it is necessary to move the position of the TV or router closer to each other. If their positions cannot be changed, then a Wi-Fi extender would be a good option to extend the range of your wireless network.
- It is not recommended to install the router close to any device that generates strong magnetic fields, such as a microwave oven. This will lead to signal dropout.
- If there are too many Wi-Fi-connected devices on the network, it can cause congestion problems. You need to limit the number of receivers or turn off those that are not in use to free up bandwidth on the Wi-Fi network.
- If it is possible to run an Ethernet cable between the router and the TV, it is recommended to do so. It will be a faster and more stable connection than Wi-Fi.
Repairing Damage to the Integrated Wi-Fi Module
In order to recognize the probable root cause of a breakdown in the wireless modular Wi-Fi component, it is required to inspect the TV for its functionality. However, in advance, you will need to make sure that it is capable of supporting the Wi-Fi interface. If the manufacturer has not installed it, you need to purchase an external adapter that is compatible with the required TV modification. Structurally, it is similar to a USB flash drive.
After that, they check the correct operation of the module, for example, for Samsung TVs:
- First of all, it is determined whether the TV network along with other devices is detected through the Wi-Fi interface. For such a task, a mobile phone connected to the wireless Internet is useful. The method will enable the subscriber to determine whether the module is functioning in this Samsung TV or not.
- Go to the main TV menu, select the “Support” option, then “Contact Samsung”.
- Next, you need to go down, find the MAC in the line, and analyze the numbers. In the case when the information is represented by: “0” or similar characters, then the Wi-Fi module is not operational.
- In the version of the functional Wi-Fi interface, the user has the ability to update the network Internet settings.
Method for resetting internet network options and replacing Samsung TV protocols:
- Turn off Smart TV.
- Enter the system menu by simultaneously pressing the “Info / Menu / Mute / Power” buttons.
- After this composition, the program activates the service menu.
- Find the “Option” and “Enter” functions.
- Find the “Factory Reset” update mode and click it.
- Exit the setup menu by turning off the TV.
- Turn on Smart TV again and perform the network setup, replacing the input for the network name and password.
- If after the reset the Internet does not appear on the TV, they perform auxiliary operations.
- In the manual version, change the DNS data to “8.8.4.4” or “8.8.8.8.” You will need to turn off DHCP on the rotor earlier.
- Set the transition time to the next channel to 100 ms instead of the default 600 ms via the “Control-Sub Option-RF Mute Time” function.
Smart TV Firmware Update
For the TV to function correctly, it is necessary to install system updates on time. Otherwise, the most unusual problems will begin to appear. It is possible that the TV will not find the home network. The update algorithm differs depending on the smart TV manufacturer.
For Smart TV from LG, the update is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Go to the official LG web page.
- In the “Search” column, enter the TV brand.
- Go to the “Support” page.
- Open the “Software” section.
- Download the most recent version of the system update program.
- Transfer the downloaded files to a highly specialized working folder.
- Copy the directory where the firmware files are located to the USB flash drive.
- Insert it into the USB connector of the Smart TV.
- The TV operating system will execute the program update request.
- Confirm and begin the installation of the software components.
Factory Reset
Restoring your Smart TV to factory defaults can fix Internet connection problems. The user performing this operation should be aware that this will delete any of his current settings, saved content, and registered accounts. Refer to the “Factory Settings” section of the “TV Troubleshooting Guide” for information on performing factory settings on the correct TV model.
If the user has followed all the steps mentioned above, and his Smart TV still loses connection, you should try to contact technical support. Most Smart TVs have telephone technical support for free. Therefore, manufacturers are aware of all the problems associated with a custom Smart TV.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes, to resolve a problem, you just need to be patient. Especially in cases where the TV is new, it has just been purchased and unpacked. You need to know that the new TV will definitely independently configure all software updates: Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, and others installed by the TV manufacturer. During this update process, the TV will not allow the user to use any of its features.
Usually the update process takes from one minute to one hour, so if the TV is connected to the Internet and does not work, you just need to wait a while.
