Learn about advanced networking features on your Roku streaming device
This article provides information about advanced networking features that may be available on your Roku® streaming device. You can find easy to follow instructions on how to connect your streaming device to the internet and fix connection errors in other articles.
Advanced tips for 5GHz Wi-Fi
If you are comfortable working with your networking equipment, you can make adjustments to your wireless router which may help your Roku device and remote perform better. You may need to use your computer or mobile device to sign in to an admin tool on your router.
- Note: If you cannot locate the username and password, the default login may be listed on the bottom of the router, the manufacturer’s website, or the user manual. If you need help configuring your router or other network equipment, refer to the user manual or contact the manufacturer.
Connect to the 5GHz wireless network
If your router and Roku device both support 5GHz, make sure it is enabled in the router settings and try connecting to the 5GHz wireless network (e.g., MyNetwork_5GHz). If you have a mesh router system, 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi® may be combined into a single wireless network.
Change the wireless channel
When your router automatically selects a wireless channel, it can lead to intermittent or slow connectivity due to undetected interference from other wireless devices. Try disabling this automatic setting on your router and choose a wireless channel manually.
Use the following steps to determine which wireless channel your streaming device is connected
- Press Home
on your Roku remote - Scroll and select Settings
- Select Network
- Select About
- Find the Wireless channel number
If your Roku device is already connected to the 5GHz wireless network (channels 36-165) and you still encounter an issue, try configuring your router to use a different 5GHz channel. If your router only supports 2.4GHz, try using wireless channels 1, 6, or 11 which are the preferred channels in North America. Each time you change the wireless channel, you will likely need to apply or save the changes and then restart your router.
- Tip: You can download a wireless analyzer app on your mobile device to help you find uncongested wireless channels. This can help you if you are having trouble with how to connect your Roku device to Wi-Fi. Visit the app store for your mobile device to find a wireless network analyzer.
DFS channels on 5GHz wireless networks
All current Roku streaming devices support the following 5GHz channels.
- U-NII-1 (non-DFS channels 36 to 48)
- U-NII-3 (non-DFS channels 149-165)
The following 5GHz DFS channels are also available on some devices.
- U-NII-2A (DFS channels 50-64)
- U-NII-2C (DFS channels 100-144)
The following streaming device models do not support DFS channels: 3600X, 3800X, 3810X, 3811X, 4200X, 4201X, 4205X, 4210X, 4210X2, 4230X, 4230X, 4230X2, 4620X, 4630X, 4640X, 4660X, 4660X2, 4670R, 6301X, 6302X, 6303X, 6102X, 6103X, 6104X, 6106X, 6107X, 6108X, 6109X, 6110X, 6112X, 6113X, 6114X, 6402X, 6403X, 6404X, 6405X, 6406X, 6407X, 6408X, 6409X, 9101X
Roku devices that support DFS channels must be on Roku OS 12.0 or higher to use DFS channels.
If your Roku streaming device does not support DFS channels and you try to connect it to a DFS channel, it will instead connect to the 2.4GHz band of the same network. If you want to connect to the 5GHz network, then you need to exclude DFS channels in your router's networks settings. If you are unsure how to change these settings please reach out to your Internet Service Provider or the person that set up the network for further assistance.
IPv6 support for Roku streaming devices
Dual-stack IPv4 and IPv6 addressing is available on some Roku streaming devices. Refer to the list below for streaming devices that support this feature. If your device is not on the list, then it only supports an IPv4 address.
Dual-stack capable streaming devices: 3800X, 3822R, 3900X, 3901PH, 3910X, 3920X, 3921X, 3930X, 3931X, 3932X, 3940X, 3941X, 3941X2, 3950X, 3951X, 3960X, 3960X, 3960X2, 4662X, 4670X, 4700X, 4701X, 4800X, 4802X, 4850X, 7000X, 8000X, 9100X, 9101X, 9102X, 9104X, A000X, C000X, D000X, E000X, G000X, H000X, J000X, K000X
*A note on terminology:
To access your network and ultimately the internet, you will typically connect to a device called a router but it may also be referred to as a wireless router, wireless access point, home gateway or cable modem. In some cases, your internet service provider (ISP) may have provided you with a single integrated device that includes a cable modem and a router, or you may have purchased a stand-alone router from a company such as Linksys, NETGEAR, ASUS, Belkin or D-Link. In this article, the term router is used as a generic term to refer to the network device that your Roku device must connect to access the internet. For more information refer to the documentation provided by your ISP or router manufacturer.