When a Fire TV Stick doesn’t connect to the internet, it’s usually due to a problem with the local network or an internet connectivity issue. The wireless network signal strength may be too low, there may be an issue with the local network hardware, or there might be a problem with your internet connection.
If you set up your Fire Stick yourself, this is a problem you should be able to fix by following our troubleshooting tips. If someone else set up your Fire Stick, especially if someone installed a VPN for you, then you may need to ask for that person’s assistance.
What Causes a Firestick to Not Connect to the Internet?
The most common cause of a Fire Stick not connecting to the internet is some manner of a problem with your home network, but there are several other potential issues you’ll need to rule out. Here are the most common reasons a Fire Stick will fail to connect to the internet:
What to Do When Your Firestick Won’t Connect to the Internet
To get your Fire Stick connected to the internet, follow these troubleshooting tips:
Check your Fire Stick Wi-Fi connection. You can check your connection by navigating to Settings > Network then selecting your network. If the signal strength isn’t good or very good, consider moving your wireless router or your Fire Stick to improve the connection.
Reset your network connection. If it says your Wi-Fi signal strength is strong or very strong, but you still can’t connect to the internet, try resetting the connection. Navigate to Settings > Network > Your Wi-Fi Network, then press the menu button to forget the network. You can then select your network again to reconnect, enter your password, and see if the connection is working.
Try your 2.4 GHz network if possible. If your modem provides a 2.4 GHz network and a 5 GHz network, navigate to Settings > Network, switch to the 2.4 GHz network, and check to see if the Fire Stick can connect. The 5 GHz network is faster, but the 2.4 GHz network will have a stronger signal and a greater range.
Try a wired Ethernet connection. If you cannot establish a strong Wi-Fi connection, you can connect a Fire Stick to your router with an Ethernet adapter. It’s an accessory that plugs into the USB port on the Fire Stick and allows you to connect both power and an Ethernet cable to the Fire Stick.
Restart your network hardware. Many network connectivity issues can be solved by restarting your network hardware, including your router and your modem. Unplug both from power, wait for 30 seconds to a minute, and plug them back in.
Restart your Fire Stick. If there’s a problem with the Fire Stick itself, a restart will often get things working again. Your Fire Stick doesn’t have a power button, but you can restart it by unplugging it from power for five seconds and then plugging it back in.
Check your VPN configuration. If you have a VPN installed on your Fire Stick, it may be preventing the Fire Stick from connecting to the internet. You can quickly rule this out by temporarily uninstalling the VPN and checking to see if you’re able to connect to the internet. If that fixes the problem, contact the developers of your VPN app for information about how to configure it.
Factory reset your Fire Stick. If your Fire Stick is still unable to connect to the internet, perform a factory reset. It will completely reset the Fire Stick, so you’ll have to set it up like you did when you first got it.
If your device is connected to Wi-Fi but not the internet, it could be a weak Wi-Fi signal, damaged Ethernet cables, or conflicts with your VPN. If your Fire Stick won’t connect to Wi-Fi even though your internet connection is stable, then the problem likely lies with your router.
If your Fire Stick is not responding, restart the device, update your Fire TV Stick, or reset the device as a last resort. If you’re having problems with a specific app, reinstall it. The problem could also be that your Fire Stick remote isn’t working.
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