Roku digital media players offer users a pretty versatile platform and today, there are various products in the market from TVs running Roku to set top boxes and plug-in dongles that offer users access to this platform.

As such, Roku is pretty popular as a TV operating system and supports so many popular streaming services natively, making it one of the best entertainment platforms we have today.

roku in post

Features such as integration with Amazon Alexa only go to make this platform even more versatile, further endearing itself to consumers. However, there seem to be a few issues.

There have been issues such as YouTube TV reportedly not working for some Roku users, excessive battery drain on the Roku remotes, just to mention a few.

Now, it is coming to light that there might be another more serious issue afflicting a section of Roku users, an issue rendering these affected users unable to connect their units to Wi-Fi.

roku won't connect to wi-fi
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According to some of the affected users, their Roku devices suddenly lose Wi-Fi connection and can no longer see any available networks after that.

Add me to the list. My Roku Premiere lost connection to wifi last night and can no longer see *any* wifi network. I’ve only had it a few days and I’m extremely disappointed. Seems to be a common problem, and I’m on the verge of sending it back.
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Those who have managed to get this issue resolved say manually adding Roku’s MAC Address to the Wi-Fi router seems to do the trick.

Hey thanks for helping. I got it fixed. I have this weird wifi through my apartment. They had to re-add my MAC address and it worked. Why it was dropped I am not sure. You think it would really add it by itself.
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However, some users are reportedly still facing this issue despite not having messed with their devices’ settings in any way and the above-mentioned workaround doesn’t seem to offer any relief.

Roku, through an employee, has since come out to acknowledge this issue, noting that the same has been forwarded over to the Support team for further consultation with affected users.

roku wifi issue fowarded to support team

I have passed along your information and concern to our Support team. They will follow up and further assist you through email.
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So, for affected users, what hope do they have at the moment? Well, there have been a few suggested workarounds to Roku error 003. Many of them are aimed at helping affected users update to the latest firmware in hopes that this addresses the error.

– If you connect the Roku to your router via Ethernet cable, you will be able to install the update without any errors.
– Obtain an Ethernet cable and attach it between the router’s Ethernet port and the Roku device’s Ethernet port.
– Choose the correct input channel on your TV. Turn on the Roku device and make use of the remote to search through options.
– Contact the technical team if these solutions do not help solve the Roku Error Code 003.
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As this issue has been afflicting Roku users from as far back as October 2020, it is time Roku stepped up and offered affected users a working fix.

We shall continue to keep an eye on this and update as and when we get more info so stay tuned to PiunikaWeb.

NOTE: We have these and many more Roku stories in our dedicated Roku section.

PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.

Clinton Madegwa
1118 Posts

A cybernaut grasping at all things tech. Lover of Android, Linux, and custom ROMS. A nerd, a writer, an avid reader.

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