As an owner of a Roku TV, I know the frustration of wanting to watch something only to realize I don’t have an internet connection. After doing some research and testing, I’m here to share how I solved this problem and other solutions I discovered.
| Tips for Using Roku TV Without Internet |
|---|
| You can use Roku TV without internet but most features won’t be available. |
| You can use Roku Media Player to watch stored media on a USB drive. |
| You can use Plex to watch media in your library when the internet is down. |
| You can connect your Roku TV to a hotspot or an Ethernet adapter. |
| You need internet access to set up your Roku TV for the first time. |
Table of Contents
Can You Use Roku TV Without Internet?
You can use Roku TV without the internet, but there isn’t much you’ll be able to do with it.
You can try streaming media services like Plex and watch media in your library—when the internet is down. What’s more, you can connect your Roku TV to any device that runs the Plex Server using screen mirroring.
However, you need internet access to change the Plex Server settings to work without the internet.
You can also use a USB flash drive to play stored media on your Roku TV using Roku Media Player. Keep in mind that not all Roku TVs support Roku Media Player. You may have trouble using this feature if you own an older Roku TV like Roku 3.
Another solution is to connect your Roku TV with your phone’s data using the hotspot and access all its features with ease.
If the problem is in the Wi-Fi, not the internet, try connecting your Roku Tv to an Ethernet connection. The downside here is that not all Roku TVs support Ethernet connections.
That said, you need internet access to set up your Roku TV if you’re using it for the first time—you can’t use Roku TV without activating your account.
Using Plex on a Roku TV Without Internet
You can access Plex on Roku if you’ve already added it to your Roku TV channels and set up the Plex server to work without the internet. Just make sure not to sign out or switch your Plex user account when the internet is out.
If you’re having trouble using Plex Media Server on your Roku TV, you can open it on Android or IOS devices and use the screen mirror feature to watch downloaded content on the TV.
Here is how to change Plex settings to access it offline—you need to do this step before the internet goes out.
- Open your Plex Server
- Go to Settings and click Show Advanced
- Scroll down and click on Network and scroll down to the bottom of the page until you see “List of IP addresses and networks that are allowed without authentication”
- You can list individual IP addresses of different devices or list your local IP address to allow all the devices connected to the network to access Plex Media Service offline
- Click on Save Changes
- Next, click on DLNA under the Settings Menu
- Click on Enable the DLNA server and Save
Connecting a USB Drive to a Roku TV to Watch Roku Without Internet
Some Roku TVs have USB ports, so you can connect USB flash drives and play stored media files using the Roku Media Player. A bonus tip: you can use a USB hub to connect various USB drives to your Roku TV.
It’s worth mentioning that Roku Media Player supports NTFS, EXT2, EXT3, FAT16, FAT32, and HFS+ file formatting systems, so make sure to format files in the USB drive accordingly.
To add Roku Media Player to your Roku TV:
- On your Roku remote, press Home
- Select Streaming Channels
- Search Roku Media Player
- Select Add Channel
- Follow the on-screen instructions to launch Roku Media Player
- When the USB is inserted, it’ll appear under Select Media Device in the Roku Media Player app
Connecting a Roku TV to a Hotspot
You can connect your Roku TV to your phone’s data and access the internet. However, that won’t be cheap since watching content on HD will burn through your mobile data fast.
Connecting Roku TV to the hotspot is easy. Just go to Settings, then Network, and choose Wireless. Select your hotspot and enter the password to connect.
Connecting Ethernet to a Roku TV
Only Roku Ultra and Ultra LT have Ethernet connection features, so if you own a different version, that’s a problem you’ll encounter.
The good news is you can still work around this problem by using an Ethernet adapter.
Here is how to connect your Roku Tv to an Ethernet adapter:
- Connect one end of the Ethernet adapter to your router and the other end to your Roku TV
- In your Roku TV, go to Settings
- Next, click on System, then USB media, and turn the Auto-launch On
- Go back to Settings
- Choose Advanced System Settings and reset the network connection
Conclusion
Can you use Roku TV without internet?
While you can’t enjoy your Roku TV fully when the network is out, you can still find some alternatives to use it.
You can connect a USB drive and watch downloaded content on it. You may also access the libraries of different streaming services like Plex—after changing the Plex server settings to offline.
Another option is to connect Roku TV to a hotspot, or if the problem is in the Wi-Fi, just use Ethernet connections. Choose what suits you best to enjoy your Roku TV without the internet.
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