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TCL TVs are often smart TVs these days, with built-in Roku. It’s a good and affordable combination, bringing the streaming world to your living room, helping you cut cable, and offering a solid and streamlined interface for simplicity’s sake. However, you can’t do any of that without an internet connection.
If your TCL TV is not connecting to WiFi, your WiFi is probably just fine. In fact, in most cases, it’s probably an issue of signal. It could also be an IP or DNS problem, authentication, an issue with your router, or you may need to do a reset on the TCL.
Hopefully, it’s a simple matter of signal since DNS, IP, or authentication problems are a bit more complex to solve. The good news is, we will walk you through some of these troubleshooting tips so you can get your TCL TV back on board with your router.
Table of Contents
5 Fixes to TCL TV Not Connecting To WiFi
1. WiFi Signal Strength
This is by far the most common issue people face, regardless of the type of device they are connecting to the router. In this case, we’re discussing a TCL—but you could take out the TCL and replace it with just about anything.
Most people either have a router or a gateway. A gateway is a combination of a router and a modem in a single device—usually supplied by your internet carrier.
A router can only function when it’s connected to a modem. Either way, you’re dealing with 2.4GHz, 5.0GHz, or 6.0GHz.
The higher the number, the faster the speeds, with reduced range. A 2.4GHz signal has the most range but the least speed. No matter what bandwidth you’re using to connect your TCL to your router/gateway, signal degradation is something WiFi is known for.
Concrete and brick are especially egregious but if the signal has to pass through anything, it will inevitably reduce the signal. If your TCL is far enough away, it could be enough to make it drop the WiFi over and over.
The solution is to pick up a WiFi range extender or shift your router closer to the TV. Oftentimes, it’s difficult to move the router, since it’s connected to the modem and the modem is constrained by the coax cable or fiber coming from the wall.
The best solution is to test your internet speed on your TCL or check the status.
- On the Home Screen, select ‘Settings’ in the left-hand column
- Select ‘Network’
- Select ‘About’
- Check your network status
- Be sure that its at least ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’
- If not, go back to the previous screen and select ‘Check Connection’
2. WiFi Authentication
Authentication is just a fancy word for ‘you’re WiFi password is wrong or the WPS connection feature failed.’ If you tried using the WPS feature to connect the two, try connecting by selecting your WiFi network on the TCL. If that’s not working, try the WPS method.
To connect via WPS, you’ll have the opportunity to do so in the setup menu. All you need to do is set the TCL TV to ‘Pair’ mode and then go press the WPS button on the router (it’s either on the back or the front in most cases).
If you’re having problems connecting with your password, use another device to connect to your router/gateway so you can make sure you’re putting in the right password.
Typing in a password on your TCL is different enough from a smartphone that it’s easy to make a mistake.
Most iOS, PC, and Android devices save your passwords. It’s a good idea to look yours up on one of these devices if you can’t quite remember it. Also, it’s a good idea to ensure your IP Setting Mode is set to ‘Manual’ (within the network settings again).
Once it’s switched to manual, change the IP Setting Mode to DHCP. Restart your TV for the change to take effect.
3. Power Cycle Your TCL
Sometimes, when all else fails, a power cycle will do the trick. If there’s one thing that is consistent when solving electronic device issues over the last half-century or more, it’s the power cycle.
If you’re not old enough to remember blowing on Nintendo and Atari cartridges, right after an old-fashioned reset, you know exactly what we mean. You don’t have to do anything special to power cycle your TCL TV.
All you need to do is reach behind the TV and unplug it. Yup. That simple. Wait for at least two minutes or so and plug it back in.
Once it powers back up, try to connect to your WiFi once again. Some say to wait for a mere 60 seconds but you might as well play it safe and give it two minutes.
4. Plug the TV Directly Into the Router
If your TCL is close enough to the router or you just want to see if the thing is even capable of running on your internet service, try plugging it into the ethernet port and go with a wired connection.
While that may seem silly in the age of wireless electronics, there are a ton of advantages to going with a wired connection. The two biggest advantages are speed and lack of interference.
With an ethernet cable, you’ll get the fastest speed available from your router, gateway, or modem.
Not only will you get the fastest speed, but you’ll no longer have to worry about any kind of interference. Your signal is all constrained to the ethernet cable and nowhere else. The only reason not to do this is if you have to run a really long ethernet or if your TV is just too far away for it to be a suitable option.
If you can, move the router closer to your TV. Most ethernet cables are fairly short so you may have to do some fine-tuning of your living room or bedroom setup to make everything work.
Also, if you happen to have a WiFi extender, you can plug your TV into the extender with an ethernet cable as well. That will give you the maximum signal from whatever the extender is getting from the router.
5. Power Cycle Your Router
Sometimes, it’s not your TV that’s posing the problem—it’s the router. However, you should know that if you’re going to power cycle the router, you should also go ahead and power cycle the TCL TV as well.
You do need to do it in order, with the TV cycling second to the router.
- Remove the coax or fiber connection from the router first
- Remove the power cable connection from the router
- Unplug your TCL TV
- Wait a solid two minutes
- Plug the coax or fiber connection back into the router first
- Connect the router to power again
- Wait until the router completely powers up and is working again
- Test the wireless internet connection with another device (such as your smartphone)
- Plug the TCL TV back in
- Once the TV is cycled back up, attempt to connect with the router
Check out our other articles if you think your router is the problem. Whether it is overheating or if you think you need a new one.
Final Thoughts
There you have it. One of these five troubleshooting tips should get your TCL TV back up and running again. If not, it’s a good idea to contact TCL’s Customer Service and discuss either the warranty (one year) or what you can do about fixing the issue.