How to Fix It When a Firestick Is Not Connecting to Internet

When a Fire TV Stick doesn’t connect to the internet, it’s usually due to a problem with the local network or an internet connectivity issue. The wireless network signal strength may be too low, there may be an issue with the local network hardware, or there might be a problem with your internet connection.

If you set up your Fire Stick yourself, this is a problem you should be able to fix by following our troubleshooting tips. If someone else set up your Fire Stick, especially if someone installed a VPN for you, then you may need to ask for that person’s assistance.

What Causes a Firestick to Not Connect to the Internet?

The most common cause of a Fire Stick not connecting to the internet is some manner of a problem with your home network, but there are several other potential issues you’ll need to rule out. Here are the most common reasons a Fire Stick will fail to connect to the internet:

• Wi-Fi signal strength: If your Fire Stick is too far away from your wireless router or there are too many obstructions, the wireless signal may be too weak. Repositioning your router or Fire Stick may fix this problem.
• Network hardware issues: An issue with your router or modem may be preventing the Fire Stick from connecting to the internet. Restarting your hardware will usually fix this problem.
• Fire Stick issues: There may be a problem with the Fire Stick itself. Restarting the Fire Stick may fix your problem, or you might have to factory reset it.
• VPN configuration: If you have a VPN installed on your Fire Stick and it’s misconfigured or malfunctioning, the VPN can keep the Fire Stick from connecting to the internet. Fix the configuration or uninstall the VPN to fix this kind of problem.
• Internet outage: If your internet is down or experiencing other issues which can prevent the Fire Stick from connecting to Amazon’s servers.
• Amazon services outage: If Amazon is experiencing a service outage, the outage can prevent your Fire Stick from working.

What to Do When Your Firestick Won’t Connect to the Internet

Before you do anything else, check to see if Amazon is down. If Amazon services are down, there’s nothing you can do but wait for them to fix the problem. If everything seems to be working on their end, and you’re able to access things like Amazon Prime from other devices on your network, then you can move on to troubleshooting other potential issues.

To get your Fire Stick connected to the internet, follow these troubleshooting tips:

1. Check your Fire Stick Wi-Fi connection. You can check your connection by navigating to Settings > Network then selecting your network. If the signal strength isn’t good or very good, consider moving your wireless router or your Fire Stick to improve the connection.

2. Reset your network connection. If it says your Wi-Fi signal strength is strong or very strong, but you still can’t connect to the internet, try resetting the connection. Navigate to Settings > Network > Your Wi-Fi Network, then press the menu button to forget the network. You can then select your network again to reconnect, enter your password, and see if the connection is working.

3. Try your 2.4 GHz network if possible. If your modem provides a 2.4 GHz network and a 5 GHz network, navigate to Settings > Network, switch to the 2.4 GHz network, and check to see if the Fire Stick can connect. The 5 GHz network is faster, but the 2.4 GHz network will have a stronger signal and a greater range.

4. Try a wired Ethernet connection. If you cannot establish a strong Wi-Fi connection, you can connect a Fire Stick to your router with an Ethernet adapter. It's an accessory that plugs into the USB port on the Fire Stick and allows you to connect both power and an Ethernet cable to the Fire Stick.

5. Restart your network hardware. Many network connectivity issues can be solved by restarting your network hardware, including your router and your modem. Unplug both from power, wait for 30 seconds to a minute, and plug them back in.

6. Restart your Fire Stick. If there’s a problem with the Fire Stick itself, a restart will often get things working again. Your Fire Stick doesn’t have a power button, but you can restart it by unplugging it from power for five seconds and then plugging it back in.

7. Check your VPN configuration. If you have a VPN installed on your Fire Stick, it may be preventing the Fire Stick from connecting to the internet. You can quickly rule this out by temporarily uninstalling the VPN and checking to see if you’re able to connect to the internet. If that fixes the problem, contact the developers of your VPN app for information about how to configure it.

8. Deregister your Amazon account. If you’re seeing an error where home is currently unavailable, or the Fire Stick can’t connect to the server, then deregistering your Amazon account may help. Navigate to Settings > My Account > Amazon account > Deregister and follow the on-screen prompts. You’ll then have to sign back into your Amazon account and see if the Fire Stick works.

9. Factory reset your Fire Stick. If your Fire Stick is still unable to connect to the internet, perform a factory reset. It will completely reset the Fire Stick, so you’ll have to set it up like you did when you first got it.