How to connect your TV to Wi-Fi

A TV that will not get online is one of the most common setup snags, and one of the easiest to clear. The steps are nearly the same on every brand, and most connection problems have a quick fix. Here is how to get on Wi-Fi, and what to do when it refuses.

The two-minute version

Open Settings, find Network (sometimes Network and Internet), choose Wireless or Wi-Fi, pick your network from the list, and type the password. That is the whole job on most sets. The password is the same one your phone uses, and it is case-sensitive, so watch for a capital letter or a zero where you typed an O.

Where the Wi-Fi setting lives, by brand

The menu names differ a little, but the path is always Settings then Network:

Samsung (Tizen): Settings, then General or Connection, then Network, then Open Network Settings, then Wireless.
LG (webOS): Settings, then All Settings, then Network, then Wi-Fi Connection.
Sony and other Google TV sets: Settings, then Network and Internet, then pick your network under Available networks.
Amazon Fire TV: Settings, then Network, then select your network from the list.
Roku TV: Settings, then Network, then Set up connection, then Wireless.
Vizio: Menu, then Network, then choose your network.

When it will not connect

If the TV cannot find your network or rejects the password, work through these in order. Most people are fixed by the first one.

Restart both. Unplug the TV and the router at the wall for 30 seconds, then power them back up. This clears the majority of connection glitches on its own.
Re-enter the password. It is case-sensitive. Type it slowly and, if your TV lets you, show the characters so you can check them.
Forget the network, then rejoin. Remove the network on the TV and add it again fresh. This fixes a saved password that has gone stale.
Check the signal. If the TV is far from the router or through a wall or two, the signal may be too weak. Move it closer to test, or see the band tip below.
Update the TV software. Old firmware can break Wi-Fi. If you can get the set online briefly with a network cable, install any update, then try wireless again.

2.4GHz or 5GHz: Which to choose

Many routers broadcast two networks with similar names. The difference is simple. 5GHz is faster but has a shorter reach, so it is the better pick when the TV sits near the router and you stream in 4K. 2.4GHz is slower but travels further and through walls, so it holds a steadier connection for a TV in a far room. If both bands share one name, the router chooses for you, and that is usually fine.

When to skip Wi-Fi and use a cable

If the picture keeps stalling to buffer, or the TV drops off the network every so often, a network cable is the most reliable cure there is. Run an Ethernet cable from a spare port on the router to the socket on the back of the TV, and the wireless troubles simply stop. Our guides on a TV that keeps dropping Wi-Fi and a TV that keeps buffering cover both cases in full. Once you are online, the TV speed test shows the real speed reaching the set.

Questions people ask

Why won't my TV connect to Wi-Fi?

Most often it is the password, a weak signal, or a glitch that a restart clears. Unplug the TV and router for 30 seconds, re-enter the password carefully since it is case-sensitive, and if it still fails, forget the network on the TV and add it again.

Where do I find my Wi-Fi password?

It is the same password your phone and laptop use for the home network. If you have never changed it, it is printed on a sticker on the router, often labelled Wireless Key, Wi-Fi Password or Passphrase.

Should my TV be on 2.4GHz or 5GHz?

Pick 5GHz when the TV is near the router, for faster and smoother 4K streaming. Pick 2.4GHz when the TV is far away or behind walls, because the slower band holds a steadier signal over distance.

Online now but still stuttering? Check the real speed at the set with the TV speed test, then work through why your TV keeps buffering or why it keeps dropping Wi-Fi.