How To Connect Your Roku Streaming Device To Wired Network Via USB?

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Roku devices are compact streaming boxes or streaming sticks that hook up to your television and operate similarly to the Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV 4K. They organized all of the subscription-based streaming services, including Netflix, Spotify, Hulu, Disney+, and others, in one convenient location on a TV screen. Along with access to a tonne of paid content, they also provide free access to over 190 streaming channels on the Roku Channel and over 250 channels on Pluto TV. The bundled, user-friendly Roku remote controls Roku boxes and streaming devices. Some Roku remote controls have a headphone jack and support voice commands.

Your Roku device needs to stay connected to your network and the internet in order to stream your favorite online content. To do this, you can either connect it to your wireless network or, if your Roku device supports the capability, you can use a compatible third-party Ethernet adapter to connect it to your wired network through USB. This article describes how to connect your compatible devices to your wired network and gives information on supported Roku devices and Ethernet adapters.

How To Connect Your Roku Streaming Device To Wired Network Via USB?

To play locally stored photo, audio, and video files, you can attach an external USB drive to the USB connection on some Roku devices. By connecting them to a USB hub, you can connect multiple USB drives to your Roku device. Additionally, you can use a USB cable to link your Roku streaming device to a wired network. Roku advises purchasing an additional Micro-USB Ethernet Network Adapter if your Roku streaming device lacks an Ethernet connector.

Your Roku streaming device is powered by the Ethernet adapter via a Micro-USB to USB-A cable. The streaming device can be powered by your phone charger or virtually any 5V/2A USB wall charger. The Ethernet interface on the adapter is then connected using an Ethernet wire from your router or switch.

After purchasing a third-party Ethernet adapter, attach one end of the USB cable to the USB port on your Roku and the other end to the Ethernet port on your router. Next, start your Roku streaming device. You will receive setup instructions from the guided setup feature. Now, choose the wired option and finish the connection process when prompted to join your network. When an Internet connection is made, your Roku device might reboot and apply any available updates.

Points To Consider While Buying Third-Party Usb To Ethernet Adapter

Now that you know what to look for when buying a USB-to-Ethernet adapter, make sure to keep these items in mind. The only speeds the adaptor supports are 10/100 Mbps. Those with Giga Ethernet (1000Mbps) won’t function, according to Roku. You’re still secure with a 100Mbps Ethernet adapter, as the majority of streaming services only need roughly 25Mbps of internet connection. Finding an adapter with an AX8877X or SMSC95XX chipset is then recommended. Your Roku Streambar or Soundbar requires an adapter with a regular USB connector (or USB-A), but your Roku Express 4K requires an adapter with a Micro-USB connector. Currently, the market offers a variety of possibilities. Check to see whether it works with Chromecast Ultra and Fire TV Stick as well.

How Does Streaming Affect When Switching From Wireless To Wired Connection?

How To Connect Your Roku Streaming Device To Wired Network Via USB

If you have WiFi access, you might be unsure whether using an Ethernet cable for streaming is preferable. Even though WiFi has advanced significantly, offering quicker speeds and stronger signals than it formerly did, you can’t ignore the drawbacks that it still has. WiFi connections are practical but have a lot of potential problems, making them the least trustworthy for streaming. You can have issues with a WiFi connection, such as signal dropouts, high latency, interference from other devices, completely dead zones, and a slower connection. The last thing you want is to be watching a Netflix movie on Roku halfway through when your connection stops, and we know you don’t like to see buffering pictures.

It is significantly more dependable to stream directly from your network using an Ethernet cable. However, there is a danger that your entire internet connection could go down; connecting directly to a device fixes almost all Wi-Fi-related problems. Additionally, a wired Ethernet connection will guarantee the highest quality if you want to stream in 4K. The main drawback of a wired connection is the additional wire you’ll need to try to conceal and the requirement that the Roku be situated close to your router in order to connect to it.

Can You Use Roku On Mobile?

Additionally, Roku has a mobile application for iOS and Android smartphones, giving even greater freedom. You may control Roku devices directly from your phone using the mobile app, which duplicates a number of menu categories from the main Roku TV onscreen menu system and includes Voice Search. The mobile app for Roku TVs also manages TV operations like input selection, OTA channel scanning, picture and audio settings, and internet streaming.

You can also use a smartphone or tablet to send photographs and movies directly to a Roku TV or streaming stick so that you can view them on your TV. Another benefit is that you can listen to the content you are accessing on your Roku device in private using a headphone.