How do I troubleshoot the wireless connection on my Philips Google TV?
Published on 2022-06-30
Wireless connections can be tricky. Many variables can affect the ability of your television to connect to and stream from the internet. To troubleshoot the issue, the best approach is to rule out the obvious and try to narrow down the cause.
The first item to check is your network itself. If you have noticed that your TV cannot connect to the internet, check to make sure other devices on the same network can by trying to connect with another device such as a PC or tablet, etc. Your devices all connect to your router, which may or may not also be your modem, and then to your ISP upstream. If none of your devices are connecting, the issue is likely with your router, or your modem, or your ISP, so we will want to try basic troubleshooting on the devices that connect you to your ISP.
Unplug your modem or combination modem/router from power
Unplug your router (is separate from your modem)
Wait for 20-30 seconds and plug in your modem or modem/router
Note the lights on the Router- most often there will be lights that indicate connection status. If you see a blinking RED light or a light that is not lit, your ISP may be having issues and you may wish to check for outages in your area via your cell phone. You can check at downdetector.com or at your ISP homepage or in your ISP App.
Once the modem is up and running again, plug in your router and let it reconnect for 20-3 seconds. The lights on the router also indicate status so note if the light indicating internet connection lights up or blinks red, etc.
Once you have reconnected both devices, try to connect to the internet on any of your streaming products. If the devices connect, you are good to go.
If none of your devices connect, you will need to call your ISP for further assistance
What if my other devices can connect to the internet but my Philips Google TV cannot?
If other devices can connect to the internet, but your TV cannot, we can assume the issue is with the TV or with your router not allowing the TV to connect. One or more setting(s) could be incorrect, or the signal could be weak or intermittent, etc. To troubleshoot the TV, follow these steps:
Press the "Home" button on the remote control
Navigate up and to the right to select the Google account icon
In the menu that pops up, navigate to "Settings" and select it by pressing "OK"
In the next menu, navigate to "Network & Internet" and select it by pressing "OK"
Now navigate down to the Network you are connected to. You may see several or even many networks, but the one you are connected to will say “Connected” beneath it.
If you do not see a network that is connected, it could be that you have setup the password incorrectly and you will want to skip down to the section below called “How do I change my network settings?”
Once you locate the network you are connected to, navigate to it and look on the right side of the screen.
You will see helpful information, including signal strength and connection status. You will also see the IP address your router has assigned the TV.
If you see a signal status that is weak, skip to the section below called “What if my signal status is weak?”
If you do not see any IP address, there could be an issue with your router assigning an IP address to the TV or it could simply be that the TV lost connection, but the router still thinks the TV is there and will not reassign an IP address. This is usually solved by resetting the connection, either by restarting your router (as detailed above), or your TV by turning wireless off, waiting and then turning it back on.
To reset the wireless connection on your TV, navigate to the line labeled “Wi-Fi” and toggle the slider off. Wait 20 seconds and then toggle it back on.
Test your connection again.
What if my signal strength is weak?
If you see that your signal strength is not strong, you have several options, depending on your setup.
If you can move the router closer to the TV, this can often help.
If you can run an ethernet cable to you TV from the router, this will make certain that your connection is strong and not intermittent.
Many people do not have the ability to move their TV or router and cannot run a cable between them. If this describes your situation, you should try to connect to the 2.4 GHz band of your router.
Bigger is not always better and in the case of Wi-Fi, even though 5GHz is faster and can transmit more data per second, the 2.4GHz band is stronger and has a longer range.
Most routers offer both a 5GHz and a 2.4GHz band, and the default setting is for both to use the same SSID and have the router switch the devices to 2.4GHz when 5GHz is not sufficiently strong to reach the device.
However, if the device is right on or near the boundary and has an intermittent signal or one that the router thinks is ok but that really isn’t strong enough to stream, the router may not switch it to 2.4GHz.
The solution is to setup a dedicated 2.4GHz network and have your TV connect to it.
To do this, consult your router instructions. Usually, you simply uncheck a box that combines both the 5 and 2.4 GHz bandwidths and then name your networks 2 distinct names. So if your current network is mixed 5/2.4 GHz and is called “FRED” you would end up with 2 networks, perhaps one called “FRED 5.0” and the other called “FRED 2.4”
Once you have setup a 2.4GHz network consult the section below called “How do I change my network settings?” to connect to the 2.4 GHz network.
How do I change my network settings?
To change your network settings, to correct or verify your network password, or to connect to a different network, follow these steps:
Press the Home button on the remote control
Navigate up and to the right to select the Google account icon
In the menu that pops up, navigate to "Settings" and select it by pressing "OK"
In the next menu, navigate to "Network & Internet" and select it by pressing "OK"
Look for the name of your network, navigate to it and press "OK"
If the password is incorrect, or has never been entered, you will see a keyboard popup and a blank labeled “Enter password for SSID,” where SSID is the name of your network.
Use the remote to enter your network password and then select the checkmark on the lower right of the keyboard to proceed to connect.
If you have changed the name of your network, you can also navigate to the old network name and then press OK to select it. Then navigate down and select “Forget Network.” This will stop the TV from trying to connect to a network that is no longer there.
