In a world full of devices that rely on a stable internet connection, having WiFi connection issues is the worst.
As Apple TVs become increasingly popular in people’s homes, it’s very frustrating when your Apple TV won’t connect to WiFi or keep disconnecting.
My Apple TV has had its share of issues in the past, including times when there was no sound or the main menu was not showing. So it’s no surprise if your Apple TV keeps saying unable to join the network.
Most of these WiFi issues tend to stem from the strength (or lack thereof) of the WiFi. Possibly, this is due to a weak WiFi signal in the area, network interference, or how far the Apple TV device is located from the WiFi range. The latter depends a lot on your modem or router’s maximum range.
Here are some helpful tips that can assist you in dealing with the pesky problems of Apple TV not connecting to WiFi.
Apple TV Won’t Connect to WiFi
If your Apple TV won’t connect to WiFi, you need to restart your TV and Wi-Fi router. Next, make sure that the firmware for your Apple TV and Wi-Fi is up to date. If it doesn’t work, connect your TV to your modem through an ethernet cable. If the issue continues, contact Apple support.
Check if Apple TV Servers Are Down
Sometimes the problem might not be on your side. First, you’re going to make sure the Apple TV servers are not down.
You can visit Apple’s status page for updates on their services. A red dot will appear next to services that are down. If the servers are down for some reason, you’ll have to wait until Apple resolves the issue.
If Apple’s end seems to be working fine, then the problem is on your side. You can, follow the troubleshooting steps below to fix your Apple TV not working on Roku.
Is Router Compatible With Apple TV
Your home might have a shiny new Apple TV streamer, but your router may be old as dirt. The fact is, older routers can’t handle the demands imposed on them by streaming devices like Apple TV. So you’ll need to invest in another router.
Before wondering if something is wrong with your WiFi, consider how old your router is. Apple TV’s 4th and 5th generation devices, for instance, list its specs as 802.11ac wireless with MIMO, needing a 10/100 BASE-T Ethernet or broadband internet.
Check if Apple TV Is in Range of Router’s Range
You can use the Wifi Network Test in the Network section of your Settings menu to run a test of how viable the WiFi signal is.
If it found the be weak, your Apple TV device may be sitting just outside or nearly outside the range of your WiFi’s reach.
This can happen in larger homes where the router is on one side of the house on the bottom floor (or subbasement) while the Apple TV device is located at the far end of the next floor on the opposite side of the home.
With your smartphone, you can quickly see how strong the signal is. Connect it to WiFi while standing next to the router and slowly make your way to the Apple TV device.
Carefully note the bars allotted to the WiFi signal as they will systematically drop as you are further from the source.
It is likely that you are too far away from your Apple TV device if your signal strength is only one or two bars. Either move the router closer to you or move the device closer to the router. You can also buy a WiFi booster and plug it into an area midway between the two.
See also: Is Apple TV Worth It? (Pros & Cons Explained!)
Restart Your Wi-Fi Router
If the issue is with your router or modem, you can overcome it by unplugging it for about 20 to 30 seconds, then plugging it back and letting it reinitialize.
Once that happens, you can check if Apple TV is connecting to WiFi. These types of resets often address most connectivity issues.
Restart Apple TV
Perhaps the issue is with the Apple TV device itself. If you navigate to the Settings menu and choose System, you can choose to Restart the device.
Alternatively, you can just unplug the Apple TV device for about 30 seconds and plug it back in. Once it runs its initialization protocols, the connectivity issue, if it was on the device’s end, might resolve itself.
Check for Apple TV Updates
If there are connectivity issues, rest assured many users have reported them to Apple. Certainly, the company has investigated most of these reported incidents and may have addressed them already in the system update packets available.
Often your Apple TV device will not inform you of these or prompt you to update until you manually trigger the action.
To do this navigate to the Settings menu and enter the System section. From there, select Software Update to see if an update is available. If one is, it might carry the fix for the connectivity problem.
See also: How to Fix Apple TV Keeps Asking for Password
Check Router Security Settings
Sometimes network interference is the root of the problem. You can check the router’s security settings to verify if this is the case.
To ensure that the Apple TV is not prohibited from using your router, enter the correct password and verify the router’s MAC Address Filter.
You can get the MAC address from the device in the About subsection of the General menu in Settings. Also, assure that the router is set to WEP, though if it is, you can try the WPA or WPA2 options as well.
Update Router Firmware
If the issue is due to the router’s software, and if it has been a while since you last attempted a firmware update on your router, it might be a good idea to try.
To do this, log into the router console as an administrator (type the router’s IP address into a web browser), and look for an indicator that firmware updates are available. If available, set the firmware update to initiate.
Final Thoughts on Apple TV Unable to Join Network
We have provided you with most of the viable solutions for fixing your Apple TV that won’t connect to WiFi.
- Check if Apple TV Servers Are Down
- Is Router Compatible With Apple TV
- Check if Apple TV Is in Range of the Router’s Range
- Restart Your Wi-Fi Router
- Restart Apple TV
- Check for Apple TV Updates
- Check Router Security Settings
- Update Router Firmware
There is a good chance that one of the suggested fixes has fixed the issue for you. You should note that it’s important to have a stable WiFi connection (not even with a hotspot from your phone) for Apple TV to work.
Let me know if this helped fix your Apple TV WiFi connection issue. If you found success doing something else, leave me a comment down below!
