How To Connect Vizio TV To Wi-Fi

To update the TV wirelessly or connect to smart apps like streaming services, your television needs an Internet connection. While wired connections are best for speed and stability, most people with enough network speed should be able to have a great experience just using a Wi-Fi connection.

Connecting your Vizio TV to Wi-Fi is a very simple and straightforward process.

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Connecting a Vizio TV to Wi-Fi

Vizio has two slightly different connection protocols depending on your TV type. The Smartcast and VIA Plus platforms connect to Wi-Fi the same way as the older Vizio Internet apps. However, the screen may look slightly different, and the button placement may differ depending on your television model.

Vizio Internet Apps was the default platform for Vizio TVs up to 2013. VIA Plus was the platform for TVs manufactured from 2013 until 2017. After that, SmartCast became Vizio’s main platform. While they have many differences, they should connect to Wi-Fi similarly.

Press Menu on your remote.
Choose Network.
Highlight the network to which you want to connect.
Enter the network password.
Choose Connect.

Your television should now be connected to the internet.

What Kind of Wi-Fi Network Will My Vizio Use?

Your Vizio TV will probably need a 2.4 GHz network rather than the newer 5 and 6 GHz networks that many routers also transmit. Even newer routers that use higher bands should be able also to output a 2.4 GHz network.

This network is still essential because many connected smart devices – like Vizio Smart TVs – use it. If you aren’t seeing a 2.4 GHz network, check your manual and log in to your router to set one up. It should be a separate network with a different network name and password than your 5GHz network.

If your connection is low and doesn’t seem to be reaching the TV, try moving the router closer and remove physical barriers like doors that might block the signal. You can also try a mesh router system or range extenders.

Unable to Connect Vizio TV to Wi-Fi?

If you’re having trouble getting your TV to connect, it’s probably a simple connection issue with your router or television. It’s likely pretty simple to fix. Here are a few different things to try.

DHCP

Switching DHCP on can help your connection work if it isn’t. Check your manual network settings and make sure it’s turned on.

Power Cycle Your Router

When you’re having trouble connecting a device to the internet, a quick reset of your router and modem can help make the connection possible. Your Vizio TV may be able to see and connect to the network after you perform these steps.

Unplug the router from the wall. Unplug the modem as well.
Wait a few minutes for the devices to fully reset.
Plug the modem in and wait for the lights on it to indicate that it has a connection. You want to be sure it has an internet signal so that it can share with the router.
Plug the router in and wait until it indicates that it’s fully connected and transmitting wirelessly.
Try connecting your Vizio TV to Wi-Fi again.

This is an excellent thing to try whenever you’re having trouble with your internet network.

Power Cycle Your TV

You can also power cycle your TV to clear up problems you’re having with it. When you can’t connect to Wi-Fi, this is one way to refresh your system and try to make the connection work.

Turn off your television.
Unplug it from the outlet.
Wait five minutes.
Plug the TV back in. Turn it on again.
Try to connect to Wi-Fi.

If you can’t see the name of your Wi-Fi network, you may need to troubleshoot the connection. If it still isn’t working, try connecting to the network on other devices. If the internet is working, you will know it’s a TV issue and be able to take another step.

Reset Your TV

If it won’t work and you know the internet is set up to connect properly, consider resetting the TV. You can always scroll through your image settings, take pictures to remember what they were, and change them back when you’re on. Doing this will restore all your settings to default, and the system files may need to be updated again to get the latest versions.