A smart TV that won’t connect to Wi-Fi, or keeps disconnecting while you’re watching, is one of the most common issues out there — and in the vast majority of cases, it has nothing to do with a faulty TV. Here are the fixes to try, from simplest to most drastic, with an explanation of why each one works.
1. Restart both the router and the TV
Sounds obvious, but it fixes a surprising share of cases: both the router and the TV’s operating system keep a connection state in memory that, after days or weeks of continuous operation, can get “stuck” for no obvious reason. Turn off the router, wait at least 30 seconds (long enough for internal capacitors to fully discharge), turn it back on and let it fully come back up, generally 1-2 minutes. Do the same with the TV, unplugging it from power for a few seconds instead of just using the remote, since standby doesn’t always fully reset the network state.
2. Check the distance from the router and interference
The built-in Wi-Fi on many smart TVs, especially budget models, has a weaker antenna than a smartphone or a laptop, simply because it takes up less internal space and is a lower design priority than other components. If the TV is far from the router, separated by several concrete walls (which attenuate signal far more than drywall), or near devices that generate interference (microwaves, DECT cordless phones, some baby monitors), the connection can be unstable even on a network that works fine for every other device in the house, which might have a more efficient antenna or sit closer to the router.
3. Prefer the 5GHz band, if available
If your router supports dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz, try connecting the TV to the 5GHz network: it’s faster and generally less prone to interference than 2.4GHz, which is far more crowded since it’s also used by microwaves, Bluetooth devices and neighbors’ Wi-Fi networks. It has shorter range, though, and struggles more to pass through walls. If the TV is far from the router, try the opposite: switch from 5GHz to 2.4GHz, more stable over distance even if slightly slower and more prone to channel congestion. If your router supports Wi-Fi 6E with the 6GHz band (a newer standard, also covered in our streaming devices guide), that band is even less crowded than the other two, but requires the TV to explicitly support it too.
4. Update the TV’s software
An outdated smart TV OS can contain connectivity bugs already fixed in later versions: manufacturers periodically release updates specifically to fix connection stability issues that surfaced after a model’s launch. Look in the settings menu for something like “Software update” or “System information” and check the TV is on the latest available version. If the update itself requires a connection that currently isn’t working, try downloading it via USB from the manufacturer’s website, an option available on most recent models.
5. Forget the network and set it up again from scratch
In the TV’s Wi-Fi settings, forget the saved network and repeat the connection process from scratch, re-entering the password. This fixes cases where the TV has saved a network configuration that’s no longer valid — for example after a router change, a password change, or a router update that slightly changed the network’s security parameters (switching from WPA2 to WPA3, for instance) without the device automatically noticing.
6. Use an Ethernet cable, if possible
If the TV is near the router or reachable with a network cable, a wired Ethernet connection eliminates any Wi-Fi-related issue at the root: more stable and generally faster, especially useful for 4K streaming, which needs sustained, continuous bitrate without the fluctuations typical of a wireless connection in a home crowded with devices.
7. Consider an external dongle
If the problem only shows up with a specific streaming app and not with the network connection in general, or if the TV is older and its built-in Wi-Fi is simply weak and no longer improvable via software, an external device like a Fire TV Stick or Chromecast, plugged into an HDMI port, often solves the problem for a few tens of euros — cheaper than replacing the whole TV, and with the advantage of a generally more modern Wi-Fi module than the one built into a TV from a few years back. We cover this in more detail in our full guide on which streaming device to buy.
When it’s actually a hardware fault
If none of the above works, and other devices connect to the same network without any issues in the same spot in the house, the TV’s internal Wi-Fi module may genuinely be faulty — a fairly rare outcome compared to configuration or interference issues. In that case, check any remaining warranty before pursuing a repair (in Italy the standard legal warranty is two years), or consider permanently using an external dongle or an Ethernet cable as a lasting fix, often cheaper and more effective than repairing the internal Wi-Fi module.