The fastest way to connect your Samsung TV to WiFi
Most Samsung TVs connect to WiFi through the Settings menu on your remote. You'll need your WiFi network name and password, and the whole process takes about five minutes. The TV will walk you through it step by step, and you only have to do it once — after that, your TV reconnects automatically whenever it powers on.
If your TV is brand new out of the box, it may prompt you to connect during the initial setup. If you're adding WiFi to a TV that's already been running, or switching to a different network, you'll go through Settings instead.
Key Takeaways
- Press the Home button on your Samsung remote, then navigate to Settings and select Network to find the WiFi connection screen.
- Your WiFi network name and password are the same ones you use on your phone or computer — check your router or your internet bill if you don't remember them.
- If your TV doesn't find your network, move the TV closer to your router or restart both the TV and router by unplugging them for 30 seconds.
- Once connected, your TV will remember the network and reconnect on its own each time you turn it on.
- If you see an error code or your connection keeps dropping, restarting the TV and router fixes most problems before you need to contact Samsung support.
Step-by-step connection using your remote
Start with your TV powered on and your Samsung remote in hand. Press the Home button (the button with a house icon) on your remote. This opens the main menu on your screen.
Use the arrow buttons on your remote to navigate down to Settings, then press Enter. Look for Network in the Settings menu — it's usually near the top. Press Enter to open it.
Select Open Network Settings or WiFi (the exact wording depends on your TV model year, but it will be one of these). Your TV will now show a list of available networks. Find your network name in that list — it's the same name you see when you connect your phone or laptop to WiFi.
Highlight your network name and press Enter. A keyboard will appear on your screen asking for your WiFi password. Use your remote's arrow buttons to select each letter and number, pressing Enter after each one. This is slow, so take your time and double-check as you go. When you're done, select Connect and press Enter.
What to do if your network doesn't appear in the list
If you don't see your network name on the list, the TV is too far from your router. Move your TV closer to the router — even temporarily — and refresh the network list. On most Samsung TVs, you can press the back arrow on your remote to go back, then select the network list again to refresh it.
If moving the TV doesn't help, restart both devices. Unplug your router from power and leave it unplugged for 30 seconds, then plug it back in. While the router is restarting, unplug your TV as well, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. Once both are fully powered up, try the connection steps again.
If your network still doesn't appear, check that your router is actually broadcasting your network name. Some routers have a setting to hide the network name. If yours is hidden, you can still connect — select Add Network or Other Network at the bottom of the network list, then type your network name manually and enter your password.
Entering your WiFi password correctly
The most common mistake is typing your password wrong. WiFi passwords are case-sensitive, meaning capital letters are different from lowercase letters. If your password is MyNetwork2024, typing mynetwork2024 will not work.
If you're not sure what your password is, check the sticker on the back or bottom of your router — most routers print the default password there. If you've changed it and can't remember it, you can reset your router to factory settings, but that will erase any other devices you've connected. A safer option is to log into your router's admin page from your phone or computer and look up the password there, or change it to something you'll remember.
If you keep getting a "password incorrect" error after triple-checking, restart your router. Unplug it for 30 seconds, plug it back in, wait for all the lights to stabilize, then try connecting your TV again.
What to do if the connection fails or keeps dropping
If your TV connects but then disconnects after a few minutes, or if you see an error code on the screen, the first step is always to restart both devices. Unplug your TV and router, wait 30 seconds, and plug them back in. This clears temporary glitches that cause most connection problems.
If restarting doesn't fix it, check that your router is in a central location in your home, not hidden in a closet or behind metal objects. WiFi signals weaken through walls and metal, so moving your router to a more open spot can improve the connection. If you can't move the router, move your TV closer to it temporarily to test whether distance is the problem.
If you're still having trouble after restarting and checking the router location, go back to Settings > Network and select Network Status or Connection Status. This shows you the signal strength your TV is receiving. If it says "Poor" or shows a very low number, your TV is too far from the router or something is blocking the signal. If it says "Good" or "Excellent" but you're still disconnecting, the problem may be with your internet service itself — restart your modem (the device your internet comes from) as well as your router.
Connecting to a 5GHz network instead of 2.4GHz
Most modern routers broadcast two networks at once: a 2.4GHz network and a 5GHz network. Both have the same name, or the 5GHz one has a "-5G" suffix. The 5GHz network is faster but doesn't travel as far through walls. The 2.4GHz network is slower but has better range.
If your router broadcasts both, your TV will usually connect to whichever one has the stronger signal. If you want to force your TV to use the 5GHz network for faster speeds, look for Network Settings or Advanced Network Settings in your TV's Settings menu. Some Samsung models let you choose which frequency band to use, but not all do — if you don't see that option, your TV will automatically pick the best one.
If your TV connects to 2.4GHz but keeps dropping, try switching to 5GHz if your router supports it. Go to Settings > Network, forget your current network, then reconnect and select the 5GHz version of your network name.
Troubleshooting when nothing else works
If you've restarted both devices, checked your password, and moved your TV closer to the router but still can't connect, try a factory reset of your TV's network settings. Go to Settings > Network > Reset Network Settings. This erases your saved WiFi networks and resets the TV's network hardware to factory defaults. After the reset, go through the connection steps again from the beginning.
If a factory network reset doesn't work, your TV's WiFi hardware may be faulty. Before contacting Samsung support, try one more thing: connect your TV to the internet using an Ethernet cable instead. Plug one end into the Ethernet port on the back of your TV and the other end into your router. This bypasses the WiFi hardware entirely and tells you whether the problem is WiFi-specific or something else. If your TV works fine over Ethernet, the WiFi chip needs service. If it still doesn't work, the problem is elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Samsung account to connect to WiFi?
No. Connecting to WiFi is separate from signing into a Samsung account. Your TV will connect to your network without any account. You only need a Samsung account if you want to use Samsung's streaming apps or cloud features, and even then it's optional for basic WiFi use.
Will my TV remember the WiFi password if I unplug it?
Yes. Once you've entered your password and connected successfully, your TV stores it in memory. Even if you unplug the TV for days, it will remember the network and reconnect automatically when you power it back on. You only have to enter the password once.
Can I connect my Samsung TV to a guest WiFi network?
Yes, as long as the guest network is broadcasting its name and you know the password. Select the guest network from the list just like you would a regular network, enter the password, and connect. Some guest networks have restrictions that prevent streaming or downloading, so if your TV connects but apps won't load, check your router's guest network settings.
What if I changed my WiFi password and my TV won't reconnect?
Your TV is trying to use the old password. Go to Settings > Network, find your network in the list, and select Forget or Delete. Then reconnect to the same network and enter your new password. The TV will now save the new password.
Can I use WiFi calling or a hotspot from my phone to connect my TV?
Yes, you can connect your TV to a mobile hotspot from your phone. Turn on your phone's hotspot, find it in your TV's network list, and enter the hotspot password just like any other WiFi network. Keep in mind that streaming video uses a lot of data, so this works best for occasional use rather than daily streaming.