Improve Your Roku Device Wifi Reception and wired network connection

Some Roku streaming devices have a USB port. This port can be used to plug in an Ethernet-to-USB adapter so the Roku device receives its Internet via a wired connection.

https://support.roku.com/article/360058027813

For TVs that have Roku built-in, try these adapters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6vlHmwFVrQ

Adapters with gigabit 1000mbps don't work. Always try the adapters with 100mbps (aka Fast Ethernet) with USB2. Any adapter that has the ASIX AX88772A chipset in its circuitry seems to play nice with RokuTVs and Roky streaming devices that lack the network jack. It's most likely that a Roku device with a network jack actually uses this chipset. Don't be worry about the "slower" 100mbps speed. It is fast enough even for 4K videos.

The key steps are:

1. Turn the TV USB port to ON so the TV will recognize any USB item plugged in to it. The USB on the RokuTV is meant for a harddrive that has videos and pictures to play from, but when a compatible USB-to-Ethernet adapter is plugged in, the TV will recognize it as wired network.

2. If the TV does not recognize it, Reset the Internet connection in the RokuTV system to refresh it. 

Settings -->System-->Advanced-->Network Reset.

What if a wired connection is not an option? You can still improve on the wifi reception by supplanting the device's wimpy internal wifi antenna with a more powerful external antenna. Roku does not sell its own Ethernet-to-USB adapters, but it does sell this external USB-powered wifi transceiver. 

Power Cable with Long-range Wi-Fi Receiver

https://www.roku.com/products/accessories/usb-power-cable-with-long-range-wifi-receiver-streaming-stick-4k-and-4k-plus?srsltid=AfmBOoo1ImnLQqJl_6UhC_R99xtcLhdrmpHhvLdUOqBJ75J9QfrkJBdM

The larger end USB (USB-A) plugs into your TV USB port. Because this connection is to power the transceiver, if the TV has a USB port meant for power, use that. You can also plug this USB-A end to an actual USB charger that is used to charge your phone.

The smaller USB end (USB-B) goes into your Roku device. Because this transceiver is made by Roku, the Roku device should automatically detect it and disable its own internal antenna in favor of this external one. With this external transceiver, your Roku streaming device should be able to pick up fainter wifi signal from your wifi router. 

This transceiver is compatible with these streaming devices:

Roku Streaming Stick 4K (models 3820X and 3820X2)

Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ (models 3821X and 3821X2)

This makes sense because 4K videos require more data going into the devices, necessitating a more sensitive receiver.