Thanks to the wonders of technology…
You can now stream anything through the Internet alone.
However, that also means that if your Vizio TV can’t connect to the WiFi…
You won’t be able to watch any shows on your device.
But fret not.
I’ll help you fix this problem before the day’s over.
Continue reading to find out:
- The reasons why your Vizio TV can’t connect to the WiFi.
- How to check if a slow Internet speed is causing this problem.
- 11 effortless fixes to make the WiFi work on your Vizio TV again.
- And much, much more…
Why won’t my Vizio TV connect to WiFi?
Your Vizio TV won’t connect to the WiFi because it’s glitching. Sometimes this happens because your router’s Internet speed is too slow. And in other cases, it’s because the DHCP in the TV settings is disabled.
Vizio TV won’t connect to WiFi: 11 fixes
#1: Ensure that your TV is connected to the WiFi
Technology is great, but it isn’t always perfect.
With that, even the most advanced gadgets can still glitch or have a bug in their system.
So if your TV is currently glitching…
Some of its settings may have changed on their own.
And that includes your WiFi connection.
So the first thing you need to do now is…
Check if your TV is still connected to the WiFi:
- Tap Menu on your Vizio remote.
- Navigate to the Network option.
- Check if your TV is connected to a network.
- If it’s not, highlight your home network and sign in.
Further reading: 5 Ways To Connect Vizio TV To WiFi Without A Remote
#2: Power cycle your Vizio TV
As mentioned earlier, technological devices can have glitches and bugs in their system.
And although they only cause minor issues on your device…
Over time, these small problems can pile up and cause even bigger ones.
But fortunately, it’s effortless to remove glitches and bugs from your TV.
See, all you need to do is power cycle your device.
And it’ll be free from most of these unwanted problems.
“I don’t know what that means.”
Don’t worry. I’ll explain what it is and also teach you the exact steps to do it.
To start…
Power cycling means removing all of your device’s power before turning it ON again.
And the way you can do that is by temporarily unplugging your device from the wall. Then plugging it back after the set duration.
“How’s that different from turning it OFF using the remote.”
The difference lies in the remaining power on your device.
See, when you turn OFF your TV through the power button or remote….
It’s actually just in standby mode. Which means it’s still using electricity. And your TV is still working in the background.
On the other hand, when you power cycle your device…
You drain out all of its remaining power. And this lets your TV stop any of its ongoing tasks. While also removing any issues that are attached to them.
With that in mind, it’s now time to…
Power cycle your TV:
- Turn OFF your TV through its remote or power button.
- Unplug it from the power source.
- Press the power button on your TV for 5 seconds.
- Wait for 1 minute.
- Plug your TV into the wall outlet again.
- Turn it ON.
Now, check if this process fixed the problem.
You might also want to know: 5 Ways To Fix A Vizio TV That Won’t Turn On
#3: Restart your router
Your TV isn’t the only 1 that can glitch or encounter minor problems.
See, routers can also get overwhelmed with their tasks. Especially if a lot of devices are using its network.
With that, the next thing you should do now is to restart your WiFi router. So it can work with a fast and refreshed system again.
Now, it’s worth noting that most routers don’t have a dedicated restart/reset button.
But fortunately, just like your TV, you can also…
Power cycle your router:
Step 1: Unplug your router’s power cord.
You can do this from the outlet or your router’s unit.
Step 2: Remove your router’s battery backup if it has 1.
Then after 10 seconds, return it to the device again.
Step 3: Wait for 1 minute.
Step 4: Connect your router to its power source again.
And wait for all the lights on your router display to turn green.
Now, if some of the LED turns red or yellow, contact your Internet service provider.
But if all of the lights display a green light, then proceed to…
#4: Check if your WiFi network is working
Your TV might not be the 1 causing this problem. And it’s your WiFi network itself.
And the only way to check if this is the case is to…
Check if your Internet works on other devices apart from your TV:
- Prepare a mobile device or a PC.
- Connect it to the same WiFi your TV is using.
- Try browsing across different Internet platforms.
Now, if your online apps or websites aren’t loading…
Then you should contact your Internet service provider. And inform them that your router isn’t working.
But if your device can access the WiFi, then…
#5: Measure your Internet speed
See, simply having a functional Internet connection isn’t enough to support your Vizio TV.
Why?
Because if your WiFi is too slow, your TV itself might reject connecting to it.
On top of that…
The apps on your device also have their own minimum Internet speed requirements.
And if your WiFi is slower than their standards…
Your applications won’t load even if you’re connected to a functional network.
Now, to give you an idea of how fast your Internet needs to be, here are the…
Recommended Internet speed of some popular streaming platforms
| Streaming platform | Recommended Internet speed to stream on HD |
| Hulu | 8 Mbps |
| Netflix | 5 Mbps |
| Disney Plus | 5 Mbps |
| Youtube TV | 7 Mbps |
| Amazon Prime Video | 5 Mbps |
As you can see from this chart…
You’d need at least 5 Mbps of Internet speed to comfortably stream on apps like Disney Plus.
However, if you want to use all of them, your WiFi speed needs to be 8 Mbps or faster.
So that’s the number you should aim for.
“How do I check if I meet those requirements?”
It’s easy. Just follow these steps to…
Check how fast your Internet is:
- Prepare a phone or a PC
- Connect it to the WiFi your TV is using.
- Open any browser on your device.
- Go to speedtest.net.
- Click the GO button in the middle of the page.
- Wait for it to load the results.
Now, you’ll see how fast your Internet is.
With that, if your WiFi speed is 8 Mbps or higher, proceed to fix #7.
But if you got a number lower than that…
#6: Remove other devices from your WiFi network
A congested network is 1 of the leading causes of a slow Internet connection.
So if you got less than 8 Mbps of Internet speed earlier…
You should remove other devices from your WiFi network.
Now, there are 2 ways to do this process:
- Manually.
- By changing the WiFi password.
Of course, you can individually disconnect your gadgets from your network.
But if you want to go with the faster route…
Change your WiFi password. This way, all devices currently using your network will be disconnected.
However, bear in mind that this method also disconnects your Vizio TV from the WiFi.
So, connect your TV to the Internet again after you’ve changed the password.
Now, once you’ve removed most of your devices from your WiFi…
Recheck your Internet speed.
Still getting a number lower than 8 Mbps? Then contact your Internet provider.
But if your WiFi is now faster than that…
Then try using some apps on your Vizio TV again.
Still can’t load any of them? Then…
#7: Enable the DHCP settings on your Vizio TV
Vizio TVs have a setting called Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DCHP).
And simply speaking, this is responsible for…
Letting your WiFi network know that your TV is a unique device.
“What do you mean?”
See, all devices connected to your WiFi are assigned with their own IP addresses.
You can think of these as an ID for your gadgets. And as you know, every person should have a unique ID.
Now similar to that, devices also need their own unique IP address.
Because if 2 or more gadgets are using the same 1…
They won’t be able to access the Internet connection.
With that, the easiest way to ensure that your Vizio TV gets its own IP address is to…
Enable your Vizio TV’s DHCP settings:
- Turn ON your TV.
- Click the Home button on your remote.
- Select Network > Manual Setup.
- Toggle ON the DHCP section.
Note: If it’s already enabled, turn it OFF and ON again.
#8: Change router gateway to WPA-PSK (TKIP)
Did you know that there are different types of Internet encryption?
“What’s that?”
You can think of encryptions as the “locks” to your WiFi network.
And just like some locks are easier to use than others.
Vizio TVs also find it easier to use some encryptions over the rest.
With that, it’s worth noting that Vizio TVs work best with WPA-PSIK (TKIP) encryption.
So if you still can’t connect your device to your TV…
You should change your router’s gateway setting to this encryption. And that’s by contacting your Internet service provider (ISP).
However…
Important: Changing your router’s encryption has security risks. So ask your ISP about the pros and cons of using the WPI-PSIK (TKIP) encryption. And proceed accordingly.
#9: Use an ethernet router
Your TV’s WiFi function may be the 1 causing this problem.
So this time, you should connect it to your router using an ethernet cable instead.
See, not only will this potentially fix your TV’s Internet issue…
But it’ll also improve your device’s network speed in general. Because ethernet connections are better than wireless ones.
“How are they better?”
Let me explain.
See, ethernet cables bring the Internet from the router to your TV through a wired connection.
This means it’s not prone to wireless interference from other devices in your house like:
- Microwaves.
- Mobile devices.
- Bluetooth speakers.
See, the signals from these gadgets can sometimes interfere with your WiFi signals.
But this situation won’t ever happen if you use an ethernet cable.
On top of that, wired connections also bring lower latency to your TV.
And this means that it’ll make your TV load your apps and websites faster. Which is a huge added benefit, if you ask me.
So with that being said, here’s how you can…
Connect your TV to the router using an ethernet cable:
- Disconnect your TV from the WiFi.
- Prepare a high-quality ethernet cable.
- Plug 1 end of the cord into the Ethernet port on your router.
- Connect the other end of the cable to the Ethernet port of your TV.
Note: Ensure that you hear a click while plugging the connectors.
And once you’ve connected your TV to the router using an ethernet cable…
Try streaming on any of your apps or browser again.
#10: Factory reset your TV
If you still can’t connect your TV to the WiFi network…
Then you should try to factory reset your TV.
Now, this process will delete all the data from your device, including your:
- Custom settings.
- Installed applications.
- Saved accounts and preferences.
But likewise, it’ll also remove any stubborn glitches or bugs causing this WiFi problem.
However, before you proceed to the exact steps of this process.
Pro tip: Take note of your apps, login credentials, and custom settings. This way, you can easily set up your TV again after you’ve done the reset.
With that being said…
Here’s how you can factory reset your Vizio TV:
- Turn ON your TV.
- Tap the Menu button on your remote control.
- From the list, tap System.
- Select Reset & Admin.
- From the choices, click Clear Memory (Factory default).
- In some models, this would be Reset TV to Factory Defaults.
- Wait for the reset process to be completed.
Note: Don’t interact with your TV while the reset is ongoing.
Don’t have a remote? Watch this video to factory reset your Vizio TV without a controller:
Once your TV boots up…
Try to connect your TV to the WiFi again. And most likely, the problem will be solved.
#11: Contact Vizio support
If your TV still has WiFi issues…
Then it’s safe to assume that your device is experiencing severe firmware problems.
And for these cases, only professionals can help you fix your TV.
But fortunately, Vizio’s support team is easily accessible.
So simply head to their support tech website, and you’ll have the option to:
- Text them.
- Chat with a live agent.
- Call Vizio at 844-254-8087 (toll-free).
Note: Vizio’s call support team is only available from 8 AM to 11 PM (CST) on weekdays. And from 8 AM to 9 PM on the weekends.
Pro tip: The wait time is the shortest, from 1 PM to 5 PM on weekdays. So I highly suggest calling them at that timeframe.