How to Fix Samsung TV Internet or WiFi Connection Problem

Without an internet connection, a smart TV is just like any television set. All apps require a stable wireless network to function. I remember how my Samsung TV (KU6500) kept losing internet connection. I even tried resetting the network settings but it still won’t stay connected to WiFi. If you own a Samsung Smart TV and are having internet or WiFi connection issues, here are some workarounds if your Samsung TV WiFi connection is not working.

I purchased the Samsung TV Q60 Series (2019 model) a couple of months ago because my old KU6500 got a bit outdated. In the beginning, I never encountered any kind of connectivity issues. However, when I changed my WiFi router last week, my TV stopped connecting to the network. Since it was not connecting wirelessly, I plugged the Ethernet cable directly thinking a wired network might work. It didn’t help at all. My Samsung TV connected to my smartphone’s hotspot network without any problem. It was only after I manually updated the software that the internet connection problems on my TV were solved.

I recently wrote a tutorial describing the methods to delete 3rd-party and pre-installed apps on Samsung TVs. One of the visitors there reported that his Samsung Smart TV 6 Series 65 (UN65MU6500) stopped responding to his wireless modem. It was then I got the idea to write a detailed guide mentioning all possible solutions to fix wireless network detection and connectivity problems on a Samsung TV.

If your TV is unable to connect to a wired or wireless network, you’ll get the following Samsung TV error codes:

Causes of Internet Connection Issue on Samsung TV

If your Samsung TV is not detecting any wireless network or it keeps losing its internet connection, there may be various possible causes behind the problem. In some cases, a simple restart of the TV might do the magic while in others, you may need to reset the Network Settings or update the TV software to the latest version. The solution depends on the cause of the problem and below are some factors that may be making your Samsung Smart TV not respond to a WiFi network or an internet connection.

Some little bugs: Sometimes, we instantly start looking for big solutions for very small problems. If your TV can detect wireless networks but fails to establish a connection, it may be due to an incorrect password or a bug in the software. In some cases, turning off the TV using the remote for a very long time corrupts the network settings resulting in an internet connection problem.
DNS server settings: Every digital device that supports connectivity has DNS (Domain Name System) settings that must be configured properly to facilitate the internet connection. By default, your Samsung Smart TV fetches the DNS server settings automatically. Sometimes, especially when your TV won’t connect to WiFi or a wireless network, the user has to set the DNS server manually.
MAC address has failed: MAC (Media Access Control) address is a unique identification number assigned to a network adapter by the device OEM. The MAC addresses for Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc. on the same device are unique and different. Since the MAC address for computers, smartphones or smart TVs is static, it can be blocked by the ISP (Internet Service Provider) to stop a device from connecting to a WiFi router. Moreover, if the MAC address of your Samsung TV has failed for some reason, it won’t detect any wireless network.
Firmware bug or outdated software: Samsung keeps rolling firmware or software updates for its Smart TVs at intervals. If you don’t keep your TV connected to a working internet connection, it won’t be able to download and install the latest firmware updates. If you have disabled automatic software updates on your TV, its firmware will be outdated and may cause many issues including network connectivity problems. Not just an old firmware version, but even a bug in the latest software update your TV received recently might cause network-related issues on your TV.
Router or Modem problem: If there is some problem with your WiFi router or internet modem, your TV won’t be able to find or connect to a wireless network. Getting your modem replaced might fix the connectivity issues on your TV.

Fixing WiFi Connection Problem on Samsung TV

Now that we have outlined the reasons that may stop your TV from finding a wireless network or connecting to an internet connection, we’ll try to fix the problem. Depending on the reason, the fix may differ. Below is a list of all possible workarounds and solutions to fix the WiFi connection issue on your Samsung TV. If you own an LG TV as well, don’t forget to check out my tutorial on fixing the internet connection problems on LG Smart TVs.

Restart Your Samsung TV

This is the easiest possible fix for the internet connection problem on your Samsung TV. It should work if your TV is having a connectivity problem due to some temporary issues. Now, there are 2 methods to restart the TV and you should try both. If your Samsung TV is not detecting any wireless network, you can try the following.

Make sure your TV is on.
Hold the Power button on the remote.
Keep it pressed until you see the Samsung logo on the TV screen.
The red LED on the TV will start blinking faster.
When the TV is turned on, try reconnecting to the WiFi network.

If that doesn’t work, try the following.

Turn on your TV.
Let it run for 5-10 minutes and then turn it off by plugging out the power cable.
Wait for about 30 minutes and then turn on your TV.

In case your Samsung TV is still unable to detect any wireless network, there must be something wrong with your router settings.

Check Your WiFi Password

Believe it or not, a wrong password is one of the commonest reasons behind an internet connection failure. In many cases, people type an incorrect password by mistake or accidentally even if they have the correct password. Make sure you have the correct password and if you have it, type it correctly. The on-screen TV keyboard is not as easy to use as a computer or a smartphone’s keyboard. If your TV can detect the available wireless networks and is unable to establish a connection, you should try to re-enter the correct password.

Press the Home button on your remote.
Go to Settings > General > Network > Open Network Settings > Wireless.
Select the wireless network you want to connect to and type the password carefully. You can enable the Show password option to check if you have typed the correct password.
If your WiFi router’s password is too difficult or long, you should try to change it to a simpler and shorter one.

Reset Network Settings on your Samsung TV

If your Samsung TV won’t find WiFi or detect a wireless network, it may due to some problem with the configuration of the network settings on your TV. In such a case, resetting the network on your TV might help fix the WiFi connection issue.

Press the Home button on the TV’s remote.
Go to Settings > General > Network.
Click the Reset Network option and select Yes.
Now, restart your TV and reconfigure the network settings.

Disconnect All Other Devices Connected to Wi-Fi

Some WiFi routers have a preset limit on the number of devices they can connect to. If you’re trying to connect to a wireless hotspot using a smartphone, you should check under device hotspot settings if it has a limit of connected devices. I had this issue on my Android phone once. I was trying to connect to a 4th device, which was my Samsung TV, while 3 other devices were already using my phone’s data via wireless tethering.

wifi connection limit on redmi k30 pro

When I disconnected other connected devices or increased the limit of connected devices via hotspot, my Samsung TV instantly got connected to the wireless network. It doesn’t matter whether you are trying to connect to a WiFi router or a mobile hotspot, you should try disconnecting all other devices and connecting your TV alone.

Try Connecting to a Different Wireless Network

The internet connection problem on your Samsung TV may have two scenarios.

Your TV is able to find available networks but can’t connect to any of them.
Samsung TV is not detecting any wireless network at all.

If you want to troubleshoot both the things mentioned above, you should try to connect your TV to different networks. For example, if your TV is not getting connected to your WiFi router, you can try a different network. The easiest way is to try connecting to a mobile hotspot. If you already made a failed attempt to connect to a hotspot using one smartphone, try another phone or router.

If your Samsung TV can connect to any wireless network (hotspot or router), it means there is no problem with your TV. In this case, you should contact your internet service provider or the manufacturer of the WiFi router. Sometimes, if a router is connected to too many devices, it may not handle all of them and create connectivity issues. You should try reducing the number of connected devices to the network.

You should also check if your other devices can easily connect to your router. If all your devices except your TV have no issues with connection, it means there is some problem with your TV.

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Set the DNS Server and IP Adress Manually

DNS or Domain Name System is a network of directories that resolves hostnames (technastic.com, for example) associated with an IP address. By default, devices like computers, smartphones, and smart TVs automatically resolve the DNS via the IP to connect to the Internet. However, if your device can’t do that for some reason, you can configure the DNS server manually to fix an internet connection issue.

Here is how you can set up the DNS server on your Samsung TV manually.

Navigate to Settings > General > Network > Network Status.
Cancel the network test and select IP Settings.
Go to DNS Settings and select Enter Manually.
Now enter 8.8.8.8. Having typed the first 8, you will need to use the arrow (>) button to navigate to the second field to enter the next 8 and so on. Finally, select the Done option on the number selector bar.
Now, try connecting again.

Check Network Signal Strength

If your Samsung Smart TV keeps losing internet connection, you should navigate to Settings > General > Network > Open Network Settings > Wireless and check how many bars the network has. If there are just 1 0r 2 bars or it keeps fluctuating, you may not have a stable connection. In such a case, your TV will connect to the network but you won’t be able to stream or load anything from the internet. This is normal if the router is placed behind many walls. Try to move the router closer to your Samsung TV or use a WiFi repeater to strengthen the signal.

Restart the Network Source

This step should help you connect your TV to a WiFi connection in case there’s a problem from the router or hotspot device side.

Unplug the power cable of the WiFi router.
Wait for about 5-10 minutes and turn it on again.
Wait for 5 minutes to that the router finishes loading the internet settings.
Now, navigate to Settings > General > Network > Open Network Settings > Wireless. Select the WiFi network you want to connect to check if the problem has been resolved.

Network Compatibility with Your Samsung TV

All Samsung Smart TVs launched prior to 2018 support only 2.4Ghz networks. Suppose your WiFi router has a 5Ghz network, your TV won’t be able to detect the wireless network. So, if your TV is old, it may not support a 5Ghz network. In that case, you should contact your ISP (internet service provider) to adjust the network settings to 2.4Ghz.

Note: The NU6, NU71, NU72, and NU73 models of Samsung TV support 2.4Ghz networks only. You can learn more about the Samsung TV model numbers by heading to my detailed explanatory guide.

Factory Reset Your Samsung TV

Samsung TV WiFi connection issues might also be caused because of some unknown system complications or the MAC address failure. Performing a factory reset on your TV might fix such issues.

Go to Settings > General.
Select Reset.
Enter the PIN to initiate the system resetting. The default PIN is 0000.

Unblock Your TV’s MAC Address

If the MAC address of your TV is blocked in the router or by the ISP, you should get it unblocked.

Go to Settings > Support > About This TV to find out the MAC address of your TV.
Note down the MAC address and give it to your internet service provider and request him to unlock it or add it to the whitelist.

Disable WiFi PMF on Your Router

Did your Samsung Smart TV stop connecting to the internet after switching to a new router? Most routers come equipped with PMF (Protected Management Frames) that enhance WiFi connection safety over WPA2/WPA3 connections. Go to your router settings, switch to WPA/WPA2 Mixed Personal mode and then turn off PMF. Then restart your TV and router.

Change Your Modem and Router

If any of the above suggestions did not work and you are still having an internet or WiFi connection problem, you should request your internet service provider to replace your internet modem or WiFi router. Having installed a new modem or router, your problem should be fixed. Don’t forget to restart your TV before you try to connect your TV for the first time after the modem installation and setup.

As a last resort to fix the WiFi connection issue on your Samsung TV, you should try to install the latest available firmware on your TV. Your TV can download and install the latest software automatically if it’s connected to the internet. Since you are having connectivity issues, you’ll have to download the firmware and install it manually.

I have already written a detailed tutorial on updating software on Samsung TV via a USB flash drive. Please refer to that guide. Having installed the latest firmware, the internet connection problems on your TV should be fixed hopefully.

Below is a video by the Samsung support team showing different ways to troubleshoot wireless network connection issues on Samsung TVs.

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