How to Fix It When Fire Stick Won't Connect to Wi-Fi

When a Fire Stick won't connect to Wi-Fi, it's usually because of a signal strength issue. The situation isn't always simple though, and you'll find that issues with your router, the Fire Stick itself, and even interference from outside sources can all prevent a Fire Stick from connecting. Most of these issues can be tackled by yourself at home, so here's the information you'll need to fix it when your Fire Stick won't connect to Wi-Fi.

What Causes a Fire Stick to Not Connect to Wi-Fi?

The primary cause of Fire Stick connectivity issues is signal strength, but there are a whole lot of possibilities on the table. Here are the most common reasons a Fire Stick won't connect to Wi-Fi:

• Signal strength: If your Fire Stick is too far away from your router, it simply won't be able to connect to Wi-Fi. Excessive obstructions can also have the same effect.
• Interference: Devices that broadcast or create interference on the same frequency as your Wi-Fi network can prevent your Fire Stick from connecting. Cordless phones, microwaves, and other similar devices can cause this type of problem.
• Router issues: Router problems tend to crop up the longer you go between restarting your hardware. Most of these issues will resolve themselves after you restart your router.
• Fire Stick issues: In some cases, a problem with your Fire Stick may prevent it from connecting to Wi-Fi. Most Fire Stick issues can be solved with a simple reset unless you have suffered a hardware failure.
• Remote sync issues: If you see an error that your Fire Stick won't connect, and you can't proceed because your remote won't connect either, you'll have to re-pair your remote to proceed.

How to Fix It When Fire Stick Won't Connect to Wi-Fi

To fix a Fire Stick that won't connect to Wi-Fi, follow these troubleshooting steps:

1. Check your Fire Stick Wi-Fi connection settings. Make sure your Fire Stick is trying to connect to the correct network and double-check you entered the correct password. If you switch to a new wireless router, you will need to re-enter this information.

2. Pair your remote. If you see an error that your Fire Stick can't connect, and you can't change your Wi-Fi settings because your remote won't work, try pairing it. Make sure it has fresh batteries, and hold the home button for at least 10 seconds. You should then be able to enter your Wi-Fi network information.

   If that doesn't work, you can use the Fire TV app as a remote as long as your Fire TV is connected by Ethernet to the same network as your phone. Alternately, you can plug a USB keyboard and mouse into your Fire Stick and use that instead of the remote.

3. Check your Wi-Fi network. Use other wireless devices, like your phone or laptop, to check the connectivity status of your wireless network. You can also use your router control panel if you don't have any other wireless devices. If your other devices aren't able to connect either, you will need to set up or fix your wireless network.

4. Check your Wi-Fi signal strength. Your wireless network is strongest right next to the router, and the strength falls off with distance. Furniture, appliances, walls, and other obstructions also reduce signal strength. If the signal isn't strong enough where your Fire Stick is located, it won't be able to connect to your network.

5. Make sure SSID broadcasting is enabled. If your Fire Stick doesn't see your Wi-Fi network, and your signal strength is fine, make sure you or your network administrator hasn't disabled SSID broadcasting. If it is disabled, devices that are already connected will still be able to connect, but new devices like your Fire Stick won't see the network.

6. Try joining a hidden network. If your SSID is hidden, and you can't figure out how to fix that, you will need to join manually. Here's how:

   1. On your Fire Stick, navigate to Settings > Network.
   2. Select Join Other Network.
   3. Enter the SSID, or exact name, of your Wi-Fi network, and select Next.
   4. Select the type of security used by your network, and select Next.
   5. Enter your Wi-Fi password, and select Next.
   6. Verify the information, and select Connect.

7. Restart your router. A lot of network connectivity problems can be solved by simply restarting your router. Even if other wireless devices work just fine, there may be a some type of conflict that will be resolved by a clean start.

8. Reboot your Fire Stick. A lot of Fire Stick problems can also be resolved by a simple restart. To accomplish this, just unplug your Fire Stick from power for about three seconds and then plug it back in. You can also restart it through the menus by navigating to Settings > My Fire TV > Restart.

9. Try a different Wi-Fi channel. If you live in a highly populated area, there's a good chance your wireless network overlaps with your neighbor's. In some cases, there may even be several overlapping networks all competing for bandwidth. By changing to a channel that's less congested, your Fire Stick may be able to connect.

10. Don't put your Fire Stick inside a TV cabinet. If you have your television set into a cabinet, or even up against a wall, it may be the cause of insufficient signal strength. Buy yourself a longer version of the HDMI extension cable that came with your Fire Stick, and relocate the Fire Stick outside the TV cabinet where your Wi-Fi signal strength is higher.

11. Remove obstructions and interference. If at all possible, try removing obstructions between your wireless router and your Fire Stick. You can't do anything about walls or ceilings, but consider how the positioning of large furniture items might obstruct the Wi-Fi signal, and how appliances like microwaves might disrupt it.

12. Relocate your wireless router. Consider placing your router up as high as you can, and moving your Fire Stick to a high location as well with the aid of an HDMI extension cable. If you have multiple phone or cable outlets, you may also want to try moving both your modem and router to a different room. If you are able to move the router closer to the Fire Stick, it will take care of a lot of poor signal problems.

13. Try a Wi-Fi access point. This is a last ditch effort, as it requires the purchase of a Wi-Fi access point to improve the wireless signal strength where your Fire Stick is located. Check to see if your router can be used to create a mesh system, or if it's designed for use with a specific model of access point. Alternately, you may want to try a powerline adapter instead.

14. Upgrade your router. This is another drastic step, but it will pay off if your router is getting a little long in the tooth. For example, if you have a limited range router that doesn't support 802.11ac, upgrading will allow your Wi-Fi 5 devices to achieve faster wireless connection speeds, provide a stronger connection, and possibly even more range depending on the router you select.