Roku Hotel and Dorm Connect Not Showing Up? Complete Fix Guide

Are you having a hard time with Roku hotel and dorm connect not showing up? We have the solutions you’re looking for!

You must be traveling a lot or a student planning to stay in dorms for a few years.

You bring your Roku with you so you can plug it into the TV and continue to enjoy your favorite streaming content.

However, if you are not able to connect to the hotel or dorm WiFi, it’s going to be difficult to watch with your entertainment device.

To get your Roku to connect to your home and dorm WiFi, the very first thing you need to do is activate your device. This is only an issue if it’s brand new. Apart from that, you want to upgrade it before you leave. 

Let’s look at the different causes of this issue, and then we can move on to the steps to fix it so you can start watching content on your dorm or hotel’s TV.

Causes of Roku Hotel and Dorm Connect WiFi Not Showing Up

If you’re having issues connecting your Roku to your hotel and room WiFi, it mostly boils down to the network setup.

These types of locations will usually require you to sign in using a portal page. Your Roku can certainly do that, but there are times when they experience some difficulties.

Here are the problems you will face if you try to connect to hotel and dorm WiFi, giving you a better idea of how to tackle them.

1. Roku Is Not Activated

New Rokus will not work right away when you connect them to hotel and dorm networks. They need to be activated and updated to the latest software version.

2. Wifi Blocking Devices

Hotel and dorm networks are picky with the devices they connect to. Sometimes, you will need to do additional steps in order for your Roku to connect to the WiFi.

3. Wrong Network Settings

If your Roku is a seasoned traveler and connected to many hotel or dorm networks, its existing settings might not be a great fit for the current network.

4. Software Malfunction

Sometimes, it’s as simple as an internal bug or glitch that will stop your Roku from connecting to the network.

These are all the issues you will face when your Roku fails to connect with the hotel or dorm WiFi.

Now that you have a good understanding of it, we can now move on to the solutions so you can enjoy watching content that you love.

How to Fix Roku Hotel and Dorm Connect Not Showing Up

Before we go ahead and start fixing this issue, do yourself a favor and restart your Roku.

It’s not much, but it could flush out temporary software malfunctions that are preventing it from connecting. If it works, you’re definitely going to save a ton of time and effort.

In case a restart does not work out, and you’re still having a hard time connecting, here are the next steps you should take:

Solution #1: Activate Your Roku (Use a Mobile Connection)

Before you even leave your home, you will need to activate your Roku, especially if you just bought it.

Now, if that’s something you forgot and you arrived at your hotel or dorm room, you can still activate it.

You will need to connect it to an alternate network like the one from your phone since you will not be able to do it using the hotel or dorm’s WiFi.

Here’s how to activate your Roku:

1. Plug your Roku into your TV and connect it to a power outlet.
2. Set up a mobile hotspot on your phone and connect via Mobile data.
3. Wait for your Roku to download the latest software.
4. Create your Roku account and wait for the confirmation email.
5. Open the email link and click on the activation link.

Alert: Activating your Roku is free. It will ask you for a payment method for future purchases but not for the activation process.

Pro Tip: Take the time to update your streaming device before traveling, do it manually if you have to.

Solution #2: Use Your Laptop to Authenticate the Connection

Now that your Roku is activated, you can now go through the process of connecting to your hotel or dorm’s WiFi.

Connecting is a straightforward process.

• It will ask if you are connecting to a hotel or college dorm WiFi.
• You will then need to authenticate it using a different device.

Of course, you will reach for your phone since it’s the most convenient one. This step will need a browser, and there are instances when your smartphone can act up, and it will not load the authentication page.

If you are experiencing this, you will have to use a different device like a laptop.

Here’s how to authenticate your connection:

1. Connect to the hotel or dorm’s WiFi.
2. Select the I am at a hotel or college dorm option.
3. Connect your laptop to the same hotel or dorm WiFi.
4. Connect your computer to the new network created by your Roku.
5. On your laptop’s browser, type in the needed information.

Tip: The new WiFi network created by your Roku will start with the name DIRECT-Roku.

Note: There are instances when the setup process times out. Simply select Try Again.

Solution #3: Reset Network Settings on Your Roku

If you travel a lot or returning to your dorm, your Roku should be able to remember previous networks.

However, there are times when this can backfire, and your device will automatically connect, bypassing the portal. This might sound like good news, but it will say it’s connected, but it actually isn’t.

The best way to solve this would be to forget those networks so that you can connect fresh again.

Here’s how to reset the network settings on your Roku:

1. Go to your Roku’s Settings.
2. Select Advanced System Settings.
3. Choose Network Connection Reset.
4. Click on Reset Connection.

Note: Your Roku will restart, and you will need to enter your WiFi passwords again, especially your home network.

Solution #4: Use a Phone Hotspot or Travel Router

Now, if you are still unable to connect using your hotel or dorm’s WiFi network, you might need to get third-party equipment.

Using a phone hotspot or a travel router will make connecting to the WiFi network easier. You can use these to connect to the hotel or dorm WiFi, then link your Roku.

One advantage of using this is that you do not have to worry about new connections since your Roku should have your hotspot or travel router credentials saved.

Here’s how to use a travel router:

1. Look for an ethernet cable in your hotel or dorm room.
2. Plug the cable into the LAN port of your router.
3. Connect your Roku wirelessly to your router.

Using a phone hotspot:

1. Connect your phone to your hotel or dorm’s WiFi.
2. Turn on the mobile hotspot feature on your phone.
3. Make sure to turn on WiFi sharing.
4. Connect your Roku to your phone’s hotspot.

Note: You can also use your mobile or cellular data and share that via your phone’s hotspot feature.

Solution #5: Factory Reset Your Roku

If none of these steps work and your Roku still refuses to connect to the hotel or dorm’s WiFi, you can reset your Roku to its factory settings.

This process clears up all the settings and personal preferences saved on the device, giving it a chance to start and connect fresh to the network.

Here’s how to reset your Roku to factory settings:

1. Go to your Roku’s Settings page.
2. Click on System.
3. Choose Advanced system settings.
4. Select Factory reset.
5. Wait for your device to reset and start up.

Pro Tip: Roku devices also come with physical Reset buttons found at the back or bottom. You can use this if you are unable to navigate Roku’s software.

If a factory reset does not help, you can contact your hotel or dorm’s IT or networking department so they can help you get your Roku up and running.

They can whitelist your device’s MAC address or change some settings to allow your Roku to connect.

Read Next: How Long Do Roku TVs Last?

Bottom Line

Now that you know the reasons your Roku hotel and dorm connect are not showing up and the ways to fix it, you can take the necessary steps to resolve the issue.

These are all simple solutions that anyone can follow, even those without technical expertise.