If Roku won’t connect to 5G WiFi, you can apply a few settings changes to resolve the problem.
We know how frustrating it can be when your Roku device won’t connect to WiFi. Even if you are connecting to 2.4GHz, you may want to connect to 5G for a better experience.
Unfortunately, sometimes you may not be able to find a 5G connection on your modem.
To fix Roku won’t connect to 5G, login to your router’s admin panel and go to Wireless settings. Under Wireless settings enable 5GHz if it is not enabled.
If 5G is enabled, assign it a different name and try connecting to it with your Roku device. This should solve the problem permanently!
If 5G is enabled, assign it a different name and try connecting to it with your Roku device. This should solve the problem permanently.
If these options do not solve your problem, you reset your Roku device. There are many different causes of Roku devices not connecting to 5G WiFi. Each of the causes has a solution that can be applied.
Keep on reading to find out more.
Reasons Why Roku Won’t Connect to 5GHz WiFi
The various reasons why your Roku device won’t connect to 5G include your router not supporting 5G among others.
If your router only offers 2.4GHz, you will not be able to use 5G.
If you are asking why won’t my Roku connect to my 5G WiFi, here are the reasons:
- Your Roku router or modem does not support 5GHz WiFi
- Your Roku device is located far away from your router
- You have disabled 5GHz on your device
- Your device has encountered a temporary glitch
- You have messed up with your Roku device settings
Solutions to Roku Won’t Connect to 5G WiFi
You may be wondering why Roku can’t find my 5G network. Well, the answer lies in the problems above.
Thankfully, all the above problems can be solved in a few simple steps.
Solution #1 Restart / Power Cycle Your Roku Device
The first step you should take is to restart your device. While restarting may help solve the problem on most devices, sometimes you may have to power cycle it.
In other situations, temporary glitches can be cleared by putting the device off and restarting it fresh.
Steps to restart your device:
- Press the Home button on your Roku remote
- Scroll up or down to highlight the “Settings” option and select it.
- Scroll down and select System
- Select Power and then select System restart
- Select “Yes” when prompted if you want to restart
- Your Roku device will restart and you will see the Roku logo on your TV screen while it restarts.
Steps to power cycle your Roku device:
- Unplug your Roku device from the power outlet
- Unplug any other cables connected to the Roku device
- Wait for at least 10-15 seconds
- Reconnect the power cable and any other cables
- Wait for the Roku device to restart and the home screen to appear on your TV screen
Note: After restarting your device, you will have to reset your connection to the WiFi.
Solution #2 Enable 5G WiFi in Your Router Settings
The next solution is to enable the 5GHz settings on your router. Roku not seeing 5GHz WiFi simply means that your WiFi is not giving out 5G or your 5G is not detected.
If your 5G is not detected, you can make it available by enabling 5G on your device.
While this is a solution you should explore, remember that some old routers do not have 5GHz capabilities. In that case, you may want to try and find another 5G device.
Steps to enable 5GHz on your router:
- Log in to your router settings through a web browser on a device connected to the same WiFi network as your Roku.
- Look for the “Wireless” settings.
- Enable the 5GHz WiFi network and make sure it is set to On
- Save your changes and exit the router settings
- Reconnect your Roku device to your 5GHz WiFi network
Note: If you do not see an option for 5GHz in your router settings, chances are that your device does not support 5G.
In this case, you will either have to upgrade your router or use 2.4GHz.
Solution #3 Reset Your Roku Network Settings
The other step you can take is to reset your Roku device networks. The device network settings can be affected if you make changes.
In case your network settings are tailored to only handle 2.4GHz, you may have to reset the 5G settings.
To reset your device networks, start your device with your TV on. Using your remote, navigate to settings and select system reset. Under advanced settings, you can reset your device networks completely.
- Press the Home button on your Roku remote to access the Roku Home Screen.
- From your Roku home screen, navigate to “Settings”
- Scroll down to “System” and select it.
- Scroll down and select “Advanced system settings“
- Click on Network Connection reset
- You will be prompted to confirm that you want to reset your network settings
- Select Yes to confirm your choice
- Your Roku device will restart and the network settings will be reset to their default values
Note: After the restart, you will need to reconnect your Roku device to your WiFi network.
To do this, go to Settings > Network > Wireless and select your WiFi network from the list of available networks.
Solution #4 Update Your Roku Device
The other solution you can apply to solve this problem is to simply update your device firmware.
Your Roku device needs regular updates to function well. If the device has been set not to accept updates automatically it will have a problem.
To solve this problem, all you have to do is update your device. The device update should take place immediately.
Here are the steps to update your Roku device:
- Press the Home button on your Roku remote to access the Roku home screen
- Go to Settings and select it
- Scroll down and select “System”.
- Select “System update”.
- Select “Check now” to see if there are updates
- If an update is available, select “Download” to start the update process.
- Wait for the update to download and install. Your Roku device may restart during the process.
- Once the update is complete, your Roku device will automatically restart and you can start using it again.
Note: Some devices may take up to a whole day to get updated depending on your internet speed. Wait until the device is fully updated before you restart it.
Solution #5 Position Your Roku Device Close to the Router
The other reason why your device may fail to connect to 5GHz is distance. If your Roku device is located far away from your router, it will automatically connect to the 2.4GHz. This is how modern routers are designed to work.
The 5GHz frequency offers faster speeds than the 2.4GHz frequency. However, 5G is not available on a wide range.
As a result, the devices that use 5G are the ones closest to the router. The devices that are further away from the router are more likely to use 2GHz.
Smart devices are designed to select the best available option between 5G and 2G. If you are close to the router, 5G is the best option. If you are further from the router 2G is the best option.
How to position your Roku device:
- Make sure there are no obstructions or interferences between the router and your Roku device
- The Roku device should be within five meters of the modem or router
- The router signal output should be directed toward your Roku device
Note: You can also use a WiFi detector application, to determine the strength of your WiFi signal.
Summary
If your Roku won’t connect to 5G WiFi, you can adjust settings to make it connect. Among the settings that can be adjusted include the frequency selection in the admin panel of your router.
Besides frequency selection, you may also consider resetting your Roku device settings.
Read Next: How To Delete Recordings On DIRECTV? Complete Steps

Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites. Check out more about him here.