Smart TVs are pretty great pieces of technology but only when they keep working. And like many other electronic devices, some of these flat screen wonders eventually reach a point where things stop working as smoothly as they used to. While many many electronic devices out there do last very long without going through rough patches, there are also a subset number that do. Smart TVs are no exception.
Samsung Smart TV Wi-fi Issues
One of the more notorious issues with some Samsung Smart TVs relates to wifi connectivity issues. And while you there may be a chance that such issues shall require professional grade attention, there is also a chance that it can be fixed easily with a few steps that you can do.
Bad Wifi Module
One of the more common causes of wi-fi issues in a smart TV is a bad wifi module. This is an electronic component that enables your unit to connect to the wireless Internet connection in your home, and if this part somehow goes bad along the way, you may encounter some odd and annoying behavior in your TV. Below are a few of those issues that you may see if the wifi module on your TV goes bad.
- No signal bars are detected by the TV even though other wifi devices clearly indicate that there is a signal
- Constantly searching the wifi signal or the TV would not connect at all even though the password has been entered correctly multiple times.
- The TV is turning itself on/off repeatedly
Related: Netflix Not Working on your Samsung Smart TV? Here’s What You Can Do.
Suggested Fix
If you encounter the above issues, then you may have a bad wifi module and there are a few things you can try to fix them. First option is to update the firmware of your unit. This should be something that is easily done and the steps to accomplish this should be available in your device’s product documentation. To do this, however, you’ll need to connect to a wired Ethernet connection so you’d need a LAN cable to accomplish this. If updating the firmware does not work, next option is to do a factory reset of your TV. This should also be easy to do via the TV’s menu.
If the above steps do not fix the issue, then you may want to look into replacing the wifi module itself. Below is a video on how to do this.
Note that the preceding information assumes that your TV is using the same module but if your unit is using a different model, I believe you can still take the above simple measures to attempt a DIY fix. When in doubt, please seek professional repair help.
Related post: Fixing a Samsung TV that won’t connect to Wifi
If my wifi module goes out, can I just use a roku stick on the tv for internet connection instead? A roku stick is cheaper than purchasing a wifi module for my t.v.
Can I just replace it with a usb WiFi adapter, so I don’t have to take tv apart? If, any recommendations?
Hi, Carolyn. There isn’t a simple answer but depending on what your TV brand and model is, it is likely not possible to do this as your TVs operating system would need to be ready to know what to do with a wifi adapter (i.e., the TV would need to have the appropriate driver so it can use the usb wifi adapter properly). That said, there are specific TV brands that can do this. For example, Samsung sells LinkStick devices that can do this for Samsung devices. You will need to be careful if you go this route and make sure the USB Wifi Adapter is SUPPORTED by your TV.