I Have Questions For Roku Owners

[OneEyedDiva]

Recently I've had to reconnect to my internet service maybe once or twice a day if I haven't use my Roku for a few hours. I don't have to do this with my phone, nor tablet. I'm thinking maybe its time to get a new one. When I replaced the last one, it was with Roku Express, a smaller, less expensive model. The HDMI cable that came with the player was sub standard, so I used one I had already. I think I paid $21 or $22 for it, including the tax. I just checked out the Roku Ultra, touted as being 30% faster than other Rokus, as well as having other premium features. https://www.roku.com/products/players/roku-ultra

The Ultra is the only box type being offered on their website. They are offering more stick and a streaming bar. I can get the Ultra with bluetooth capabilities for $79 on Amazon. What model do you have and how long have you had it? Have you been having internet connection issues with your Roku lately?

 

[Rich]

I’m on a Firestick rather than a Roku, same idea, different brand, so I may not be able to offer much hands on guidance. But are you sure it isn’t a Roku setting or even your internet provider acting up? We have a smaller ISP, and they seem to treat random signal drops as part of their business model.

 

[Naturally]

When ROKU first came out years ago, I had the individual ROKU boxes and dongle stuff. For the last decade or so, I've only had ROKU TV's. They come with ROKU built in. I currently have one in the living room and one in the bedroom and neither have Wi-Fi connectivity issues with the router in my computer room.

With all that said, I have some thoughts ...

If it were failing ROKU hardware, you’d likely see freezing, crashes, or ROKU not powering on. Having to reconnect to Wi-Fi after it sits idle is more often a network or settings issue, not the ROKU itself.

A few things worth trying before replacing it:

• Restart your modem and router (not just the Roku). This alone fixes a lot of “drops after idle” problems.
• Go into Roku settings and check for a system update.
• Forget your Wi-Fi network on the Roku and reconnect fresh.
• If your router has both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, try switching to the other one. Some ROKU's are picky about this.
• Check where the Roku is sitting. If it’s behind the TV, Wi-Fi signals can be weaker than your phone or tablet which are more in the open.

Also, the HDMI cable won’t affect internet connectivity, so you can rule that out.

As for models: the Ultra is definitely faster and more responsive, but if your current issue is Wi-Fi related, a new device may behave the same way unless something else changes.

I’d only upgrade if you also want the extra speed, voice remote, or better performance overall. Otherwise, I’d troubleshoot the connection first.

 

[OneEyedDiva]

I’m on a Firestick rather than a Roku, same idea, different brand, so I may not be able to offer much hands on guidance. But are you sure it isn’t a Roku setting or even your internet provider acting up? We have a smaller ISP, and they seem to treat random signal drops as part of their business model.

I doubt it's the internet provider (Verizon) because my phone and tablet are using Verizon's wifi too and as I mentioned, no problems with either of those connections. I have however had Verizon's internet go out for a few minutes sometimes. I used to notice it more in the middle of the night (when I'm usually up). That's unrelated to the Roku issue though because as soon as I have the connection issue with Roku, I'll check my tablet and phone. I was able to stream right away.

When ROKU first came out years ago, I had the individual ROKU boxes and dongle stuff. For the last decade or so, I've only had ROKU TV's. They come with ROKU built in. I currently have one in the living room and one in the bedroom and neither have Wi-Fi connectivity issues with the router in my computer room.

With all that said, I have some thoughts ...

If it were failing ROKU hardware, you’d likely see freezing, crashes, or ROKU not powering on. Having to reconnect to Wi-Fi after it sits idle is more often a network or settings issue, not the ROKU itself.

A few things worth trying before replacing it:

• Restart your modem and router (not just the Roku). This alone fixes a lot of “drops after idle” problems.
• Go into Roku settings and check for a system update.
• Forget your Wi-Fi network on the Roku and reconnect fresh.
• If your router has both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, try switching to the other one. Some ROKU's are picky about this.
• Check where the Roku is sitting. If it’s behind the TV, Wi-Fi signals can be weaker than your phone or tablet which are more in the open.

Also, the HDMI cable won’t affect internet connectivity, so you can rule that out.

As for models: the Ultra is definitely faster and more responsive, but if your current issue is Wi-Fi related, a new device may behave the same way unless something else changes.

I’d only upgrade if you also want the extra speed, voice remote, or better performance overall. Otherwise, I’d troubleshoot the connection first.

Thank you for the tips Naturally. I have noticed around the same time as the internet issue, that some shows (on different streaming services) were buffering or stopping during play. When I restarted the Roku, the last two times (I actually unplugged the power cord), I noticed I didn't have to do the internet reconnect for a couple of days. I did think about rebooting the router and model. I've checked for updates and am up to date.

I think it's time for an upgrade anyway. I'd love to be able to use my Bluetooth headphones while watching TV after my son goes to bed. He usually goes by 8:30, so I have hours where I have to watch with the TV at a low volume. Even though he says I can make the TV louder, I feel funny doing that. He bought a 32 inch Roku TV last year for $137 at Walmart. He hasn't complained about the issues I mentioned and we are using the same wifi. I'll check what you suggested about the GHZs too.

 

[robin416]

I have the Ultra, no complaints so far.

What I did find out is that we need to clear the cache from time to time. On the Roku and any app that is acting up. That's a pita because clearing the cache on an app means deleting the app and reloading it on Roku.

I would do as @Naturally suggested to see if that clears things up for you. I've had issues with my Mac connecting to the internet lately. It took restarting it to get it to lock on the net and stay there.

 

[Pappy]

Recently I've had to reconnect to my internet service maybe once or twice a day if I haven't use my Roku for a few hours. I don't have to do this with my phone, nor tablet. I'm thinking maybe its time to get a new one. When I replaced the last one, it was with Roku Express, a smaller, less expensive model. The HDMI cable that came with the player was sub standard, so I used one I had already. I think I paid $21 or $22 for it, including the tax. I just checked out the Roku Ultra, touted as being 30% faster than other Rokus, as well as having other premium features. https://www.roku.com/products/players/roku-ultra

The Ultra is the only box type being offered on their website. They are offering more stick and a streaming bar. I can get the Ultra with bluetooth capabilities for $79 on Amazon. What model do you have and how long have you had it? Have you been having internet connection issues with your Roku lately?

I have the Ultra and very happy with it. I bought it on Amazon when we moved back to NY, about a year ago.

 

[RambleTamble]

It sounds like you have a weak or unstable WiFi signal. The answer might be in a WiFi extender -- not a new Roku box.

 

[HoneyNut]

What model do you have and how long have you had it? Have you been having internet connection issues with your Roku lately?

I have a Roku TV (current one since 2022, but had an earlier Roku TV for some years prior). I haven't had more issues lately, but I do every once in a while have issues, and I do one or multiple system restarts until the problem clears up. I have a vague idea that it gets updates and requires reboots but doesn't have a way to tell me.

Here are the steps for the Ultra according to a Google search:

Steps for Roku Ultra (Streaming Player)
Roku Ultra devices and other streaming players share similar software functionality:

1. Go to Settings on the home screen.
2. Select System.
3. Select System restart (or Power > System restart for some models).

Why Restart Your Roku

• Fixes freezing, slow performance, or audio/video glitches.
• Clears memory without erasing settings or logged-in apps.
• Resolves connectivity issues.

 

[MarkinPhx]

Add another in favor of the Ultra. Roku TV's are nice and all but I always recommend people buying a regular 4K or HD TV and using a separate streaming device to connect to the TV. TV's last along time these days without much changes to the technology. However the technology for streaming happens a lot faster so updating a steaming stick or box is often needed every five years or so. Cheaper to do that then have to buy a new TV every five or six years !